VZCZCXRO8680
PP RUEHCN RUEHGH
DE RUEHIN #0068/01 0150741
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 150741Z JAN 10
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3128
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TAIPEI 000068 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO AIT/W AND EAP/RSP/TC, EAP/PD, R, ECA/PE/V/F, 
EEB/TPP/ABT 
EEB/TPP/ABT FOR MARCELLA SZYMANSKI AND JACK BOBO 
STATE PASS USTR/ERIC ALTBACH AND JARED RAGLAND 
USDA FAS FOR OSTA - ELIZABETH JONES 
USDA FAS FOR OCRA - ANDREW ANDERSON-SPRECHER 
USDOC FOR 4430/ITA/MAC 
 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD KPAO OEXC OIIP SENV TBIO TW
SUBJECT:  Taiwan Biotech: 2010 Outreach Proposals 
 
Ref: 09 STATE 122732 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action request for EEB/TPP/ABT. See paragraphs 6, 
7, and 12. 
 
Background 
---------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Taiwan is the U.S.'s sixth-largest agricultural export 
market.  In 2009, the United States exported more than USD 3.2 
billion of agricultural, fish and forest products to Taiwan, half of 
which was biotech products.  Although most Taiwan consumers are 
unaware of how many biotech agricultural products they use daily, 
public polling shows most Taiwan people are comfortable consuming 
biotech products. 
 
¶3. (SBU) However, life science companies, the U.S. grain trade, and 
the U.S. government have expressed concerns about Taiwan's ability 
to review and approve newer and more complex biotech events that 
will enter the market in the near future, such as drought-tolerant 
corn and nutritionally-enhanced genetically-modified (GM) products. 
Taiwan authorities have expressed similar concerns, and have 
requested U.S. assistance in increasing Taiwan's capacity to conduct 
reviews of new biotech events. [Note: 'Event' refers to each 
instance of a genetically-engineered organism. For example, the same 
gene inserted into a given plant genome at two different locations 
along that plant's DNA would be considered two different events. Two 
different genes inserted into the same location of two same-species 
plants would also be considered two different events. 
In most cases, regulatory agencies confer new biotech-derived 
product approvals in terms of events. End note.] 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Providing such training assistance to relevant Taiwan 
authorities will help the island become one of the world's early 
adopters, commercializers, and exporters of biotechnology. Building 
up Taiwan's review capacities would also help U.S. exporters avoid 
costly disruptions to Taiwan-bound exports of new-concept U.S. 
biotech products. 
 
¶5. (SBU) In addition, a biotech-friendly Taiwan serves as a showcase 
to other emerging markets of the potential benefits of 
biotechnology, and would act as a catalyst for adoption of biotech 
products throughout Asia, particularly Southeast Asia.  Taiwan has 
committed significant resources to domestic biotechnology research, 
and the Taiwan authorities are committed to sharing the island's 
biotech know-how with regional trading partners. Taiwan exerts 
regional leadership on biotech issues by holding an annual 
biotechnology training course for officials and regulators from 
across Southeast Asia. This training is co-sponsored by AIT, 
National Taiwan University, the Council of Agriculture, and several 
regional agriculture institutes, and supports the overall U.S. 
objective of spreading knowledge about the benefits of biotech 
agriculture to developing countries. 
 
Funding Proposals 
----------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) To help achieve the goal of keeping Taiwan a positive 
regional force in agricultural biotechnology, and to avoid potential 
disruptions in imports of U.S. corn and soybeans, AIT would like to 
use USD 38,654 of funds available under the 2010 EB Biotechnology 
Outreach Strategy to improve the Taiwan authorities' biotech 
application review and risk communication capabilities, and to 
increase awareness of the benefits of developing a stronger biotech 
industry among Taiwan's key policy-makers, scientists, agricultural 
producers, and general public. 
 
Program One 
----------- 
¶7. (U) U.S. Based Capacity-Building and Risk-Communication 
Activities: Life science companies, Taiwan regulatory authorities, 
U.S. regulatory authorities, and local research institutes and 
universities co-sponsor a one week U.S.-based training course with 
U.S. regulators for Taiwan academics responsible for reviewing 
biotech applications, and key Taiwan authorities from the 
newly-formed Taiwan FDA responsible for final approval of biotech 
applications. 
 
¶8. (U) Cost: USD 25,000.  Including: 
 
--No cost for the seminar venues, which would be held in 
U.S.-government facilities. 
 
 
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--No cost for interpretation services for seminar and other 
activities, which would be covered by private-sector co-sponsors. 
 
