This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 004956 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/25/2025 
TAGS: PARM PREL TW CN
SUBJECT: DOUBLE SUCCESS IN TAIWAN EXPORT CONTROL 
 
Classified By: AIT Director Douglas Paal, Reason 1.4 b/d 
 
¶1.  (S) Summary: During meetings with Taiwan Bureau of 
Foreign Trade (BOFT) on December 16 and 21, Export Controls 
Task Force Head Wally Su enthused to AIT that the USG 
"gameplan" on export control was already a great success, 
judging from the offers of assistance BOFT has received from 
Japan, Australia, and the UK in recent days.  Su also said 
that BOFT is now, for the first time ever, preparing an 
export control violation case to send to the Ministry of 
Justice for prosecution.  End summary. 
 
Gameplan a Success 
------------------ 
 
¶2.  (S) Su sees the gameplan in the way we presented it to 
him: A USG effort to encourage other countries to join in 
assisting Taiwan to improve its export control regime.  Su 
said that in the past few days he has heard from 
representatives of Japan, Australia, and the UK about plans 
those countries have to provide export control training for 
Taiwan officials. 
 
¶3.  (S) Su confided that Japan representatives in Taiwan have 
told BOFT they will send an export control delegation to 
Taiwan for discussions early next year, and they will invite 
Taiwan to a regional export control seminar that will be held 
in Tokyo in February or March.  He said he believed that 
China and the U.S. would also be invited to attend the 
seminar.  Su also confided that BOFT had received assistance 
from the Japanese government on the export control violation 
case described para 5.  Su said that a representative of 
Australia in Taiwan told him that Taiwan would be invited to 
an Australian-sponsored regional export control event in 
April and that the Taiwan office in London had been 
approached about the possibility of Taiwan officials 
attending training there. 
 
¶4.  (S) Separately, British Trade and Cultural Office 
Political and Economic Section Head Den Moore explained to 
AIT that it was unlikely that British export control experts 
could conduct training in Taiwan, and asked for our opinion 
of the utility of bringing Taiwan officials to the UK for 
training.  We encouraged the idea. 
 
BOFT Gets Tough on Violators 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (S) Su described in detail the first ever export control 
violation case that BOFT will refer for prosecution.  The 
case involves one of Taiwan,s prominent families and has 
resulted in some high-level pressure on BOFT. 
 
¶6.  (S) According to Su, in September of this year, the BOC 
Lien Hwa Industrial Gases Company (a Taiwan a joint venture 
with the British international gas supplier BOC Group plc.) 
imported from Japan three shipments of ClF3 (Chlorine 
Trifloride- a dual-use poison gas controlled by the Nuclear 
Suppliers Group that can be used as a solvent in the 
electrical industry or as an oxidizer in rocket propellant). 
The export licenses stated that the gas was for use in 
Taiwan. 
 
Japan Assistance to Taiwan in the Investigation 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶7.  (S) Without seeking a re-export license, Lien Hwa shipped 
the chemical to its branch in Taichung, Taiwan, then 
re-exported it to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing 
Corporation branch in Shanghai (TSMC is the world's largest 
integrated circuit foundry firm).  BOFT sent at least two 
official letters asking for complete documentation related to 
the case within one week.  Lien Hwa responded with a letter 
requesting more time.  The Japanese government assisted in 
providing copies of the original export licenses. 
 
¶8.  (S) After making some phone calls to BOFT, Lien Hwa 
lawyers realized that BOFT already had clear evidence that 
the company had violated Taiwan's export control regulations 
found in section 13 and 27 of the Trade Act.  At that point, 
the company decided it was better to cooperate in hope of 
getting more lenient treatment. 
 
Hope for Special Treatment Disappointed 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (S) The Lien Hwa Chairman John Miao (Feng Meng)- the 
younger brother of Mitac Chairman Matthew Miao (Feng Chiang)- 
made two visits to BOFT to argue that the re-export was the 
result of unintentional mistakes.  A "famous" lawyer called 
on the Ministry of Economic Affairs to echo the 
"unintentional mistake" argument and plead for "lenient" 
treatment, which generated some "pressure" on BOFT to justify 
sending the case for prosecution. 
 
¶10.  (S) However, according to Su, there was evidence that 
the errors on the shipping documents were intentional.  The 
gas never could have been exported from Japan if China was 
listed as the destination.  Lien Hwa's use of its Taichung 
branch appears to have been done to complicate the paper 
trail and to use a port believed to have less frequent 
inspections (Taichung Harbor). 
 
BOFT Actions a Significant Step Forward 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  (S) Su is very aware of the significance of this 
first-ever BOFT effort to sanction a Taiwan company for 
export control violations, and has insisted to reluctant 
superiors that the case be sent to the Taichung Prosecutor's 
Office for legal action. 
AIT Suggestion Finds Legs 
------------------------- 
 
¶12.  (S) Su also said he had taken to heart a recent AIT 
suggestion that identification of the end-user be required on 
export documents even for non-sensitive items.  He said he 
will hold a meeting with Customs on December 23 to discuss 
how this could be done. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶13.  (S) AIT believes that BOFT is on the right path to 
making a significant change in local attitudes towards export 
control regulations.  A few prosecutions of violators would 
make other companies think twice about cutting legal corners. 
 The fact that BOFT has been able to stand firm against one 
of Taiwan,s leading families in a case involving powerful 
companies is also worth noting as a positive development. 
 
PAAL