TNAG-2829-FCO40-4082-Hong-Kong-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station--Daya-Bay--China-1993 — Page 189

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FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 1343

OF 17085OZ AUGUST 93

AND TO PRIORITY PEKING

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19 AUG 1993

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INFO ROUTINE UKMIS VIENNA, WASHINGTON, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

OUR TELNOS 1229, 1230 AND PEKING TELNO 1043: GUANGDONG NUCLEAR POWER STATION AT DAYA BAY

THE GUANGDONG SIDE HAVE DECLINED OUR REQUEST TO HOLD A DELEGATION LEVEL MEETING (WHICH WAS THEIR SUGGESTION) IN THE SECOND WEEK OF AUGUST. THEY CLAIM THAT BECAUSE OF THE OFF-SIT EMERGENCY EXERCISE, WHICH THEY WILL CONDUCT ON 18 AUGUST TO TEST THEIR CONTINGENCY PLAN, IT WILL NOT BE CONVENIENT TO ARRANGE A MEETING BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES BEFORE MID-SEPTEMBER. THEY ALSO REITERATE THEIR DEMAND THAT WE GIVE THEM A POSITIVE RESPONSE IN WRITING TO THEIR LATEST PROPOSAL ON THE CONFIDENTIALITY CLAUSE BEFORE THE TWO SIDES MEET AGAIN.

2. THIS IS A MOST DISCOURAGING AND UNREASONABLE RESPONSE. TO IMPRESS ON THE GUANGDONG SIDE OUR DISSATISFACTION AND THE URGENCY OF THE SITUATION, THE LEADER OF THE HONG KONG PLENARY DELEGATION HAS NOW WRITTEN TO HIS GUANGDONG COUNTERPART EXPRESSING HIS CONCERN OVER THE LACK OF PROGRESS AND URGING THAT A DELEGATION-LEVEL MEETING BE HELD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

3. TIME IS RUNNING SHORT. TESTING AT THE PLANT HAS STARTED AND THE FIRST REACTOR IS SCHEDULED TO BECOME OPERATIONAL IN NOVEMBER. THERE HAS BEEN INCREASING PUBLIC CONCERN EXPRESSED OVER OUR DAY BAY CONTINGENCY ARRANGEMENTS, ESPECIALLY IN THE WAKE OF THE CATASTROPHIC EXPLOSION IN SHENZHEN ON 5 AUGUST 1993. WE MUST HAVE AN EARLY MEETING WITH THE GUANGDONG SIDE TO ESTABLISH CLEARLY WHETHER WE WILL BE ABLE TO RESOLVE THE CONFIDENTIALITY QUESTION AND REACH A SATISFACTORY AGREEMENT. IF THIS CANNOT BE DONE, THEN WE MUST BE PREPARED TO INFORM LEGCO AND THE PUBLIC HERE OF THE PROBLEM AND EXPLAIN WHY WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT. WE WOULD OTHERWISE PUT OURSELVES IN AN INDEFENSIBLE POSITION AND BE ACCUSED OF KEEPING LEGCO AND THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE.

4. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE MUST DO ALL WE CAN TO EXERT PRESSURE ON THE CHINESE TO RESUME TALKS. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF PEKING COULD

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