Cablegate: Extrancheck: Pre-License Check: Hksar Marine Department

VZCZCXYZ0010
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHHK #0469 0730836
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 130836Z MAR 08
FM AMCONSUL HONG KONG
TO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4387
RHMFIUU/HQ BICE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS HONG KONG 000469

SIPDIS

USDOC FOR 532/OEA/LHINES/ADYSON
USDOC FOR 3132 FOR FCS/OIO REGIONAL DIRECTOR WILLIAM ZARIT
BICE FOR OFFICE OF STRATEGIC INVESTIGATIONS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BMGT BEXP HK ETRD ETTC
SUBJECT: EXTRANCHECK: PRE-LICENSE CHECK: HKSAR MARINE DEPARTMENT
REF: A) USDOC 00807 B)D390721

1. Unauthorized disclosure of the information provided below is
prohibited by Section 12C of the Export Administration Act.

2. As per reftel A request and 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 Hong Kong Marine Department, Rm.
2411, 24th Floor, Harbour Building, 38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong
(Marine Department). The PLC concerned 33 internet firewall hardware
and software products. The license applicant is Juniper Networks of
Sunnyvale, California. The items are classified under ECCN 5A002
and are controlled for national security reasons (NS).

3. Hong Kong Marine Department is a Hong Kong government
instrumentality. More information at: (http://www.mardep.gov.hk/).
It has five major sections including Planning and Services, Port
Control, Multilateral policy, Shipping and Government Fleet. It has
more than 1000 employees and is responsible for all navigational
matters in Hong Kong and the safety standards of all classes and
types of vessels.

4. On February 28, 2008, the ECO and Commercial Assistant Carrie
Chan visited the Marine Department and met with Mr. Kenneth YK Siu,
Senior Information Technology Officer. Mr. Siu provided a general
overview of the Marine Department (consistent with information on
the Marine Department's web site).

5. Mr. Siu was a bit surprised by the visit in that the Marine
Department had ordered one of the items (a Juniper SSG 140) in
October 2007 and had finally received it just one week before the
ECO's visit. That item was shipped under license number D387447 and
Mr. Siu provided documentation confirming delivery of that item and
confirming that the Marine Department will comply with the relevant
license conditions. He stated that there are no other pending
orders for Juniper products. ECO surmises that the exporter has
applied for an export license for a range of products on the
possibility that a future order will materialize (and, if so, the
license lead time will be much reduced).

6. At the time visited, ECO found Mr. Siu to be both cooperative
and credible and observed nothing that would suggest that Hong Kong
Marine Department is an unsuitable recipient of the items that are
the subject of License D390721. OEA may wish to confirm with the
license applicant ECO's conclusion that this license was filed to
have a license in place to cover potential future orders.

Cunningham

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