PEKING TEST BLAST A SURPRISE TO U.S.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70B00338R000300100039-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 10, 2006
• Sequence Number: 39
• Publication Date: June 18, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2006/01/30 : CIA-RDP70B00338R000300100039-2
,1iSW YORK T-1MLS
x 8 JUN 1567
no reason to question that Com-
p ni{ ~~ p~~munist China exploded its first
S t DLAS P thermonuclear device."
~
1
1~ i S l1 I a> a thermonuclear capability."
Senior military analysts in
Washington believed that the
Chinest announcement Of the
r
Size of Explosion and Speedl.Sllccessful test would intensify
of Nuclear' Development political pressure for the de-
ployment of a missile defence,
Were Not Foreseen system around the Unitec';rn developing a thermanucleari
States. But they felt there would .device was certain to introduce
serious new political and mill-
not be an actual threat to Amer-1 tar factors into the atomic.
Lys Mir NW, FINNEY lean cities until the Chinese,zrms race.
Special W -,:lie ::cw York Times have built ill) a force of Inter-
r national ballistic missiles, I Once again the oavels Cmr
~V '
ASI-II\GTO:~, June 17 - phasized, as they have after'
The .Atomic Energy Commis-: The test took place yester- each of the five preceding tests,
day. Based on preliminary ac- that Communist China, even
anon, confirming .today that Counts and seismic measure-,With a hydrogen bomb, was not,,
Communist China had exploded .
ments it appeared to have had in a position to challenge the
a h drogen bomb device, said I an explosive yield of at roast overwhelming nuclear of
the blast had a:i eexplosive forceIthree megatons-the equivalent the United States, power
equal to several million tons of of three million tons of TNT.
Treaty Complications Possible
TINT. A. device capable of producing such an explosion would be ten They added, however, that, inn
United States officials were , times more powerful than any addition to increasing pressure
. om cwhat surprised by the Chi-I previously tested by the Chi-I for the deployment of an anti';
mesa test, which was viewed as nese and equal to the largest ballistic missile defense system
further evidence of the unex-,warheads on United States in-'in the United States, the Chi-I
nr the pre - testillight
pectedly rapid progress being ` te,co` titer inat ballistic
for l a ctreatva+e rri alt
g
n a
t
f
an e
_p?__ -
jcise na
rue u
ure o
r capons
.
nuclear arsenal. While it was ;how it was exploded - on a ~ Fronl the United States stand
uown to be working on the I tower or suspended from a bal-
esign of a thermonuclear de-loon--will require a detailed an-
ice, the test conic sooner than alysis of the radioactive debris
l-;i been generally p by
tion of airborne debris by planes
tl;nited States intelligence offi- and Its analyis at United States
_ a'?Lls, laboratories in the Far East are
Contributing to the surprise expected to take several days,
of American officials was the China Lacks Big Bombers
absence of specific information Among American atomic ex-
that a nuclear test was immi-i ports the general belief was
neat at the Chinese Test site that China was developing a
at Lob Nor, in northwestern hydrogen bomb warhead for an
ntercontinenLal ballistic: missile
China, although it was known rather than a bomb designed to
that preparations for further' bee dropped from an airplane.
Confirmation Comes Quickly the fact that Communist China ter of conjecture among Abler-I
'.has no , Iong-ran e bombers butjlcan officials.
Within a few hours after the is known to be developing an The test, it was believed,
announcement by the Pekin:;,iritercnntinental missile. might increase the desire of ?thel
radio, however, the Atomic En The presumption of American two leaders to make concessions'
ergy Commission confirmed the officials was that Communist permitting a rapid agreement'
test. The commission issued the ruina had not dcvelopod a de- ion a treaty to stop the spread:
livcrabie thermonuclear ivar-,of nuclear. weapons. The two
following statement; head. They acknowled;ged, how- sides are now divided on the:
No Immediate Threat Seen -requirements. '
"Communist China has deto-?
nated a nuclear device at [the I
Lop Nor nuclear test site. The
yield was in the range of sev-
eral negate ns. This is the sixth
Chinese nuclear test confirmed
by the United States."
While the commission used
Only the term "nuclear device,"
there was no question in tile:
minds of American officials, on
the basis of the large explosive
yield, that a thermonuclear teal.
had been conducted. In answer
-to questions, a spokesman for
the commission said, "We have
Approved Tor Release 2606/01/30: CIA-RDP70B00338R000300100039-2
point, the test emphasized the
urgency of reaching agreement
on a treaty before there is a
further increase in the number
of nuclear powers,
At the same time, the offi-
cials said, the Chinese test
would only contribute to the;
reluctance of such countries asl
India and Japan to sign a!
treaty renouncing the right to'
develop atomic weapons.
Although the Chinese test
came amid talk of is possible1
meeting between Premier Alex-
sci Kosygin and President John-
son, its possible effects on such