US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI3075

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 003075 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS TO AIT/W 
DEPT FOR EAP/TC, NP/ECC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EWWT, PTER, PARM, TW, Counterterrorism/Nonproliferation, Transportation 
SUBJECT: MEGAPORTS TEAM GETS POSITIVE RECEPTION IN 
TAIWAN 
 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
1.  Taiwan officials expressed strong support for the 
Megaports Program during the visit of U.S. Department 
of Energy officials William Kilmartin and Jeffrey 
Miller.  Kilmartin and Miller identified no major 
obstacles to implementing the program in the Port of 
Kaohsiung.  AIT/T passed a draft AIT-TECRO Memorandum 
of Understanding to the Executive Yuan Counter- 
terrorism Office (EY CTO) and TECRO.  Kilmartin and 
Miller indicated that DOE could proceed with a 
technical site survey before an MOU is signed.  AIT/T 
will follow-up with EY CTO to get Taiwan comments on 
the MOU and to secure concurrence and possible dates 
for a technical site survey.  End summary. 
 
Taipei Officials Express Strong Support 
--------------------------------------- 
 
2.  U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Megaports Program 
Manager William Kilmartin and Asia Regional Manager 
Jeffrey Miller traveled to Taiwan July 13-15 to brief 
Taiwan officials on the Megaports Program and assess 
the potential for implementing the program at the Port 
of Kaohsiung.  On July 15, they briefed more than 30 
Taiwan officials from 14 different agencies, including 
the Executive Yuan Counter-terrorism Office (EY CTO), 
Directorate General of Customs (DGC), Ministry of 
Transportation and Communications (MOTC), Atomic Energy 
Commission (AEC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), 
Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Justice and 
National Police Administration.  EY CTO Director Kuo 
Lin-wu hosted a dinner for the visitors, which included 
Director General of Customs Yu Shaw-wu, AEC Department 
of Nuclear Technology Deputy Director Mike Hsu (Hsu 
Ming-te), and MOTC Department of Navigation and 
Aviation Senior Specialist Li Juel-der.  While in 
Taipei, Kilmartin and Miller also paid separate 
courtesy calls on Li at MOTC and on DGC Department of 
Investigation officials. 
 
3.  In the group briefing, Taiwan officials were 
interested and asked many questions.  The questions 
focused on which Taiwan agency should implement the 
program, costs Taiwan would have to incur, response 
procedures, the impact on port operations, and the 
legal authority for conducting passive searches using 
Megaports equipment.  None of the questions raised 
major obstacles to implementing Megaports in Taiwan. 
During the Dinner hosted by EY CTO Director Guo, he and 
Customs DG Yu both expressed strong support for the 
program.  MOTC Senior Specialist Li separately 
expressed the support of his Ministry. 
 
Kaohsiung, No Major Obstacles to Implementation 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
4.  In Kaohsiung, Kilmartin and Miller toured the 
harbor facilities and met with Kaohsiung Harbor Bureau 
and Kaohsiung Customs Office officials.  Local 
officials also expressed strong support for the 
program.  Kilmartin and Miller identified no major 
obstacles to installation after viewing operations in 
the harbor.  The high volume of container transshipment 
in Kaohsiung will present some challenges to scanning a 
high percentage of traffic that passes through the 
harbor.  However, Kilmartin and Miller estimate that 
the program may be able to scan up to 25 percent of 
transshipped containers.  They were impressed by 
Kaohsiung's security procedures, and said it was among 
the best they had seen worldwide.  They also indicated 
that the level of automation at port entrances would 
facilitate integration of the Megaports Program into 
existing port procedures.  They advised that DOE 
generally budgets USD 15 million per port for 
implementation of the Megaports Initiative, and based 
upon observations made during the tour of Kaohsiung, 
Kilmartin and Miller advised that equipment could 
likely be installed there for about that amount. 
 
Next Steps 
---------- 
 
5.  During the visit, AIT passed a draft AIT-TECRO 
memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the Megaports 
Program to EY CTO and TECRO.  EY CTO's Guo said his 
office would distribute the MOU to other relevant 
Taiwan agencies.  TECRO passed it to MOFA.  Guo 
indicated that because of the number of agencies 
involved and because an implementing agency has still 
not been identified by Taiwan, it may take some time to 
provide comments on the MOU.  AIT/T will follow up with 
EY CTO to obtain Taiwan comments on the draft as 
quickly as possible. 
 
6.  Kilmartin and Miller indicated that DOE could 
proceed with a technical site survey to begin work on 
an installation design for the radiation detectors even 
before an MOU is signed.  They suggested late August 
for a visit.  AIT/T will secure from EY CTO concurrence 
to proceed with a technical site survey and possible 
dates. 
7.  DOE Jeffrey Miller cleared this message. 
 
PAAL