Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 97115 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ETRD EAGR ETTC EAID ECON EFIN ECIN EINV ELAB EAIR ENRG EPET EWWT ECPS EIND EMIN ELTN EC ETMIN EUC EZ ET ELECTIONS ENVR EU EUN EG EINT ER ECONOMICS ES EMS ENIV EEB EN ECE ECOSOC EK ENVIRONMENT EFIS EI EWT ENGRD ECPSN EXIM EIAD ERIN ECPC EDEV ENGY ECTRD EPA ESTH ECCT EINVECON ENGR ERTD EUR EAP EWWC ELTD EL EXIMOPIC EXTERNAL ETRDEC ESCAP ECO EGAD ELNT ECONOMIC ENV ETRN EIAR EUMEM ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID EREL ECOM ECONETRDEAGRJA ETCC ETRG ECONOMY EMED ETR ENERG EITC EFINOECD EURM EENG ERA EXPORT ENRD ECONEINVETRDEFINELABETRDKTDBPGOVOPIC EGEN EBRD EVIN ETRAD ECOWAS EFTA ECONETRDBESPAR EGOVSY EPIN EID ECONENRG EDRC ESENV ETT EB ENER ELTNSNAR ECHEVARRIA ETRC EPIT EDUC ESA EFI ENRGY ESCI EE EAIDXMXAXBXFFR EETC ECIP EIAID EIVN EBEXP ESTN EING EGOV ETRA EPETEIND ELAN ETRDGK EAIDRW ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EPEC ENVI ELN EAG EPCS EPRT EPTED ETRB EUM EAIDS EFIC EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM EAIDAR ESF EIDN ELAM EDU EV EAIDAF ECN EDA EXBS EINTECPS ENRGTRGYETRDBEXPBTIOSZ EPREL EAC EINVEFIN ETA EAGER EINDIR ECA ECLAC ELAP EITI EUCOM ECONEFINETRDPGOVEAGRPTERKTFNKCRMEAID EARG ELDIN EINVKSCA ENNP EFINECONCS EFINTS ECCP ETC EAIRASECCASCID EINN ETRP EAIDNI EFQ ECOQKPKO EGPHUM EBUD ECONEINVEFINPGOVIZ ENERGY ELB EINDETRD EMI ECONEFIN EIB EURN ETRDEINVTINTCS EIN EFIM ETIO ELAINE EMN EATO EWTR EIPR EINVETC ETTD ETDR EIQ ECONCS EPPD ENRGIZ EISL ESPINOSA ELEC EAIG ESLCO EUREM ENTG ERD EINVECONSENVCSJA EEPET EUNCH ECINECONCS ETRO ETRDECONWTOCS ECUN EFND EPECO EAIRECONRP ERGR ETRDPGOV ECPN ENRGMO EPWR EET EAIS EAGRE EDUARDO EAGRRP EAIDPHUMPRELUG EICN ECONQH EVN EGHG ELBR EINF EAIDHO EENV ETEX ERNG ED
KMDR KPAO KPKO KJUS KCRM KGHG KFRD KWMN KDEM KTFN KHIV KGIC KIDE KSCA KNNP KHUM KIPR KSUM KISL KIRF KCOR KRCM KPAL KWBG KN KS KOMC KSEP KFLU KPWR KTIA KSEO KMPI KHLS KICC KSTH KMCA KVPR KPRM KE KU KZ KFLO KSAF KTIP KTEX KBCT KOCI KOLY KOR KAWC KACT KUNR KTDB KSTC KLIG KSKN KNN KCFE KCIP KGHA KHDP KPOW KUNC KDRL KV KPREL KCRS KPOL KRVC KRIM KGIT KWIR KT KIRC KOMO KRFD KUWAIT KG KFIN KSCI KTFIN KFTN KGOV KPRV KSAC KGIV KCRIM KPIR KSOC KBIO KW KGLB KMWN KPO KFSC KSEAO KSTCPL KSI KPRP KREC KFPC KUNH KCSA KMRS KNDP KR KICCPUR KPPAO KCSY KTBT KCIS KNEP KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNNB KGCC KINR KPOP KMFO KENV KNAR KVIR KDRG KDMR KFCE KNAO KDEN KGCN KICA KIMMITT KMCC KLFU KMSG KSEC KUM KCUL KMNP KSMT KCOM KOMCSG KSPR KPMI KRAD KIND KCRP