Documents / FOIA release

(EST Pub Date) Science and Technology in Communist CHINA Through 1970

Central Intelligence Agency · 1965-06-01 · 95 pages · text from the file's own layer

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.

  • p. 5 …Hence, the Scientific Intelligence Committee has undertaken this study to provide the intelligence com- munity with…
  • p. 10 …China will continue to lag far behind the more advanced nations of the world in the…
  • p. 12 …from the present through 1970, China will remain far behind the world’s more advanced nations…
  • p. 13 …Much good work in analytical chemistry is conducted by the Chinese, particularly on the methods of…
  • p. 14 …The most im- portant advancement in agricultural research has been in crop breeding. New native strains…
  • p. 17 …with advances in products, equipment, and production techniques. In more complex fields—for example, the priority…
  • p. 18 …In a few fields, especially those related to the advanced weapons program, a high priority in…
  • p. 19 …China is now taking steps to establish rela- tions with advanced countries of the non-Commu…
  • p. 20 …levels in the common disciplines of science and to concentrate on advancement in the follow- ing…
  • p. 24 …Research and de- velopment have continued to expand since 1960, especially in the expensive advanced weapons…
  • p. 28 …the last 10 years. Other new leaders will come from more formal programs for advanced training…
  • p. 29 …Sophisti- cated apparatus of the kind expected to be used in the research laboratories of advanced…
  • p. 32 …techniques and methods, and deficiencies in the amounts of advanced mate- rials, equipment, and facilities. Nevertheless…
  • p. 33 …The most advanced high-speed digital com- puter in China, the 16-K, is somewhat inferior…
  • p. 41 …capabilities lower than in advanced countries. Minimum operational requirements of the armed forces, industry, and agriculture…
  • p. 42 …By 1970, China will be only slightly nearer the level of advanced countries in meteorology. 148…
  • p. 45 …the situation during the period of this estimate, but by 1973-75 they should advance the…
  • p. 46 …Considerable advances have been made by the Chinese in the field of antibiotic research, but they…
  • p. 53 …This research, how- ever, has not yet reached the advanced scientific stage of that in many…
  • p. 62 _.-¢a_.- resistant materials imposed by advanced military and civilian requirements, the Chinese increased substantially the electric…
  • p. 66 …oriented toward the development of advanced weaponry and toward the production of advanced weapons on a…
  • p. 67 …The Chinese now are de- pendent on foreign sources for some advanced equipment and for designs…
  • p. 68 …However, advanced tech- nology is not needed to get most of the jobs done. The Chinese…
  • p. 78 …of the Shanghai-class, which do not represent any radical advances in design. The Shanghai-class…
  • p. 86 …These equipments, how- ever, probably will not be as sophisticated as those of the more advanced…
  • p. 87 …coMMUmcA'r1oNs—China places heavy reli- ance on imports from the more advanced countries for its…
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follows closely that of the USSR in regard to the
role of persistent and nonpersistent agents, muni-
tions employed for agent dissemination, and the
role of all types of CW materiel in tactical opera-
tions. Defensive rather than oflensive doctrine
is emphasized. Much of China’s CW materiel is
made from Soviet designs or has been furnished
by the USSR.
(
325. China's offensive CW capability is impaired
by a limited production and stockpile capability
in both World War I-type CW agents and the
nerve agents, which could, nevertheless, pose a
significant threat to poorly prepared neighboring
countries. However, if Soviet logistical support
were again available, the Chinese do have ground
weapons and aircraft (of Soviet design) capable
of disseminating massive quantities of CW agents
in a large-scale offensive tactical operation. The
CPLA has large stocks of smoke munitions and a
well-developed tactical doctrine, which give it an
excellent screening-smoke capability. Expanding
stocks of flame weapons and additional emphasis
on training in flame warfare techniques have given
the armed forces a small but growing flame warfare
capability.
\
328. The lack of adequate research facilities and
an adequate number of personnel experienced in
CW research appears to have caused CW research
and development in China to remain as a minor
effort.
China, however, is producing
a number of organophosphorus insecticides for
agricultural use and is known to be carrying for-
ward an active research program in this area at
several agricultural institutions. Research and pro-
duction facilities working on organophosphorus in-
secticides can be converted to work on CW nerve
agents. The shortage of CW-experienced scien-
tists is expected to continue at least until 1969.
329. Civil defense in China is under the _Min-
istry of Public Security. There is little evidence
of an effective civil defense program.
8. Military Electronics Teclmology
330. The increasing importance of China as a
military power will necessitate the development of
tactical communications equipments comparable to
those of other countries. These equipments, how-
ever, probably will not be as sophisticated as those
of the more advanced countries. Nevertheless, by,
1970, the Chinese should be able to meet most of
their essential electronics requirements.
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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.