Documents / FOIA release
This Central Intelligence Agency release is a Scientific Intelligence Study, TCS No. 4425/65. The Scientific Intelligence Committee prepared it with other intelligence community committees and approved it on 3 June 1965. It assesses Communist China's capabilities in science and technology through 1970, with particular attention to military and industrial programs. The study concludes that China will lag far behind advanced nations. The exceptions are a few priority areas such as nuclear weapons, missiles and air defense. It contains no discussion of UFOs.
“The Advance”26 pages
constitute important research and development strength. Some contributions to research needs of the State also are made by the universities and colleges. A fairly large volume of work is done under the research and development label by pro- vincial and lower political bodies and local produc- tion units, but the scientific and engineering level is usually low. The organization for research and development is shown in figure 1. 62. The role of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is dominant. Reliable Party members are present in each unit, with top authority resting with a Party man, who, in many cases, is not the formal head of the unit. The only organ of the Central Committee of the CCP known to have regular con- tinuing duties relating to science and technology is the Science Section of the Propaganda Depart- ment. This section works through the Chinese Scientific and Technical Association as its control organ and has the responsibility for the mass con- trol of scientists and engineers. Presumably, there is close coordination within the Party of military and scientific affairs. The Chairman of the State Scientific and Technological Commission is an army marshal who is concurrently Vice-Chairman of the Party’s Military Affairs Committee. 63. The State Scientific and Technological Com- mission is the government’s top planning, control, and supervisory body in the scientific and techno- logical field. Its work bears on all organizations having duties of a scientific and technical nature. Since its formation in November 1958 by amalga- mating the Scientific Planning Commission and the State Technological Commission, it apparently has had broad responsibilities for determining the direction that China should go in science and tech- nology and for seeing that the resulting programs are carried out. Responsibilities known for the Scientific Planning Commission follow. They are assumed to apply to the new organization as well. i. Determination of the kind and level of technology to be fostered, both for the short- and long-range terms. ii. Incorporation of the yearly and long-range scien- tific and technical plans into the overall economic plans by working in conjunction with the State Economic Commission and the State Planning Commission. Implementation of the scientific and technical plans, especially key projects. iv. Coordination of work done by the various organs having responsibility for research and development. Approved for Release: 2018/01/30 C00659420 rcs 4425/as (b)( v. Administration of scientific and technical person- nel. (A new State Council Bureau for Scientific and Technological Personnel was set up in ]une 1964. It presumably relieved the Commission of detailed opera- tional duties in this field.) vi. Management of research and development funds. vii. Operation of the scientific and technical docu- mentation and information services. viii. Provision of research equipment and materials. (A Ministry for the Allocation of Materials was estab- lished in October .1964 and may have taken over re- sponsibility for the details of this operation.) I ix. Establishment and management of weights and measures and industrial standards. x. Conduct of international relations in science and technology. 64. Within the Commis_sion’s organization are possibly 40 or more divisions which handle the aifairs of particular substantive fields of science and engineering and perform or manage support- ing services. To carry out its work, the Com- mission has a number of advisory committees of one or two dozen experts each. They meet as needed to provide the expertise needed for the conduct of the Commission’s business. Each sub- stantive division of the Commission is believed to have such a committee of experts. The degree of supervision exercised by the Commission varies from one of very general policy direction to one of close detailed supervision for some key projects. The Commission is believed to have a Defense Technology Division for incorporating military problems into the national planning and program- ming of research and development. 65. The Academy of Sciences is China’s leading research and development institution. Most of China’s leading scientists are on the rolls of its 80 or more relatively well-equipped research insti- tutes. China’s scientific strength and continuity of effort in the various basic scientific disciplines is found in the Academy. It is also a service organization supplying research and development support to both civil and military programs of the country. Direct military control of parts of the Academy or part of individual research laboratories is probable. Another important role of the Acad- emy is the training of new scientists, a role sup- plementing that of the regular universities and col- leges. The Academy’s China Universities of Sci- ence and Technology founded in 1958, in Peiping and Shanghai, offer a 5-year undergraduate cur- _roP-seeker 12 l if /\/'\ O'D- \_/\/ /\/'\ 0000 \_/\/ l ._ pproved for Release: 2018/01/30
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 95 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.