What did the declassified documents reveal?

This is Declassified. Today, we are reading a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record, an intelligence bulletin from July ninth, nineteen-fifty-four, concerning China's possible acquisition of Soviet submarines. This document is notable for its insights into early Cold War naval intelligence. You can find this record at documents2.theblackvault.com. This document was released by the Central Intelligence Agency under a Freedom of Information Act request, declassified on February tenth, two-thousand-four. The declassification authority was the Central Intelligence Agency's Office of Current Intelligence. The document reads: CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN. Office of Current Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency. D-I-A and D-O-D review(s) completed. GENERAL Chinese Communists may have acquired two Soviet submarines: Two Soviet S-class long-range submarines flying the Chinese Communist naval ensign on June twenty-eighth to thirtieth at Tsingtao, a Chinese naval base on the Shantung Peninsula. Comment: It is possible that these submarines were actually of the Soviet S-H-C-H medium-range class. The Chinese Communists were previously believed to have only one small coastal-type Soviet submarine, which has probably been used at Tsingtao as a training vessel. Unless Chinese crews have been trained in the Soviet Union, it is not considered likely that the Chinese Communists will be able to operate these larger submarines effectively for several months. The transfer of either type of Soviet submarine to the Chinese Communist navy would greatly increase its capabilities for operations against the Nationalist navy, which is considered poorly trained in antisubmarine warfare and vulnerable to submerged attack. [Four lines redacted under exemption B-one]. SOVIET UNION Two Soviet tankers return to Istanbul after starting for Far East: Two Soviet tankers, each carrying nine-thousand tons of kerosene from Constanta, passed Istanbul on June thirtieth and July second en route to Vladivostok, according to the American naval attaché at Ankara. On July sixth, both ships had returned to Istanbul. Comment: It seems likely that the actual destination was China rather than Vladivostok. The return of these vessels suggests that the Soviet government has not yet decided what action to take to protect its ships in waters near Formosa. Except for a Soviet refrigerator vessel accompanied by fourteen trawlers which was headed for the Luzon Strait on July fifth en route to Vladivostok, the U-S-S-R continues to keep its other ships far outside Formosan waters. This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. For more declassified documents, visit storyflo.com, and view this document at archive.org/download/us-china-intel-CI01093/CI01093djvu.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-394Declassified

Filed SEP 30 · 2026Runtime 1 min

Today, We Are Reading A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record

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

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This is Declassified. Today, we are reading a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record, an intelligence bulletin from July ninth, nineteen-fifty-four, concerning China's possible acquisition of Soviet submarines. This document is notable for its insights into early Cold War naval intelligence.

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

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What was Today, We Are Reading A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record about?: This is Declassified. Today, we are reading a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record, an intelligence bulletin from July ninth, nineteen-fifty-four, concerning China's possible acquisition of Soviet submarines. This document is notable for its insights into early Cold War naval intelligence.
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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