VZCZCXYZ0007
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHHK #0179 0290419
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290419Z JAN 09
FM AMCONSUL HONG KONG
TO RUCPDOC/USDO WASHD
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6777
RHMFIU/HQ BICE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS HONG KONG 000179 
 
USDOC FOR 532/OEA/MNICKSON/ADYSON/TWILLIS/EHOLLAND 
USDOC FOR 3132 FOR FCS/OIO REGIONAL DIRECTOR PATRICK SANTILLO 
BICE FOR OFFICE OF STRATEGIC INVESTIGATIONS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: BMGT BEXP HK ETRD ETTC
SUBJECT: EXTRANCHECK: PRE LICENSE CHECK: TRACE ELEMENTS SECTION, 
GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG LABORATORY 
 
REF: A) D409681 B) USDOC 00092 
 
 
¶1. Unauthorized disclosure of the information provided below is 
prohibited by Section 12C of the Export Administration Act. 
 
¶2. At the direction of the Office of Enforcement Analysis (OEA) of 
the USDOC Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Export Control 
Officer Philip Ankel (ECO) conducted a pre-license check (PLC) at 
the Trace Elements Section, Government of Hong Kong Laboratory, 88 
Chung Hau Street, Homantin, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The item in question 
is an Agilent 7500cx ICP-MS. This item is classified under export 
control classification number (ECCN) 3A233 and is controlled for 
nuclear nonproliferation (NP) reasons. 
 
¶3.  The Hong Kong Laboratory, Trace Elements Section, was 
established in 2003 to centralize all human and physical resources 
for the determinations of trace elements within the Hong Kong 
Government Laboratory.  The Trace Elements Section mainly provides 
analytical support to the Environmental Chemistry Sections and the 
Food Safety Sections of the Hong Kong Government Laboratory for 
elemental analysis.  More information can be found at 
www.govtlab.gov.hk. 
 
¶4.  On January 21, 2009, ECO visited the Trace Elements Section and 
met with Dr. Wai-hong Fung, Chemist, Analytical and Advisory 
Services Division in the Division's laboratory.  He confirmed that 
the Trace Elements Section ordered the item in question from 
Agilent's Hong Kong distributor, Tegent Technology as part of a 
tender process.  The new item is being purchased to replace a Perkin 
Elmer Elan 6100 which is quite old and no longer operating at an 
optimal level.  Mr. Fung stated that the existing Elan 6100 will be 
traded in as part of the purchase process to Tegent.  He also noted 
that Hong Kong Customs will confirm proper disposition of the 
existing Perkin Elmer unit since it was imported into Hong Kong 
under a Hong Kong Strategic Commodities license.  Mr. Fung was open 
and cooperative and provided purchase order and other documentation 
confirming the purchase. 
 
¶5.  ECO notes that Hong Kong government entities typically purchase 
equipment through a centralized tender process from Hong Kong 
resellers.  This process is an open and transparent process and ECO 
views it as highly unlikely that items procured by the Hong Kong 
Government or affiliated entities will be diverted to unauthorized 
end-uses or end-users. 
 
¶6.  Based on the information noted above, ECO believes that the 
Trace Elements Section is a suitable recipient of U.S. origin 
controlled technology.