VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1246 2930958
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 200958Z OCT 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2516

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001246 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/TC, PM/DTCC AND ISN/MTR 
 
PM/DTCC FOR BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR RACHAEL-THERESE S. JOUBERT-LIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC KOMC TW
SUBJECT: TAIWAN: RESULTS OF BLUE LANTERN BROKER CHECK NO. K-2411 
 
REF: STATE 99477 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Per reftel request, AIT/T official and FN visited 
Tri-Force International, Inc., and interviewed Company President 
Terence Hou at address listed in reftel. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Tri-Force was established in 1989, and now has eight 
employees.   There are two vice presidents, Mr. John T.L. Chai and 
Mr. Tero Cheng.  Mr. Chai retired from the Taiwan Air Force in 1995 
and joined Tri-Force in 1998.  He is in charge of the military 
spare-parts business for the company.   Mr. Cheng takes care of 
business associated with the Chung Shang Institute of Science and 
Technology (CSIST). 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT), Ministry 
of Economic Affairs (MOEA), Tri-Force is registered as a trading 
company.  The company's registration information, including the 
company address and contact numbers, is identical to the reference 
stated in the paragraph 3 of the reftel. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Regarding Tri-Force's handling of USML items, Mr. Hou 
stated that all incoming shipments are stored in Taiwan 
state-operated airport or seaport warehouses, where the box seals 
remain intact.  When the company confirms a delivery date with the 
military end-user, Tri-Force arranges transportation from these 
warehouses to the end-user military base.  On the date of delivery, 
staff from Tri-Force will clear these boxes through customs, and 
accompany the shipment directly to the military base without opening 
the boxes.  Tri-Force representatives are also present when the 
customer breaks the seal and takes inventory of each shipment's 
contents. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Mr. Hou stated that all USML items Tri-Force imports are 
for its customers in Taiwan, including the ROC Air Force, Army and 
Navy, CSIST and Industrial Technology Research Institute. 
Tri-Force executives are familiar with USML restrictions and receive 
annual training from its suppliers on the subject matter. 
Tri-Force also imports commercial parts for Air Asia, Aerospace 
Industries Development Corp., Evergreen Aviation Technology (EGAT), 
China Airlines and EVA Airways. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Tri-Force serves as an agent for Lockheed Martin, 
Communication & Power Industries, Aero Systems Engineering, Pacific 
Consolidated Industries, Messier Service and General Electric 
Transportation. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Post has no derogatory information in its files concerning 
Tri-Force International, Inc or Mr. Hou.  Post learned through our 
Taiwan law enforcement sources, however, that Mr. Hou was charged 
with committing offences of "Forgery, Fraud and Breach of Trust" in 
2007 but was not indicted. 
 
¶8.  Comment:  Accusations of fraud, forgery, and other 
business-related crimes are very common in Taiwan, and because this 
broker was not indicted of any crimes, Post believes this 
information does not call into question the bona fides of the 
broker.  End Comment. 
 
 
 
STANTON