TNAG-2829-FCO40-4082-Hong-Kong-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station--Daya-Bay--China-1993 — Page 137

CONFIDENTIAL

87

015426 MDHIAN 3484

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO

1403

HICC 166/

4

RECE

1993

OF 02045OZ SEPTEMBER 93

AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TOP COPY

Q DIST?

INFO ROUTINE UKMIS VIENNA, WASHINGTON, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

PEKING TELNO 1153: GUANGDONG NUCLEAR POWER STATION AT DAYA BAY.

1.

WE HAVE JUST RECEIVED THE GUANGDONG SIDE'S REPLY TO OUR LETTER OF 19 AUGUST, AS FORESHADOWED IN TUR. THEY HAVE OFFERED A DELEGATION MEETING IN MID-SEPTEMBER IN HONG KONG. THEY CLAIM THAT AN EARLIER MEETING WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR THEM AND HAVE REITERATED THEIR REQUEST FOR A WRITTEN RESPONSE ON THE CONFIDENTIALITY QUESTION BEFORE THE MEETING, BUT THEY HAVE NOT (NOT) DEMANDED THIS AS A PRECONDITION FOR A MEETING. THEY HAVE, HOWEVER, DECLINED OUR PROPOSAL TO HAVE AN EXPERT MEETING IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE DELEGATION MEETING.

2. WE HAVE REPLIED PROPOSING THAT THE DELEGATION MEETING SHOULD

BE HELD IN HONG KONG ON 16 AND 17 SEPTEMBER. WE HAVE DECLINED TO GIVE THEM OUR NEW PROPOSALS ON THE CONFIDENTIALITY QUESTION BEFORE THE MEETING. COPIES OF THE GUANGDONG LETTER AND OUR RESPONSE FOLLOW BY FAX, TO HKD, FCO AND PEKING.

COMMENT.

3. THIS IS A STEP FORWARD, AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR ANY

CONTRIBUTION CHEN ZENGQING MADE, AS A RESULT OF PEKING'S LOBBYING, TO ACHIEVING IT. BUT WE HAVE NO ILLUSIONS THAT THE DISCUSSION OF CONFIDENTIALITY WILL BE EASY.

PATTEN

YYYY

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CONFIDENTIAL