TNAG-2981-FCO40-1473-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-1982 — Page 108

CONFIDENTIAL

CHEN GANG ALSO SAID THAT IN THE PAST HE HAD OPPOSED THE UK/US

JOINT BID AS HE BELIEVED THAT THIS COULD NOT ADVANCE WITHOUT AN

INSPECTION REQUIREMENT: NOW THAT IT LOOKED POSSIBLE HE WAS IN FAVOUR

OF SUCH A BID, RECOGNISING THE SUPERIORITY OF US TECHNOLOGY. THE

SAME MEETING ALSO REVEALED THAT GPC WERE CONCERNED ABOUT ELEMENTS

OF THE LIKELY UK/US PACKAGE. THEY WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT

IT WOULD ENTAIL THE MANUFACTURE IN THE UK OF KEY PWR HARDWARE AND

WERE CONCERNED AT THE LACK OF UX EXPERIENCE IN THIS RESPECT.

MARSHALL REASSURED THEM ABOUT THIS EXPLAINING THAT THE CEGB

THEMSELVES PURCHASED FROM BRITAIN ONLY WHAT BRITISH MANUKACTURERS

WERE CAPABLE OF MAKING. THE SAME WOULD APPLY TO ANY PACKAGE FOR

CHINA.

6. AT ONE STAGE IT APPEARS THAT THE CHINESE WERE THROWN OFF

BALANCE BY A MESSAGE FROM PEKING THAT A US/UK BID WAS IMPOSSIBLE.

THIS WAS PRESUMABLY A GARBLED VERSION OF THE MESSAGE DELIVERED TO

VICE-MINISTER LI PENG. WITH THE FULL TEXT OF THE MESSAGE NOW

DELIVERED IN BOTH CANTON AND PEKING THIS SHOULD NOW HAVE BEEN

UNSCRAMBLED,

7. MARSHALL RETURNS TO LONDON ON 2 SEPTEMBER AND WILL REPORT

IN DETAIL.

ADAMS

LIMITED

FED

HK4GD

NED

TRED

MR GIFFARD MR GILLMORE

MR DONALD

ADDITIONAL DISTN

GUANGDONG

NUCLEAR

2

CONFIDENTIAL