SEEKING SUPPORT FOR U.S. APEC RADIOACTIVE SOURCES

C O N F I D E N T I A L TAIPEI 002039 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/RSC/TC, EAP/EP, AND NP/NE ALEX BURKART E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/04/2015 TAGS: KNNP KSTC PARM ETTC EAID ETRD ECIN SUBJECT: SEEKING SUPPORT FOR U.S. APEC RADIOACTIVE SOURCES INITIATIVE: CHINESE TAIPEI RESPONDS REF: SECSTATE 79844 Classified By: Acting Deputy Director Charles Bennett, reason 1.4 (d) ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 6. ¶2. (C) AIT Econoff met May 4, 2005 with Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA),APEC Task Force Chief Lisa Li-hsin Chuang to deliver reftel demarche requesting that Chinese-Taipei support the U.S. radioactive sources initiative at the Senior Officials Meeting in Korea in May. Chuang noted that Taiwan is not a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) but has cooperated with it in the past on atomic energy safety issues. ¶3. (C) Chinese-Taipei has fully supported U.S. counter-terrorism initiatives in APEC since 2003 and is pleased that human security will be included in the APEC agenda in 2005. Chinese-Taipei continues to support the broadening of APEC's agenda to include topics of regional economic concern. Taiwan believes it already meets IAEA guidelines on trade in radioactive substances and the requirements of the IAEA Code of Conduct on Safety and Security of Radioactive Substances. However, given Taiwan's lack of IAEA membership, it will be difficult for Taiwan to officially announce that it intends to implement either the IAEA Code of Conduct or the Guidance on Import and Export of Radioactive Substances, said Chuang. ¶4. (C) Chuang noted that given the concern from the People's Republic of China (PRC) and some other APEC members about Chinese-Taipei's participation in security related discussions, Chinese-Taipei leaders were reluctant to publicly announce support for the U.S. Initiative. She emphasized that Chinese-Taipei's reticence was not based in a lack of support for the initiative, but rather was evidence of Chinese-Taipei's awareness of the views of other APEC members. Chuang said Chinese-Taipei would join in consensus support for the initiative, but would only publicly announce support for the initiative if the U.S. believed it was prudent to do so. ¶5. (C) Responsibility for atomic energy issues rests with Taiwan's Atomic Energy Council (AEC). Chuang confirmed that MOFA had not raised the issue of whether Chinese-Taipei could support the U.S. initiative with the AEC nor had the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Energy Commission been approached about this issue. If an announcement of support for the initiative was forthcoming, Chinese-Taipei's Senior Official, John Chen, would first need to consult with relevant agencies in Taiwan. ¶6. (C) Action Request: Please confirm that the U.S. would prefer that Chinese-Taipei NOT/NOT publicly announce support for the U.S. initiative on radioactive substances at the May SOM in Korea. PAAL