KAUST KWAWC KTER KCHG KRDP KPAS KITA KTSC KPAOPREL KWGB KIRP KJUST KMIG KLAB KTFR KSEI KSTT KAPO KSTS KLSO KWNN KPOA KHSA KNPP KPAONZ KBTS KWWW KY KJRE KPAOKMDRKE KCRCM KSCS KWMNCI KESO KWUN KPLS KIIP KEDEM KPAOY KRIF KGICKS KREF KTRD KFRDSOCIRO KTAO KJU KWMNPHUMPRELKPAOZW KEN KO KNEI KEMR KKIV KEAI KWAC KRCIM KWCI KFIU KWIC KCORR KOMS KNNO KPAI KBWG KTTB KTBD KTIALG KILS KFEM KTDM KESS KNUC KPA KOMCCO KCEM KRCS KWBGSY KNPPIS KNNPMNUC KWN KERG KLTN KALM KCCP KSUMPHUM KREL KGH KLIP KTLA KAWK KWMM KVRP KVRC KAID KSLG KDEMK KX KIF KNPR KCFC KFTFN KTFM KPDD KCERS KMOC KDEMAF KMEPI KEMS KDRM KEPREL KBTR KEDU KNP KIRL KNNR KMPT KISLPINR KTPN KA KJUSTH KPIN KDEV KTDD KAKA KFRP KWNM KTSD KINL KJUSKUNR KWWMN KECF KWBC KPRO KVBL KOM KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KEDM KFLD KLPM KRGY KNNF KICR KIFR KM KWMNCS KAWS KLAP KPAK KDDG KCGC KID KNSD KMPF KPFO KDP KCMR KRMS KNPT KNNNP KTIAPARM KDTB KNUP KPGOV KNAP KNNC KUK KSRE KREISLER KIVP KQ KTIAEUN KPALAOIS KRM KISLAO KWM KFLOA
PHUM PINR PTER PGOV PREL PREF PL PM PHSA PE PARM PINS PK PUNE PO PALESTINIAN PU PBTS PROP PTBS POL POLI PA PGOVZI POLMIL POLITICAL PARTIES POLM PD POLITICS POLICY PAS PMIL PINT PNAT PV PKO PPOL PERSONS PING PBIO PH PETR PARMS PRES PCON PETERS PRELBR PT PLAB PP PAK PDEM PKPA PSOCI PF PLO PTERM PJUS PSOE PELOSI PROPERTY PGOVPREL PARP PRL PNIR PHUMKPAL PG PREZ PGIC PBOV PAO PKK PROV PHSAK PHUMPREL PROTECTION PGOVBL PSI PRELPK PGOVENRG PUM PRELKPKO PATTY PSOC PRIVATIZATION PRELSP PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ PMIG PREC PAIGH PROG PSHA PARK PETER POG PHUS PPREL PS PTERPREL PRELPGOV POV PKPO PGOVECON POUS PGOVPRELPHUMPREFSMIGELABEAIDKCRMKWMN PWBG PMAR PREM PAR PNR PRELPGOVEAIDECONEINVBEXPSCULOIIPBTIO PARMIR PGOVGM PHUH PARTM PN PRE PTE PY POLUN PPEL PDOV PGOVSOCI PIRF PGOVPM PBST PRELEVU PGOR PBTSRU PRM PRELKPAOIZ PGVO PERL PGOC PAGR PMIN PHUMR PVIP PPD PGV PRAM PINL PKPAL PTERE PGOF PINO PHAS PODC PRHUM PHUMA PREO PPA PEPFAR PGO PRGOV PAC PRESL PORG PKFK PEPR PRELP PREFA PNG PGOVPHUMKPAO PRELECON PINOCHET PFOR PGOVLO PHUMBA PRELC PREK PHUME PHJM POLINT PGOVPZ PGOVKCRM PGOVE PHALANAGE PARTY PECON PEACE PROCESS PLN PRELSW PAHO PEDRO PRELA PASS PPAO PGPV PNUM PCUL PGGV PSA PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PGIV PRFE POGOV PEL PBT PAMQ PINF PSEPC POSTS PHUMPGOV PVOV PHSAPREL PROLIFERATION PENA PRELTBIOBA PIN PRELL PGOVPTER PHAM PHYTRP PTEL PTERPGOV PHARM PROTESTS PRELAF PKBL PRELKPAO PKNP PARMP PHUML PFOV PERM PUOS PRELGOV PHUMPTER PARAGRAPH PERURENA PBTSEWWT PCI PETROL PINSO PINSCE PQL PEREZ PBS

