US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI4200

C O N F I D E N T I A L TAIPEI 004200 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS AIW/W AND USTR 
STATE FOR EAP/TC 
USTR FOR WINTER AND WINELAND 
USDOC FOR 4420 USFCS/OCEA/EAP/LDROKER 
USDOC FOR 3132/USFCS/OIO/EAP/ADAVENPORT 
USDA/FAS FOR WETZEL, MIRELES AND TERPSTRA 
USDA/APHIS FOR DEHAVEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2010 
TAGS: ETRD, BEXP, TW 
SUBJECT: TAIWAN STRUGGLING WITH BEEF ISSUE 
 
REF: A. TAIPEI 4093 
 
     B. TAIPEI 4040 
 
Classified By: AIT DIRECTOR DOUGLAS PAAL FOR REASONS 1.5 (b) (d) 
 
Senior Interventions 
--------------------- 
1.  (C) AIT Director and Deputy Director raised the beef 
import issue with Premier Frank Hsieh (Chang-ting) at dinner 
on October 11.  AIT/T emphasized the need for Taiwan to 
follow a rigorous science-based review of its current ban on 
imports of U.S. beef and not to allow political 
considerations to interfere with the timing of a decision to 
reopen Taiwan's market.  AIT/T DIR followed up with the same 
points with the Presidential Office on October 12.  Neither 
the Premier nor the Presidential Office made any commitments 
on the issue, though both listened intently and assured us 
that they understood the importance that the U.S. attaches to 
the issue. 
 
Working Level 
------------- 
2.  (SBU)  AIT/Ag Chief met with Director General Chen 
Lu-hong of the Department of Health's Food Safety Bureau 
October 14 to follow-up on APHIS Administrator DeHaven's 
visit last week and to encourage Chen to move quickly to 
reopen Taiwan's market to imports of U.S. beef.  In 
particular, AIT/T urged that Chen quickly call a meeting of 
his Risk Advisory Committee. 
 
New Roadblocks 
-------------- 
3.  (C)  Chen said that Legislative Yuan member Lai Hsin-yuan 
has thrown another roadblock in his path by demanding that 
DOH publicly reveal the names of the members of the Risk 
Advisory Committee and to make the Committee's 
meetings/deliberations more transparent.  (Note:  While the 
Committee make-up is not a secret, DOH has previously said it 
prefers that the Committee operate in an environment free of 
outside influence and Chen initially resisted Lai's demands. 
End Note.)  Chen told us that DOH Minister Hou directed Chen 
to canvas the Committee to determine which members object to 
a public disclosure of their participation.  Chen plans to 
send a message to each member today with a reply deadline of 
next Friday.  Any member objecting will not be invited or 
expected to attend the meeting to finalize the Committee's 
review of the APHIS investigative report and, what AIT 
expects will be, its recommendation to resume imports.  Chen 
said that he expects some members will drop out.  However, 
several Committee members who support a resumption of imports 
have already been publicly quoted, or even written articles 
on the safety of U.S. beef and so are unlikely to be 
concerned by this development.  The larger problem is that it 
pushes back the date the Committee will meet until the week 
of the 24th, at the earliest. 
 
Comment 
------- 
4.  (C) There is no doubt that the highest levels of the 
Taiwan authorities are aware of the importance that the U.S. 
attaches to Taiwan following a science-based approach to 
reopening its beef market.  DG Chen seems increasingly aware 
of the political pressures that are building and the 
importance of keeping the process moving forward.  At a 
minimum, he now recognizes the benefits of getting this issue 
off his desk and on up to the political level.  Chen, with 
the full support of his Minister, has quickly developed a 
response to the transparency concerns raised by LY member Lai 
and seems determined to push the process forward. 
 
5.  (C) We understand that Vice Minister of Economic Affairs 
Steve Chen (Ruey-long) will be in Washington for meetings the 
week of October 24.  While his ministry has no direct role to 
play in the beef issue, it would be useful to convey to him 
U.S. views on this trade issue.  As a senior trade official, 
he would be in a good position to provide support to DOH 
Minister Hou in any Executive Yuan deliberations about 
reopening Taiwan's market to U.S. beef.  End Comment. 
PAAL