GOJ PROVIDES RESPONSE TO MTCR: SYRIAN FIRM'S

S E C R E T TOKYO 000675 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2018 TAGS: PARM PREL JA SUBJECT: GOJ PROVIDES RESPONSE TO MTCR: SYRIAN FIRM'S INTEREST IN ACQUIRING COORDINATE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS WITH THEODOLITES (S) REF: A. STATE 13477 ¶B. TOKYO 00398 Classified By: ECON NICHOLAS HILL, REASONS: 1.4 (B) AND (D) This is an Action Request. See paragraph 3. ¶1. (SE) METI Export Controls Policy Director Tatsuo Sato and Deputy Director Atsushi Tanizawa called us in on March 12 to provide a non-paper in connection with the Sokia case we discussed on February 13. Sato told us the ministry had contacted Sokia, but the matter was delicate because Japan does not have a legal framework to prevent re-sale, re-export or re-transfer as the U.S. does. METI officials must approach the company on the basis of mutual cooperation, since they have no jurisdiction concerning sales in China. Japanese law only governs exports which originate in Japan, they explained. ¶2. (SE) The METI Export Controls Officials presented a non-paper asking if they could share additional information with Sokia executives. Begin Text: We would like to thank you for providing us with helpful information. Based on our request, Sokia (Japan) reported to us that neither had it exported any items to Success Wayholdings Ltd., nor had its sales agents in China. We requested Sokia pay further attention to any approach from Success Wayholdings Ltd. We would like to continue to work with Sokia so that the firm will implement proper export controls based on Japan's export controls laws and regulations. In this regard, we would like to ask if we can provide Sokia executives with the following information you gave us: A Syrian technical firm is interested in NET 1200 3D Coordinate Measurement Systems; and NET 1200 3D Coordinate Measurement Systems can be used to survey launch sites and for the airframe alignment of ballistic missiles. End Text. ¶3. (SE) Sato went on to explain that, while METI officials spoke with Sokia executives, they did not mention these two issues as they were not certain the USG would want Sokia executives to know this information. Post seeks guidance on METI's request to share additional information with Sokia. SCHIEFFER