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Welcome to Declassified. Today, a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record from December eleventh, nineteen-fifty. This memorandum, titled “Comment on Alsop Article in Washington Post, 8 December 50,” evaluates American intelligence assessments of Chinese Communist military capabilities and intentions, particularly concerning Indochina and Korea, in response to a contemporary news report. This document can be found on The Black Vault at documents2.theblackvault.com. This document was released under the Freedom of Information Act, though a specific FOIA case number is not listed in its record. It was declassified on May eleventh, two-thousand-and-one, by the National Archives and Records Administration, and redacted under exemption B one. It is presented here as part of the public record. The document begins: OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT CHIEF OF STAFF, G two, INTELLIGENCE WASHINGTON twenty-five, D.C. MEMORANDUM FOR: DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR ADMINISTRATION SUBJECT: Comment on Alsop article in Washington Post, 8 December 50 The following are detailed comments on the Alsop article that appeared in the Washington Post on 8 December 50: Paragraph one, A: G two estimates that there are one hundred and eighty-five thousand Chinese Communist troops in Yunnan and western Kwangsi Provinces, of which possibly one hundred thousand are sufficiently close to the border to be capable of launching an invasion of Indo-China without appreciable forewarning. The figure of one hundred thousand is probably the maximum that could be made available for such an operation at the present time, in view of other Chinese Communist commitments in South China, such as maintenance of security, bandit suppression, and protection of communications. The Alsop statement that an army of two hundred thousand, stationed at Nanning, “stands posed to move” is therefore [three lines redacted under exemption B one]. B: G two estimates that there are thirty to forty Viet Minh (“Indo-Chinese Communist”) battalions in Tonkin which have been re-equipped and trained in South China by the Chinese Communists. These battalions have been operational in Tonkin since sixteen September nineteen-fifty. They are believed to include Chinese Communist technical advisers, including artillery instructors, but no [four lines redacted under exemption B one] of their presence has been received. [six lines redacted under exemption B one]. C: G two estimates of a joint Chinese Communist-Viet Minh headquarters, with Soviet “advisers,” has frequently been reported in South China. While confirmation of such an arrangement is lacking, its existence is [one line redacted under exemption B one]. Paragraph two, A: The Alsop statement that “…one does not detect of preparation for the Chinese onslaught [three lines redacted under exemption B one] Korea is now visible again…” ignores the very considerable support the Chinese Communists have been extending to the Viet Minh during nineteen-fifty. This assistance has…

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-004Declassified

Filed OCT 27 · 2026Runtime 1 min

CIA Comment On Alsop Article In Washington Post, 8 December 50

U.S. public record · FOIAUpdated October 27, 2026

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Welcome to Declassified. Today, a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record from December eleventh, nineteen-fifty. This memorandum, titled “Comment on Alsop Article in Washington Post, 8 December 50,” evaluates American intelligence assessments of Chinese Communist military capabilities and intentions, particularly concerning Indochina and Korea, in response to a contemporary news report.

Date: OCT 27 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
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What was CIA Comment On Alsop Article In Washington Post, 8 December 50 about?: Welcome to Declassified. Today, a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record from December eleventh, nineteen-fifty. This memorandum, titled “Comment on Alsop Article in Washington Post, 8 December 50,” evaluates American intelligence assessments of Chinese Communist military capabilities and intentions, particularly concerning Indochina and Korea, in response to a contemporary news report.
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 Comment On Alsop Article In Washington Post, 8 December 50

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