What did the declassified documents reveal?

This is Declassified. Today, a declassified C.I.A. record detailing discussions at the highest levels of the United States government regarding China’s nuclear weapons program in the mid-nineteen-sixties. This document is available at documents two dot the black vault dot com. This declassified document, a memorandum for the record from the Director of Central Intelligence, John McCone, dated October fifth, nineteen-sixty-four, was released by the Central Intelligence Agency under the Freedom of Information Act. It is part of the Director of Central Intelligence files, job eight zero dash B zero one two eight five A. The document, titled "Discussion with the President, Secretary Rusk, Secretary McNamara and Mr. McGeorge Bundy--Monday, five October--four forty-five p.m." details a high-level meeting. The key points of the discussion include: "Three. The Takhli-Lop Nor flights were discussed. I presented K H-four photography and stated that U-two photography would give us more precise information on the final stages of construction at Lop Nor from which we might estimate the probable time of a nuclear detonation. I said that unless information concerning the time of a detonation was of significant importance to the President and Secretary Rusk, I could not recommend the flight, pointing out it was a deep penetration extending the U-two to the full limit of its range during which time no other important targets would be traversed. Secretary Rusk opposes the flight on the grounds the information is not of significant importance to him and the flight carried us over Burma and India which was undesirable. C.I.A. telegram A.D.I.C. five three three two to Taipei, October eighth, stated that the primary reason for canceling the Lop Nor mission was the risk of an incident in the month preceding the presidential election. In addition, information obtained from a satellite and a September twenty-ninth statement by Rusk that a Chinese nuclear explosion might be imminent had both tended to diminish the importance of the mission. Four. I then said that the units were deployed [less than one line of source text not declassified] and suggested we fly some southern China missions covering critical targets. This was agreed. Action: Mr. Bundy asked that we present flight plans and other information through the usual Special Group three zero three channel, which I agreed to do promptly." This declassified record offers a glimpse into the strategic considerations and intelligence gathering efforts of the United States government during a critical period of the Cold War and the emergence of China as a nuclear power. This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. Find this and other historical documents at storyflo dot com, and the canonical U R L archive dot org slash download slash U S dash china dash intel dash C I zero one six three six slash C I zero one six three six underscore D J V U dot T X T.

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 Today, A Declassified CIA

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This is Declassified. A. record detailing discussions at the highest levels of the United States government regarding China’s nuclear weapons program in the mid-nineteen-sixties. This document is available at documents two dot the black vault dot com.

Date: SEP 1 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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This is Declassified. Today, a declassified C.I.A. record detailing discussions at the highest levels of the United States government regarding China’s nuclear weapons program in the mid-nineteen-sixties. This document is available at documents two dot the black vault dot com. This declassified…

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What was CIA Today, A Declassified CIA about?: This is Declassified. A. record detailing discussions at the highest levels of the United States government regarding China’s nuclear weapons program in the mid-nineteen-sixties. This document is available 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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