MTAG:ITALIAN FIRMS COOPERATING WITH CHINESE

S E C R E T ROME 000117 SIPDIS DEPT PASS TO MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2015 TAGS: ETTC IT PARM PREL CH MTCRE SUBJECT: MTAG:ITALIAN FIRMS COOPERATING WITH CHINESE MISSILE AND SPACE-RELATED ENTITIES (S) REF: SECSTATE 275541 Classified By: ECONOMIC MINISTER COUNSELOR SCOTT KILNER FOR REASONS 1.4(B),(D) AND (H). 1.(S) Economic Counselor called on Carlo Tripepi, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nonproliferation Coordinator, to express USG concern over possible Chinese collaboration with Italian firms on joint aviation and avionics technology development (reftel). Tripepi, who chairs the interministerial committee that approves, inter alia, all licenses for Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)-controlled goods, was surprised at the news. He said that as of yesterday (when the latest interministerial meeting was held),no Italian firm had applied for permission to export goods of this sort. He characterized the Chinese as engaging in "wishful thinking" because the GOI interministerial committee strictly monitored all export of such sensitive technology. He also promised to pass along to us information on any Italian firms' applications for export licenses to China of MTCR-controlled goods in the aviation and avionics development technology. SKODON NNNN 2005ROME00117 - Classification: SECRET