--USD 25,000 for five participants from Taiwan to Washington DC., 
which includes USD 10,000 for five economy-class airline tickets, 
USD 15,000 for 10 days worth of Washington DC lodging and MI&E. 
[Note: Washington, D.C. per diem is USD 300 for most seasons of the 
year. 300 x 10 x 5 persons = USD 15,000. End note.] 
 
¶9. (SBU) Specific ag biotech issues to be addressed: Proven 
risk-communication and risk-management strategies concerning future 
biotech events from the U.S. FDA and CODEX perspective; positive 
outlook for future growth of Taiwan's indigenous biotech research 
industry; benefits of biotech products for Taiwan's food producers; 
benefits of low-pesticide biotech products for Taiwan's environment 
and public health; benefits of agricultural biotechnology and the 
adoption and development of biotechnology in other countries; 
helping Taiwan researchers and regulators improve commercialization 
of research. 
 
¶10. (SBU) U.S. policy objectives: Our overall effort is focused on 
giving Taiwan a stake in risk-based biotechnology regulation, and 
improving Taiwan's ability to review and approve new-concept biotech 
events, thereby reducing the likelihood of trade disruptions due to 
concerns about biotechnology.   Encouraging Taiwan to commercialize 
some of its promising biotech research may ensure Taiwan's active 
support of biotechnology in the WTO and other fora. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Comment: There are 20 Taiwan officials and academics 
responsible for reviewing biotech applications and giving final 
approval to biotech applications. Representatives for U.S. 
agricultural industry groups have indicated to AIT agoffs that the 
industry groups will build on an AIT training programs by offering 
to pay for the travel and training costs of the remaining 15 
reviewers and approvers. Paying for the first groups of five, 
therefore, would create a large multiplier effect for U.S. policy 
objectives. End comment. 
 
Program Two 
----------- 
 
¶12. (U) Follow-up Taiwan Based Capacity-Building and 
Risk-Communication Activities: Co-sponsor regional training in 
agricultural biotechnology for officials from Southeast Asian 
countries. The training would be conducted by Taiwan regulatory 
authorities, U.S. regulatory authorities, local research institutes, 
and universities. 
 
¶13. (U) Cost: USD 13,654.  Including: 
 
--No cost for the seminar venue, which we could hold at the AIT/PAS 
American Culture Center (ACC) or other co-sponsoring entity 
facilities. 
 
--No extra cost for seminar lunch and refreshments, which would be 
covered by the co-sponsor. 
 
--No cost for the Southeast Asian attendees. Taiwan is already 
committed to paying for these officials' travel to Taiwan and 
expenses in Taiwan. 
 
--USD 1500 for interpretation services for seminar and other 
activities. 
 
--USD 500 for publications and small commemorative gifts, such as 
pens or mugs, which usually cost about USD five per set.  Such gifts 
are customary in Taiwan, and not giving out some small commemorative 
item to the attendees would be unusual. 
 
--USD 11,654 for one speaker from the U.S., which includes USD 8,550 
for one business-class airline ticket, USD 1200 for USD 200 
honorarium per day for six days, USD 140 for on-island travel, and 
$1764 for six days of lodging and MI&E. [Note: Taiwan per diem is 
USD 294. End note.] 
 
¶14. (SBU) The target audiences: 20-30 scientists and officials from 
Taiwan and Southeast Asia with additional activities for 
agricultural researchers at key universities and institutes, 
food-safety regulation experts, agricultural associations, 
influential scientists, university students, the general public, and 
the media sector. 
 
¶15. (SBU) Specific ag biotech issues to be addressed: Proven 
 
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risk-communication and risk-management strategies concerning future 
biotech events from the U.S. FDA and CODEX perspective; positive 
outlook for future growth of Taiwan's indigenous biotech research 
industry; benefits of biotech products for Taiwan's food producers; 
benefits of low-pesticide biotech products for Taiwan's environment 
and public health; benefits of agricultural biotechnology and the 
adoption and development of biotechnology in other countries; 
helping Taiwan researchers and regulators improve the 
commercialization of research. 
 
¶16. (SBU) U.S. policy objectives: Our overall effort is focused on 
giving Taiwan a stake in risk-based biotechnology regulation and 
thereby reducing the likelihood of trade disruptions due to concerns 
about biotechnology.   Encouraging Taiwan to commercialize some of 
its promising biotech research may ensure Taiwan's active support of 
biotechnology in the WTO and other fora. 
 
Post POCs 
--------- 
 
¶17. (U) Post responsible officers and contact information: Economic 
Officers Matthew O'Connor (o'connorme@state.gov) through July 1, 
2010 and George Ward (wardgl@state.gov) after July 1, 2010; FAS 
Officer Chris Frederick (Chris.Ferederick@fas.usda.gov); and 
Cultural Affairs Officer Scott Robinson (RobinsonSA@state.gov). 
 
STANTON