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TELNO 1139
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Taken
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS VIENNA, WASHINGTON, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
80
172106
MDHIAN 2524
HONG KONG TELNO 1359:
(79
GUANGDONG NUCLEAR POWER STATION AT DAYA BAY
SUMMARY
CHEN ZENGQING DECLINES TO SEE US, BUT SUGGESTS THAT HONG KONG REPLY AT ONCE TO THE GUANGDONG LETTER, PUTTING THEIR
1.
COUNTER-PROPOSAL: HE WILL THEN WEIGH IN AGAIN. (WE DO NOT TELL HIM THAT HONG KONG HAVE ALREADY WRITTEN, BUT IF THEY CAN SEND US A COPY OF THEIR LETTER WE SHALL FORWARD IT TO CHEN.)
DETAIL
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WE SOUGHT AN EARLY CALL ON CHEN ZENGQING, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF THE STATE COUNCIL NUCLEAR STEERING COMMITTEE, BUT ONE OF HIS OFFICIALS, CHEN JINZHANG, TELEPHONED COUNSELLOR TO PASS ON THE MESSAGE THAT, AS THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES HAD RECENTLY PUT A PROPOSAL TO HONG KONG FOR TALKS IN SEPTEMBER, AND AS HE WAS ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH OUR VIEWS, HE DID NOT THINK A MEETING WOULD BE USEFUL.
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WE REPLIED THAT IT WAS PRECISELY BECAUSE OF THE GUANGDONG PROPOSAL THAT WE WANTED TO TALK TO THE CENTRAL AUTHORITIES. TIME WAS NOW VERY SHORT: HONG KONG THEREFORE SUGGESTED MEETING THIS WEEK OR NEXT, RATHER THAN WAITING UNTIL MID-SEPTEMBER AS GUANGDONG PROPOSED. IN ANY CASE GUANGDONG WERE STILL SETTING AN UNREASONABLE PRECONDITION FOR THE MEETING - A PRIOR COMMITMENT ON ONE OF THE KEY QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION. WE ADDED THAT THERE WAS SOME FLEXIBILITY IN THE HONG KONG POSITION, BUT MATTERS COULD ONLY BE CARRIED FORWARD IN FACE TO FACE DISCUSSION WITH THE GUANGDONG SIDE.
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CHEN UNDERTOOK TO REPORT TO CHEN ZENGQING AND RANG BACK LATER
IN TO SAY THAT HE HAD DONE SO AND THAT OUR POINTS WERE NOTED. RESPONSE TO THEM CHEN ZENGQING THOUGHT THAT THE BEST THING WAS FOR HONG KONG IMMEDIATELY TO PUT THEIR VIEWS IN WRITING TO GUANGDONG:
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