CHINA'S CIVIL DEFENSE PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83B00100R000100100024-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 8, 2003
• Sequence Number: 24
• Publication Date: January 31, 1978
• Content Type: MF

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THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
National Intelligence Officers
31 January 1978
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
VIA: D/DCI/NI
FROM: James R. Lilley
National Intelligence Officer for China
SUBJECT: China's Civil Defense Program
REFERENCE: Your Note dated 30 January 1978,
Subject: Chinese Civil Defense
Shelter Program
1. Action Requested: None. This memorandum is for
your information. It is in response to your questions
of 30 January on the Chinese Civil Defense Shelter Program.
2. Background: China began an extensive civil defense
shelter construction program in about6O This effort
peaked in the late Sixties and early Seventies, and con-
tinues today.
3. These civil defense shelters provide protection
from air and missile attack and would be used to defend
cities from invading armies. The shelters also boost
civilian morale. The Chinese take important visiting
foreigners to the largest shelters as a means of showing
potential adversaries that China as a nation could survive
even a nuclear attack.
4. Large and medium cities throughout China have
elaborate underground shelters, and most towns and villages
have at least some trenching. The shelters range from
simple trenches to elaborate complexes with tunnels several
miles long equipped with electric generators, food and sanitary
facilities, and air filtration systems. The most sophisticated
complex that we know of is in Luta. (Dairen)
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5. China's shelters probably provide reasonably good
protection from nuclear blast for the Chinese population
living in urban areas. This segment includes most of China's
important governmental, industrial, and scientific workers.
Success of shelters depends on adequate warning of attack--
Protection a or e y s e tern
from radiation is not known. We do not know if air filter
systems are adequate or how much food and other essentials
are stockpiled in the shelters.
6. The civil defense program probably is the joint
responsibility of the Ministries of National Defense and
Public Security. Local civil officials also have a role.
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7. Coordination: The attached memorandum was prepared 25X1A
by OSR. It has not been coordinated with other Agencies.
a es R. Lilley
Attachment:
Memorandum
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PREPARED ~Y:
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CHINA'S CIVIL DEFENSE PROGRAM
OSR/RAD
I. China has one of the most extensive civil defense
shelter programs in the world. Some shelters were
constructed as far back as the Fifties, but the
civil defense program evidently began in earnest about
1960 as part of a much broader campaign to "prepare
against war."
A. The program peaked during the late 1960s and
early 1970s under the impetus of the border clashes
with the Soviets in 1969 and in response to the US
bombing campaign in neighboring North Vietnam.
B. The Chinese are continuing to build shelters for
both their civil and military population, but at a
more measured pace.
II. In addition to their obvious function for protection
from missile and air attack, the shelters provide
relatively secure bases from which the Chinese can
fight to defend urban areas against the follow-on
invasion they evidently expect.
A. Shelter construction has also been used as a means
of boosting the morale of the civil population
against the threat of attack by technically
superior enemies.
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B. The Chinese have gone out of their way to permit
foreigners, including senior US Government
officials and newsmen, to inspect some of their
extensive shelter complexes. This apparently is
an attempt to convince potential enemies that
large parts of China's population could survive
a nuclear attack and defend against an enemy
invasion.
III. Most, if not all, of China's large and medium-size cities
have some form of underground shelters, and many
small towns and villages have at least rudimentary
shelters.
A. The Chinese'-have installed basement shelters within
commercial and government buildings. They have
also built shelters using a cut-and-cover technique
employing pre-cast concrete sections layed along
extensive trenching.
B. The most extensive and secure shelters have been
built in large cities and near important industrial
installations to protect key government, industrial,
and military personnel.
1. The size and facilities of these complexes
vary, but those in Peking and other major
cities reportedly have tunnels several miles
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long that are equipped with electric generators,
sanitary facilities, food preparation areas,
and air filtration systems.
The most sophisticated underground complex is
in the port city of Luta which is reported to
A. The Ministry of National Defense provides warning
of attack and essential communications. Local
and militia forces probably have a primary role
in conjunction with local civil organs in imple-
menting civil defense measures..
1. PLA construction expertise and engineering
resources were used to build some of the more
extensive shelter complexes-, including the
Peking subway complex.
have concrete-lined tunnels wide enough to
handle trucks. The Chinese claim that Luta
has sufficient underground facilities to hold
all of its one million inhabitants.
IV. The shelters, and probably the entire civil defense
effort, is believed to be the responsibility of the
Ministry of National Defense or the Ministry of Public
Security.
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2. Provincial military and civil authorities
probably are responsible for supervising local
shelter construction and establishing emergency
stockpiles,of food and medical supplies.
B. The Ministry of Public Security role is less well
defined, but its responsibilities of maintaining
local security and public order would probably
become more important during a wartime emergency.
V. The effectiveness of China's shelter program obviously
depends on the size and intensity of the attack.
A. Only about 15 percent of China's population resides
in urban areas, but this group includes most of its
important goVerrimental, industrial, and scientific
personnel. They would have a good chance of sur-
viving the blast effects of a .nuclear strike, if the]25X1
received adequate warning.
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B. The capability of the Chinese civil defense shelters
to protect the population from the longer term
hazard of radiation is not known.
1. Although some stockpiling of essentials in shelters
has been reported, we do not know the scope
of this effort nor how long the inhabitants
could endure.
VI. Although the Chinese frequently invite distinguished
foreign visitors to view their underground shelters,
there is little evidence that Chinese military delegations
visiting the West pursue civil defense matters.
A. Two Chinese military delegations recently visited
Western Europe, for example, but their interests
were primarily in conventional military hardware
and technology. The delegation sent to Switzerland
ostensibly to discuss civil defense matters
probably was interested in acquiring Oerlikon anti-
aircraft guns and production technology.
B. A more prestigious Chinese delegation headed by
Deputy Chief of Staff Yang-chen Wu recently visited
France in return for a visit by French Chief of Staff
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Guy Mery last year. The Chinese visited
French army, navy, and air force units and
observed exercises and inspected equipment.
1. This was the most senior major military dele-
gation to visit a Western country, but there
was no indication of interest by the Chinese
in other than purely military forces,
equipment, and techniques.
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