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 08TAIPEI310, USTR-AIT ADVANCE TRADE AGENDA IN PREPARATION FOR

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08TAIPEI310.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08TAIPEI310 2008-03-06 04:17 2011-08-23 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
VZCZCXRO7758
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHIN #0310/01 0660417
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060417Z MAR 08 ZDK CORRECTED COPY - ADDED CAPTION ZDK
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8277
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1835
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000310 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y  ADDED SENSITIVE CAPTION 
 
STATE PASS USTR 
STATE FOR EAP/TC,USTR FOR STRATFORD, KATZ, AND RAGLAND 
TREASURY FOR OASIA/TTYANG 
COMMERCE FOR BRENDA CARTER-NIXON, JOSHUA PIERCE, AND 
MICHAEL CHOI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN ECON ETRD KIPR TW
SUBJECT: USTR-AIT ADVANCE TRADE AGENDA IN PREPARATION FOR 
SUMMER TIFA MEETING 
 
REF: 2005 TAIPEI 3982 
 
TAIPEI 00000310  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
 Summary 
-------- 
 
1.  (SBU) During February 22-26 meetings in Taipei, USTR 
Senior Director for China and Taiwan Affairs David Katz and 
AIT/W Director of Trade and Commercial Programs Rick Ruzicka 
laid the groundwork for the summer 2008 Trade and Investment 
Framework Agreement (TIFA) meeting in Taipei by pressing U.S. 
market access and reform concerns (septel covers agricultural 
issues, including pork and beef).  Katz and Ruzicka expressed 
interest in continuing to explore a possible bilateral 
investment agreement (BIA), but cautioned that progress would 
depend in part on Taiwan reducing its list of non-conforming 
measures (NCMs).  They observed that Taiwan must provide 
additional reassurances on its legal basis for information 
sharing in order to facilitate continued discussions on a 
bilateral tax agreement.  Taiwan officials indicated 
willingness to negotiate a bilateral textile transshipment 
MOU as quickly as possible.  On WTO issues, Taiwan has not 
yet reached an internal decision on whether or not to support 
the U.S. position on the information technology agreement 
(ITA), but indicated general support for U.S. goals in 
pursuing the Doha Development Agenda (DDA).  The U.S. and 
Taiwan made a tentative agreement to hold annual TIFA talks 
in Taipei in July, and to explore options for including a 
business-oriented regulatory reform agenda under the TIFA 
rubric. End summary. 
 
BIA, Bilateral Tax Agreement Still on Taiwan's Mind 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
2. (SBU) On their first day of meetings, Katz and Ruzicka met 
with the Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN) Chief Negotiator 
John Deng and other OTN senior staff. 
The two sides had a long exchange on how best to move ahead 
on investment talks, with Katz stressing the U.S. desire to 
determine the likelihood of obtaining a strong agreement 
before making a formal decision to launch negotiations.  In 
response to Katz's request, Deng said Taiwan would try to 
reduce its list of non-conforming measures (NCMs).  Deng also 
said the Taiwan side is ready to engage in issue-specific 
investment-related DVCs as requested by the U.S. 
 
3. (SBU) Katz and Ruzicka discussed bilateral tax issues with 
Ministry of Finance (MOF) Deputy Minister Chang Sheng-hord, 
who noted that the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) and 
MOF have a difference of opinion on the information-sharing 
provisions that the U.S. is seeking.  According to Cheng, the 
FSC sees the provisions as difficult to implement under 
current Taiwan law, while MOF believes otherwise.  Chang told 
Katz that he hopes after additional interagency 
consultations, Taiwan will be able to resolve the issue. 
(Note:  His encouraging words on the tax issue paper over the 
real challenges in resolving this interagency dispute without 
a clear push from a higher level. End note.) 
 
