REQUEST FOR FRANCE TO STOP A SHIPMENT OF

S E C R E T PARIS 005566

SIPDIS

NOFORN

FOR NP/RA AND EUR/WE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2020
TAGS: PREL KNNP PARM MNUC ETTC FR CH
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR FRANCE TO STOP A SHIPMENT OF
PROLIFERATION CONCERN: FRENCH INVESTIGATION
RESULTS/FURTHER QUESTIONS

REF: STATE 060756

Classified By: EST Counselor Robert W. Dry for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (S/NF) On 16 August, ESTH Nonproliferation Officer met
French MFA desk officer for Nuclear Nonproliferation,
Sebastian Jaunet, to discuss the Proliferation Security
Initiative (PSI) investigation regarding the transfer of
vibration/centrifuge systems involving the U.S. company Data
Physics, the French company Actidyn Systemes, and a Chinese
nuclear weapons design and manufacturing laboratory (believed
by U.S. authorities to be the "904th Institute"). As
promised, at this meeting Jaunet provided EST officer with a
voluminous document, the result of an investigation
undertaken by the French Ministry of Interior, the French
inter-agency group, and French intelligence services. Jaunet
told ESTH officer that the several hundred page document
included most of the findings of the investigation into the
French nexus of this transfer. Embassy pouched it on 18
August (Registry Number 931432) to Renee Pan in NP/RA.


2. (S/NF) In addition to providing the document, Jaunet
requested an update on the status of the U.S. government
investigations into the transfer. Specifically, Jaunet asked
ESTH officer to seek an update from Washington on the
conclusions reached regarding the case against Dataphysics,
and the results of the technical assessment of the equipment
undertaken by the U.S. Department of Energy. Jaunet also
highlighted the portion of the document with the names and
photos of the members of the Chinese delegation that had
visited Actidyn in France in early 2005, and asked ESTH
officer for an exchange of information on the members of this
delegation. ESTH officer promised to convey French requests
to Washington agencies. Jaunet noted that the French
government had concluded that Actidyn had not directly broken
French law. ESTH officer thanked Jaunet for his
government's continued cooperation in this case.
Hofmann