What did the declassified documents reveal?

This episode of Declassified presents a declassified government record concerning U.S. support of Chinese military leaders. This one-page Top Secret memorandum, dated November twenty-second, nineteen-fifty, reveals internal U.S. discussions regarding clandestine contact with specific Chinese military figures. This document was obtained from documents2.theblackvault.com. This document was released to the public under the Freedom of Information Act. It details a pivotal moment in early Cold War U.S. foreign policy toward China. It was declassified by the relevant authorities, without a specific FOIA case number provided in the record, and made public through digital archives. The document is a memorandum addressed to S/P, Mr. Nitze, from FE, Mr. Merchant, dated November twenty-second, nineteen-fifty. The subject is "Support of Chinese Military Leaders." It references a previous memorandum of July fourteenth, nineteen-fifty. The core of the memorandum states: "Subject matter of your reference memorandum was discussed with Mr. Rusk and it was finally agreed, after consideration of the matter from all angles, that it would be better not to undertake at the present time any such project as proposed." This decision was based upon several considerations, among which are the following: "One: No contact along the indicated lines with the indicated military leaders would have even a fair chance of being kept confidential. Two: The matter becoming known to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek would undoubtedly have unfavorable political repercussions. Three: The matter becoming known to the families of concerned persons and very possibly to the Communists by that medium would have implications respecting the American evaluation of Formosa's situation, which could hardly be conducive to good popular morale." The memorandum concludes: "It is therefore believed that the matter should be shelved for the present. It could well be given consideration at a later date if developments may appear desirable, but with the governing concept being that the personnel under consideration would be contacted only at the [four lines redacted under exemption B1]." There is no further contextual statement from the issuing agency publicly associated with this specific document beyond its declassification. This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. storyflo.com. You can find this document at archive.org/download/us-china-intel-CI00583/CI00583djvu.txt.

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-002Declassified

Filed OCT 28 · 2026Runtime 1 min

CIA This Episode Of Declassified Presents A Declassified Government Record

U.S. public record · FOIAUpdated October 28, 2026

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◆ BLUF — The short version

S. support of Chinese military leaders. S. discussions regarding clandestine contact with specific Chinese military figures. com. This document was released to the public under the Freedom of Information Act. S. foreign policy toward China. It was declassified by the relevant authorities, without a specific FOIA case number provided in the record, and made public through digital archives.

Date: OCT 28 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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Episode notes

This episode of Declassified presents a declassified government record concerning U.S. support of Chinese military leaders. This one-page Top Secret memorandum, dated November twenty-second, nineteen-fifty, reveals internal U.S. discussions regarding clandestine contact with specific Chinese…

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Questions about this case

What was CIA This Episode Of Declassified Presents A Declassified Government Record about?: S. support of Chinese military leaders. S. discussions regarding clandestine contact with specific Chinese military figures. com. This document was released to the public under the Freedom of Information Act. S. foreign policy toward China. It was declassified by the relevant authorities, without a specific FOIA case number provided in the record, and made public through digital archives.
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 This Episode Of Declassified Presents A Declassified Government Record

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