Factoid:
China has approximately 20 nuclear warheads, compared with about 6,000 ICBM-mounted warheads in the current U.S. arsenal.
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Quote:
China is not up to par with the United States on nuclear development. It is far behind us. There is no evidence that that is changing. -- U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson
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China Got U.S. Nuke Secrets -- How Much Damage?
A Congressional report says China succeeded in acquiring highly sensitive U.S. nuclear secrets during three successive administrations, a charge China denies.
By GSReport
Start Date: 5/25/99
A 700 page report released on May 25 by a U.S. Congressional committee says China conducted an intensive and highly successful campaign to acquire top secret information about U.S. nuclear weapons designs. The Chinese espionage began during the 1970s and "almost certainly" continues today. As a result, China is now capable of building nuclear weapons "on par with" those in the U.S. arsenal, the report says.
Clinton administration officials do not dispute that nuclear secrets were acquired by the Chinese. On the eve of the report's release, however, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson disputed the claim that the losses gave China nuclear parity with the U.S. "China is not up to par with the United States on nuclear development. It is far behind us. There is no evidence that that is changing," Richardson said, according to the Associated Press.
In the days ahead, there will be much discussion of the extent of damage to U.S. national security, and the possible effects of the Chinese espionage on the global balance of power. Unlike Russia, China is an economic powerhouse and remains committed to development and deployment of nuclear weapons and delivery systems, despite pledging since 1996 to adhere to the international nuclear test ban treaty. In a worst-case scenario, China could pose a destabilizing threat to Russia, Japan and the West.
Chinese officials vehemently deny the accusations of espionage. But U.S.-Chinese relations are certain to be hurt by the new Congressional findings.
Fall-out from the report could further rock the Clinton administration as well. Some in Congress are already calling for the resignation of Richardson and Attorney General Janet Reno, who is accused of moving too slowly to investigate allegations of espionage at U.S. weapons labs. Perceived damage to U.S. national security could also hurt the already-troubled election prospects of presidential hopeful Albert Gore.
Look for further coverage of these issues in the June 10, 1999 edition of GSReport.
 Excelsior, Michael Lindemann's new novel (written under the pen name Michael Paul), depicts a wholly plausible near future in which human cloning is both widespread and widely abused; terrorists have access to target-specific biological weapons; recreational space travel is commonplace; and mounting pressures of global climate change, environmental decline, population growth and civil unrest inspire radical new approaches to urban security.
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