US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI1027

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 001027 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS AIT/W 
STATE FOR EAP/RSP/TC, EAP/EP ADN EB/IFD/OIA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2025 
TAGS: ETTC, ECON, PREL, TW 
SUBJECT: TAIWAN ON EXBS TRAINING 
 
 
Classified By: AIT DIRECTOR DOUGLAS H. PAAL, REASON 1.5 B/D 
 
1. (U) Action Request para 10. 
 
2.  (SBU) Summary: AIT met with Bureau of Foreign Trade 
(BOFT) Director Peter Ho on March 8, 2005 to discuss 
arrangements for the March 22-25 EXBS Training on export 
control laws and regulations.  Ho expressed eagerness for the 
training and hoped that it will go well.  BOFT will provide 
at no charge a venue, interpreters, box lunches, and a 
dinner.  BOFT asked if the number of participants could be 
increased to 30-35, if AIT could give opening remarks and 
host one dinner, and Ho suggested topics BOFT would like to 
see trainers address.  Separately, DPP Policy Chief Ker 
Chien-ming told AIT that he would send one of his staffers to 
attend the training.  Ker suggested that we invite 
representatives of other political parties as well.  AIT is 
preparing a separate clearance cable.  End summary. 
 
BOFT Wants Successful Training Event 
------------------------------------ 
 
3.  (SBU) Director Ho said BOFT was anxious that the EXBS 
training go well and that in order to facilitate arrangements 
BOFT would provide at no charge a suitable venue and 
interpretation.  However, he noted that it was BOFT practice 
to use consecutive, rather than simultaneous interpreters and 
hoped this would not be a problem.  (Note: AIT/Econ believes 
consecutive interpretation is more effective for this type of 
training.)  Ho said BOFT has a suitable conference room at 
its headquarters in Taipei.  BOFT offered to provide box 
lunches for each day of the training and to host a dinner for 
all participants one evening.  Director Ho was pleased to see 
that the draft agenda has been modified to give opportunity 
for Taiwan speakers to make presentations on Taiwan's export 
control laws and &catch-all8 provisions.  His office has 
already prepared an inch-thick book containing Chinese and 
English versions of relevant Taiwan laws that will be 
distributed to participants.  Ho said he would arrange for 
his Director General Franco Huang (Chih-peng) to give some 
opening remarks.  He suggested that AIT provide a speaker to 
give 5-10 minutes of opening remarks and that AIT host a 
dinner on one evening. 
 
Request to Increase Number of Participants 
------------------------------------------ 
 
4.  (SBU) Director Ho said BOFT hoped to invite participants 
to the training from all the various agencies involved in 
export control: 1) Bureau of Foreign Trade, 2) Ministry of 
Justice Prosecutors, Office, 3) Industrial Development 
Bureau, 4) National Science Council (which drafted the 
technology protection bill currently stuck in the 
legislature), 5) Ministry of National Defense, 6) Ministry of 
Justice Investigative Bureau, 7) National Security Bureau, 8) 
National Security Council, 9) Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
10) Customs, 11) Coast Guard, 12) Atomic Energy Commission, 
13) Science Park Administration Bureau, 14) and up to four 
staffers from the Legislative Yuan.  Ho asked if the number 
of participants could be increased to 30-35 to accommodate 
representatives of all these agencies. 
 
Some Specific Questions and Suggestions 
--------------------------------------- 
 
5. (SBU) Director Ho indicated that there were some specific 
questions that Taiwan agencies would like the EXBS trainers 
to address.  He mentioned cases involving the re-export from 
Taiwan to China of U.S.-origin silicon wafer production 
equipment and asked for clarification on what, if any, 
licenses were required from the USG for these re-exports.  He 
mentioned wide interest in the export control laws of other 
countries, in particular, Japan and South Korea.  Ho 
suggested that a group photo, morning and afternoon coffee 
breaks, and daily wrap-up sessions be added to the agenda. 
He raised the possibility that, if there was interest, on the 
final afternoon of the conference BOFT could arrange some 
offsite activity for participants such as a call on/briefing 
for Taiwan's legislature, or visits to high-tech 
manufacturing or port facilities.  (Note: AIT/Econ has for 
months been urging Taiwan to pass legislation on restricting 
technology transfers.) 
 
6. (SBU) Director Ho will be traveling with a delegation of 
11 other Taiwan officials from March 12-19 in order to attend 
a non-proliferation and confidence building workshop in New 
Mexico sponsored by Sandia Labs and the Monterey Institute. 
Ho thought that the goal of the workshop was to prevent a 
cross-Strait nuclear conflict.  He noted that one of the 
featured speakers was a professor from Fudan University in 
China. 
 
AIT Urges Legislative Support for Export Controls 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
7.  (SBU) In a meeting on March 7, DPP Policy Chief and LY 
Member Ker Chien-ming told AIT that he would watch over 
legislation related to export controls and do his best to 
ensure passage.  He specifically said he supported the 
"Science and Technology Protection Law" now pending and he 
supported efforts to further control Taiwan's exports to 
North Korea and Iraq.  He indicated that in general Taiwan 
would follow the U.S. lead on export controls. 
 
8.  (SBU) Ker Chien-ming was pleased to learn of the planned 
EXBS training on laws and regulations and offered to send one 
of his staffers to attend the training.  He also suggested 
that AIT invite representatives of other political parties to 
attend the training. 
 
9.  (C) Comment: Due to Taiwan's diplomatic isolation, 
officials here do not participate in or have direct lines of 
communication to multilateral organizations dealing with 
export control, law enforcement, or general customs issues. 
Taiwan officials are concerned that they be treated the same, 
and act the same, as officials in other countries.  For this 
reason, we think it would be useful for trainers to bring 
copies of export control and "catch-all" legislation from 
countries such as Japan, Germany, Italy, and South Korea to 
allay Taiwan concerns.  We also suggest that the trainers 
include a strong message of the importance and benefit to 
Taiwan of effective implementation of export control 
regulations.  We believe that in addition to teaching how to 
draft export control legislation, the training can play a 
very valuable role in increasing understanding of the 
importance of export controls and building support for their 
strict implementation.  In this regard, we believe outreach 
to the different political parties in Taiwan's legislature is 
particularly important.  We fully support Ho's request to 
increase the number of participants in the training so we can 
accommodate legislative staffers as well as the executive 
agencies listed in para. 3.  End Comment. 
 
10.  (U) Action Request: Please advise Washington agency 
views on 1) increasing the number of participants to 35; 2) 
BOFT proposals for venue, box lunches, and consecutive 
interpretation; and 3) BOFT request for topics to be 
addressed. 
PAAL