TAIWAN ON EXBS TRAINING

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