What did the declassified documents reveal?

This episode of Declassified presents a memorandum from the Department of State, dated June twenty-second, nineteen-sixty-two, detailing intelligence on Chinese Communist concerns over potential military actions. This record is available via documents2.theblackvault.com. This document was declassified under Executive Order Twelve-thousand-nine-hundred-eighty-eight, Section Three point Six, with a declassification date of September twenty-eighth, nineteen-ninety-nine. It bears the markings "Top Secret" and "Noforn." The memorandum is addressed to Governor Harriman from Roger Hilsman, the Director of Intelligence and Research. Its subject is: "Evidence of Peiping's Concern over Possible G-R-C-U-S Intentions." "We have examined the limited collateral evidence and some aspects of the special intelligence on Chinese Communist activities in the East China area with a view to considering the extent to which Chicom troop movements may be motivated by genuine but exaggerated concern over possible G-R-C-U-S military moves against the Chinese mainland. Within the context of its small volume, we have been struck by the considerable amount of material which lends itself to such an interpretation. One. In spring nineteen-sixty-one, a Chinese Communist summary of foreign policy for senior military officers indicated Peiping had no intention at that time of attempting to take either Taiwan or the offshore islands and, in point of fact, made much of the embarrassment the offshore islands were to the U-S in its relations with the Chinese Nationalists. Another publication included in the so-called "Tibetan Documents" made a strong argument for Peiping's having to give first priority to solving domestic difficulties and the necessity of deferring and avoiding any complications along its borders. Two. Chicom Foreign Minister Ch'en went out of his way in a farewell conversation with the outgoing U-K Charge in Peiping in early April to raise the subject of a possible Chinese Nationalist invasion which, Ch'en said, would be permitted to penetrate inland where it would be destroyed, rather than being eliminated on the beaches. This was an unprecedented raising of this topic with a western diplomat in Peiping and was clearly intended as a warning of Chinese Communist "awareness" of G-R-C intentions. Three. Chicom warnings against U-S destroyer and air reconnaissance against Communist China in April, accused the U-S of recent activities "to intensify tension in the Taiwan Strait and conduct aggression" and referred to "sinister" visits of U-S officials to Taiwan in the context of condemning the G-R-C's "fight back to the mainland" policy. Four. A report from the British Consul in Shanghai June nineteen spoke of many rumors of an expected K-M-T landing and of public warnings that the K-M-T had not abandoned its intentions and that "force must be increased." Five. A June twelve letter from Fukien to Hong Kong described the movement of large numbers of troops from north…

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.

CIA This Episode Of Declassified Presents A Memorandum From The Department Of State

◆ BLUF — The short version

This episode of Declassified presents a memorandum from the Department of State, dated June twenty-second, nineteen-sixty-two, detailing intelligence on Chinese Communist concerns over potential military actions. com. This document was declassified under Executive Order Twelve-thousand-nine-hundred-eighty-eight, Section Three point Six, with a declassification date of September twenty-eighth, nineteen-ninety-nine.

Date: SEP 13 · 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 memorandum from the Department of State, dated June twenty-second, nineteen-sixty-two, detailing intelligence on Chinese Communist concerns over potential military actions. This record is available via documents2.theblackvault.com. This document was…

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Questions about this case

What was CIA This Episode Of Declassified Presents A Memorandum From The Department Of State about?: This episode of Declassified presents a memorandum from the Department of State, dated June twenty-second, nineteen-sixty-two, detailing intelligence on Chinese Communist concerns over potential military actions. com. This document was declassified under Executive Order Twelve-thousand-nine-hundred-eighty-eight, Section Three point Six, with a declassification date of September twenty-eighth, nineteen-ninety-nine.
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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