TAIWAN STRUGGLING WITH BEEF ISSUE

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