Textile Transshipment MOU Coming Soon? 
-------------------------------------- 
 
4. (SBU) During their February 22 meeting with OTN, Katz and 
Ruzicka told OTC Chief Negotiator John Deng that the U.S. is 
still very interested in finalizing the textile transshipment 
MOU.  At the MOEA Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT), Director 
General Franco Huang said he "sees no issue" with the textile 
transshipment MOU, which he believes can be negotiated "very 
soon." 
 
Still Undecided on ITA 
---------------------- 
 
5. (SBU) BOT DG Franco Huang said Taiwan is still hammering 
out an interagency view on whether or not to support the U.S. 
position on the Information Technology Agreement (ITA), and 
indicated, as AIT has heard before, that Customs is hesitant. 
 Katz asked for Taiwan's support on the ITA, as well as on 
broader U.S. goals to advance the Doha Round, and observed 
that Taiwan in particular stands to benefit from progress on 
multilateral trade liberalization.  During their visit to the 
Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN), Katz also highlighted 
U.S. interest in Taiwan support for our WTO positions, 
including ITA. 
 
TAIPEI 00000310  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
Tyco Case Grinds Along 
---------------------- 
 
6.  (SBU) During a February 25 meeting with Ministry of 
Finance (MOF) Administrative Deputy Minister Chang, Chang 
said that the Tyco case was now before the Ministry of 
Finance Appeals Committee, which he chairs. Tyco has a 
long-standing dispute with Customs on the proper 
classification of its thermistors involving more than a 
thousand individual cases under various stages of 
consideration ranging from administrative review by Customs 
to final rulings by Taiwan courts.  Tyco has been insisting 
that the product should be classified under Harmonized System 
Code 8533 and thus eligible for duty-free importation under 
the terms of the WTO Information Technology Agreement. Taiwan 
Customs, on the other hand, has insists that the product 
falls under HS 8536 and thus is subject to an import duty 
(reftel). 
 
7. (SBU) Chang stated that committee members were 
independent, but that he would do his best to resolve the 
issue as soon as possible, preferably before TIFA in July. 
He suggested informally that Tyco's lawyers still had a lot 
of homework to do and suggested that the case is more 
difficult for Tyco to resolve since--in addition to pursuing 
an administrative appeal--they had also gone to the Taiwan 
courts where they had lost the case.  The MOF, he pointed 
out, has no control over the Judiciary. 
 
Pharma 
------ 
 
8. (SBU) Katz and Ruzicka emphasized the ongoing U.S. focus 
on pharmaceutical market access in a meeting with Vice 
Minister of Health Chen Shih-chung.  In particular, Katz 
noted U.S. interest in including IP issues such as patent 
linkage and data exclusivity on the TIFA agenda. Katz and 
Ruzicka also discussed drug issues with the AmCham 
Pharmaceutical Committee.  Drug company representatives 
complained to Katz and Ruzicka that Taiwan has become one of 
the slowest and most difficult places in Asia to get 
regulatory approval for new drugs or new indications of 
current drugs, due to increasing demands by Taiwan 
authorities for second-country trial data and additional 
studies. Amcham's pharma members also lamented the Bureau of 
National Health Insurance's pricing structure for new-drug 
reimbursement, which has pushed the average new-drug price in 
Taiwan to below 50 percent of the average developed-world 
price, down from above 80 percent in 2002.  Participants 
suggested to Katz that the United States push to include a 
pricing-related working group in the TIFA structure, in 
addition to the current working groups on the separation of 
dispensing and prescribing (SDP) and standard contracts. 
AmCham members also complained that they are having more and 
more trouble arranging meetings with BNHI and other DOH 
officials, and are frustrated by the lack of communication. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
9.  (SBU) The Katz-Ruzicka visit was useful in preparing the 
ground for TIFA talks in July in terms of discussions of 
possible deliverables.  We will continue to work to 
consolidate this list prior to the proposed AUSTR Stratford 
visit in June after the transition to a new administration in 
Taiwan.  Moreover, we will continue to push for a reduction 
in NCMs before the start of investment negotiations. End 
comment. 
YOUNG