What did the declassified documents reveal?

From the Central Intelligence Agency, this is a National Intelligence Estimate, dated January twenty-seventh, nineteen-sixty-five, assessing Communist China's Advanced Weapons Program. It is notable for providing a comprehensive assessment of China's nuclear and missile capabilities shortly after its first nuclear test. You can access this record at vault.fbi.gov. This document was declassified on May thirteenth, two-thousand-and-thirteen, under the authority of the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel, or I-S-C-A-P, as part of a Freedom of Information Act, F-O-I-A, review. It is a product of the United States Intelligence Board. The document opens with the title: National Intelligence Estimate Number 13-2-65, Supersedes NIE 13-2-62 and SNIE 13-2-63. Communist China's Advanced Weapons Program. Submitted by the Director of Central Intelligence. Concurred in by the United States Intelligence Board. The following intelligence organizations participated in the preparation of this estimate: The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, Defense, A-E-C, and N-S-A. Concurring: Director of Intelligence and Research, Department of State. Director, Defense Intelligence Agency. The Atomic Energy Commission Representative to the U-S-I-B. Director of the National Security Agency. Abstaining: The Assistant to the Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the subject being outside of his jurisdiction. The document states: This document contains classified information affecting the national security of the United States within the meaning of the espionage laws, U.S. Title 18, Sections 793 and 794. The law prohibits its transmission or the revelation of its contents in any manner to an unauthorized person, as well as any use whatsoever prejudicial to the safety or interest of the United States. It then outlines "The Problem: To assess the current state of Communist China's nuclear weapons and missile program and, insofar as possible, estimate the future course and size of that program." A note precedes the conclusions: "Although we have obtained a considerable amount of new information in the past year or so, there remain serious gaps in our information and we are therefore not able to judge the present state or to project the future development of the Chinese program with any high degree of confidence. The specific judgments in this paper should be read in the light of this general caution." The document's conclusions include: A. "Communist China's first nuclear test on 16 October 1964 was of an implosion fission device with U-235 as the fissionable material and a probable yield of 19 kilotons (K-T). We cannot estimate with confidence its weight or dimensions but believe it was relatively large and heavy. The most likely source of the U-235 was uranium first brought to partial enrichment in the gaseous diffusion facility at Lan-chou and then further enriched by the electromagnetic process. We…

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.

From The Central Intelligence Agency, This Is A National Intelligence Estimate

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From the Central Intelligence Agency, this is a National Intelligence Estimate, dated January twenty-seventh, nineteen-sixty-five, assessing Communist China's Advanced Weapons Program. It is notable for providing a comprehensive assessment of China's nuclear and missile capabilities shortly after its first nuclear test.

Date: AUG 29 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was From The Central Intelligence Agency, This Is A National Intelligence Estimate about?: From the Central Intelligence Agency, this is a National Intelligence Estimate, dated January twenty-seventh, nineteen-sixty-five, assessing Communist China's Advanced Weapons Program. It is notable for providing a comprehensive assessment of China's nuclear and missile capabilities shortly after its first nuclear test.
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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