ABSTRACT
This chapter provides some general observations about East-West technology transfer and export controls "after the revolutions." It addresses that the purpose is not to provide definitive answers, but rather to raise questions, points of debate, and suggestions for future research. Although there is some disagreement in the West on the extent to which the West can and should assist the reform processes in the East, there is widespread agreement that successful reforms are in the West's strategic interests. The implication and argument is that the West may need to transfer rather than control "strategic" technology for strategic reasons. The utility of the highest levels of Western technology will be limited by the surrounding archaic industrial infrastructure; to give a simple example, the utility of high-speed computer modems is dependent on the number and quality of telephone connections available. The export control policy community of policymakers and scholars certainly have their work cut out for them in the post-cold war era.
