International Law

U.S. Commerce Dept. Waves Goodbye to the Export License VEU Program

The Validated End User (VEU) program, about which we wrote in June, will soon become but a bad memory, according the Washington Times.

The program allowed the companies to obtain dual-use technologies without the formal security checks required for an export license. Congressional investigators recently raised concerns that the program lacked safeguards, and that the Beijing government is refusing to allow U.S. officials to conduct full inspections at Chinese facilities to see whether companies are diverting U.S. high technology to the military.

And good riddance! Who, except those with high hopes and little experience with China, would believe that the Chinese government would agree to "full inspections at Chinese facilities?" [I think I'll produce a TV program entitled, "Whose Sovereignty is it Anyway?"]

The other shoe may drop soon. Let us not forget that the FDA recently opened an office in Shanghai, about which we wrote last month, specifically with the expectation that inspections will be conducted on Chinese facilities.

[Thanks to Carol Kalinoski, Esq. for the tip-off.)

Full post as published by Asia Business Intelligence on December 18, 2008 (boomark / email).