NEW COMMERCE SECRETARY ON IPR, PORT SECURITY, AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HONG KONG 000925 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM AND EB/IPC STATE PASS USTR USDOC FOR 4420 E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2031 TAGS: PGOV KIPR ETRD ECON INRB HK SUBJECT: NEW COMMERCE SECRETARY ON IPR, PORT SECURITY, AND BROADCASTING ISSUES REF: HONG KONG 715 Classified By: Consul General James B. Cunningham; Reasons: 1.4 (b/d) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) On March 3, Hong Kong's new Secretary for Commerce, Industry, and Technology (SCIT),Joseph Wong, assured the Consul General (CG) that: Hong Kong would aim to remain among the "top layer" of economies with regard to the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR); that Hong Kong values port security and welcomes the opportunity to consider radiological screening options put forward by the U.S.; and that current activities to review public broadcasting involve "no hidden agenda" that would impact upon freedom of speech. END SUMMARY MEETING DETAILS -------------- ¶2. (C) On March 3, SCIT Wong, who assumed his position on January 24, met with the CG. Wong was accompanied by Administrative Assistant Maurice Loo Kam-wah. The CG was joined by the Deputy Principal Officer, the Economic-Political Section Chief, and an economic officer (notetaker). COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP -------------- ¶3. (C) The CG noted recent areas of collaboration between Hong Kong and the U.S. that fall under Wong's jurisdiction. He observed that Hong Kong's December 2005 hosting of the Sixth World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference (MC6) went smoothly and asked that Hong Kong remain involved in concluding the Doha Round while doing what it can to encourage active participation by the mainland in this process. The CG referenced the history of bilateral cooperation between Hong Kong and the U.S. on export control issues, noting bilateral talks scheduled for this May. He also referred to the Memorandum of Understanding concluded between Hong Kong and the U.S. in August 2005 that enables bilateral cooperation to ensure the integrity of textile transshipments. WTO VIEWS -------------- ¶4. (C) Wong underscored the importance of multilateral trade arrangements for maintaining the prosperity of economies like Hong Kong that are focused on foreign trade. He suggested that once Doha is concluded, the WTO should examine ways to make itself more effective, since it presently takes 7-10 years to complete a negotiation round. Noting that the U.S. and Hong Kong do not always see eye-to-eye on issues such as anti-dumping, Wong emphasized that it is important to improve the WTO's rules so as to ensure that market access agreements reached are not frustrated by implementing procedures. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS -------------- ¶5. (C) The CG mentioned Hong Kong's strong record for IPR protection, adding that we intend to focus in particular over the next year on amendments to the Copyright Law as well as on maintaining the integrity of the local market for pharmaceuticals. He noted the importance to industry of the Copyright Law amendments in light of high rates of unlicensed and pirated software use in Hong Kong. He pointed to sentiment among industry groups to have Hong Kong cited for "special mention" under USTR's 301 process, adding that we want to work with Hong Kong to resolve the issues underpinning these concerns. On pharmaceuticals, the CG said that the U.S. would like to see patent linkage, i.e., a process of certification from manufacturers of generic drugs that they are not imposing upon existing rights-holders when registering those drugs. The CG also mentioned reports of increasing volumes of counterfeit pharmaceuticals in the local market, underscoring the need to ensure the integrity of the drug supply. ¶6. (C) Wong commented that Hong Kong's IPR record is both a key element of the city remaining a center for international trade as well as a source of distinction from the mainland. There is a high degree of confidence in purchases made here relative to the PRC. Hong Kong needs its good status to HONG KONG 00000925 002 OF 002 continue attracting foreign businesses and investors. IPR protection, however, can be emotive. IP owners want more payments, while IP users and consumer rights groups resist. Wong's impression is that the scope of IPR protection in Hong Kong is expanding. For example, there are now criminal offenses for printed matter violations. Wong admitted, however, that some proposed amendments to the Copyright Law reflect the interests of consumers, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and educators, and the HKG must take this into account. Consequently, there is a need for certain exemptions and safe harbor provisions. The HKG will package its proposed Copyright Law amendments for the legislature (Legco) within the next two months. Wong predicted tremendous debate, with many interest groups giving input. (Note: For details on concerns about the Copyright Law amendments, see our 301 submission (reftel). End Note.) ¶7. (C) Wong welcomes further discussion and consultation if particular provisions in the proposed amendments are of concern. He also asked for more information on how the U.S. handles these issues. In particular, Wong wants to know if what the HKG proposes is along the lines of other economies that are in the "top layer" of IPR protection. (Note: We will forward the proposed amendments to EAP/CM and USTR when they are put forward. End Note.) Wong added that Hong Kong Customs is doing very well in enforcing IPR protections and has very good relations with its U.S. counterparts. Meanwhile, the HKG is challenged on the regulatory side as it chases down advances in online piracy, an issue that requires further collaboration among affected economies, in Wong's view. PORT SECURITY -------------- ¶8. (C) The CG noted Hong Kong's success as a partner since 2003 in the Container Security Initiative. He encouraged Hong Kong to build upon this by extending our collaboration to radiological screening. He pointed to DOE's Megaports initiative, and noted that a separate screening process is being demonstrated at the Hong Kong port by a private U.S. company. The CG said he hopes we can take a radiological screening option forward in the coming months. Wong responded that as a general matter, Hong Kong believes in the importance of improving security all around. The HKG welcomes the opportunity to review the radiological screening options and will proceed with assessing their implications. PUBLIC BROADCASTING -------------- ¶9. (C) Wong said there is "no hidden agenda" in an ongoing review of public service broadcasting. The goal is for experts to look at overseas models -- including those found in the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia -- to assess how best to deliver what the community wants and needs from public broadcasting. Wong said this is not about freedom of speech, which is in the Basic Law and is sacrosanct. Nor is it about the editorial independence of Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK),which is enshrined in RTHK's existing framework agreement. BIOGRAPHY -------------- ¶10. (U) The following is derived from public HKG sources: Joseph Wong Wing-ping was appointed on January 24 to be Hong Kong's Secretary for Commerce, Industry, and Technology. Aged 57, Wong graduated from the University of Hong Kong in ¶1969. He joined the Administrative Service in 1973 and has since served in a wide range of government posts. Senior positions held by Mr. Wong include assistant and later Deputy Director of Trade from 1984 to 1987; Deputy Secretary for the Civil Service from 1988 to 1989; Deputy Secretary for Trade and Industry from 1989 to 1991; Hong Kong's Permanent Representative to GATT (now the World Trade Organization) from 1991 to 1994; and Director of Home Affairs from 1994 to ¶1995. He became Secretary for Education and Manpower in ¶1995. He took up the post of Secretary for the Civil Service in August 2000. Cunningham