What did the declassified documents reveal?

You are listening to Declassified, an audio briefing of public-domain government records. Today, a declassified C.I.A. record: a National Intelligence Estimate detailing Chinese Communist intervention in Korea, dated November sixth, nineteen-fifty. This document can be found on The Black Vault at documents two dot the black vault dot com. This document was approved for release on May twenty-sixth, two-thousand-four. It does not carry a F.O.I.A. case number, but was declassified under an unspecified authority. The document begins: National Intelligence Estimate Number two, November sixth, nineteen-fifty. Secret. Chinese Communist Intervention in Korea. One. To estimate the scale and purpose of Chinese Communist intervention in North Korea and Chinese Communist capabilities and intentions. Two. Present Chinese Communist troop strength in North Korea is estimated at thirty-thousand to forty-thousand. Chinese Communist ground units are engaging U.N. forces at various points ranging from fifty to one hundred miles south of the Korean-Manchurian border. Recent action has been marked also by the appearance of Soviet-type jet fighters in combat with U.S. aircraft over Korea. Three. Present Chinese Communist troop strength in Manchuria is estimated at seven-hundred-thousand. Of this number, there are at least two-hundred-thousand regular field forces. These troop strengths, added to the forces already in Korea, are believed to make the Chinese Communists capable of: (a) halting further U.N. advance northward, through piecemeal commitment of troops; or (b) forcing U.N. withdrawal to defensive positions farther south by a powerful assault. Four. The objective of the Chinese Communist intervention appears to be to halt the advance of U.N. forces in Korea and to keep a Communist regime in being on Korean soil. In accomplishing this purpose, the Chinese Communists would: (a) avert the psychological and political consequences of a disastrous outcome of the Korean venture; (b) keep U.N. forces away from the actual frontiers of China and the U.S.S.R.; (c) retain an area in Korea as a base of Communist military and guerrilla operations; (d) prolong indefinitely the containment of U.N., especially U.S., forces in Korea; (e) control the distribution of hydroelectric power generated in North Korea and retain other economic benefits; and (f) create the possibility of a favorable political solution in Korea, despite the military defeat of the North Koreans. Five. The Chinese Communists thus far retain full freedom of action with respect to Korea. They are free to adjust their action in accordance with the development of the situation. If the Chinese Communists were to succeed in destroying the effective strength of U.N. forces in northern Korea, they would pursue their advantage as far as possible. If the military situation is stabilized, they may well consider that, with advantageous terrain and the onset of winter, their forces now in Korea are sufficient to…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

Case File · ARCHIVE-012Declassified

Filed OCT 30 · 2026Runtime 1 min

CIA You Are Listening To Declassified, An Audio Briefing Of Public Domain

U.S. public record · FOIAUpdated October 30, 2026

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You are listening to Declassified, an audio briefing of public-domain government records. A. record: a National Intelligence Estimate detailing Chinese Communist intervention in Korea, dated November sixth, nineteen-fifty. This document can be found on The Black Vault at documents two dot the black vault dot com.

Date: OCT 30 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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You are listening to Declassified, an audio briefing of public-domain government records. Today, a declassified C.I.A. record: a National Intelligence Estimate detailing Chinese Communist intervention in Korea, dated November sixth, nineteen-fifty. This document can be found on The Black Vault at…

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What was CIA You Are Listening To Declassified, An Audio Briefing Of Public Domain about?: You are listening to Declassified, an audio briefing of public-domain government records. A. record: a National Intelligence Estimate detailing Chinese Communist intervention in Korea, dated November sixth, nineteen-fifty. This document can be found on The Black Vault at documents two dot the black vault dot com.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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CIA You Are Listening To Declassified, An Audio Briefing Of Public Domain

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