What did the declassified documents reveal?

This is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency memorandum, dated July ninth, nineteen seventy, evaluating a Chinese Communist attempt to intercept a United States reconnaissance aircraft. The memorandum was sent from the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs, Henry A. Kissinger, to President Richard Nixon, and it reflects the heightened sensitivity of U.S.–China relations at that moment. It is notable because it documents a rare instance of direct Chinese military action against a U.S. aircraft and the strategic assessment that followed. The document was released to the public through The Black Vault, with the full text available from the Internet Archive. The record was declassified by the Central Intelligence Agency under Top Secret Umbra authority and is cataloged on the archive site as a text file. The release date is not specified in the source, but the file can be accessed at archive.org under the URL for the CI01962 collection. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, July ninth, nineteen seventy. Subject: Evaluation of Chinese Communist Attempt Against U.S. Reconnaissance Aircraft. You have seen the report that the Chinese Communists sent out two M‑I G nineteen aircraft with protective cover, in an apparently premeditated effort to intercept and presumably to shoot down a C‑130 which was flying [redacted] collection mission some one hundred miles off the China coast on July second. The M‑I Gs could not locate the C‑130, which aborted its mission and returned safely. These intelligence missions are routine. They sometimes elicit defensive Chinese patrols, but not since nineteen sixty‑five have the Chinese shown evidence of hostile intent. There are certain aspects of this situation which are puzzling and even disturbing. First, the aircraft was operating well off the China mainland, and was following a flight pattern which has been repeated many times. Customarily the Chinese could be expected to react only when the path carries the aircraft close to the mainland, and they have allowed the many previous flights along the same general line to go unchallenged. Second, the attempt against the aircraft comes at a time when the Chinese have been cautiously opening communications with us, in a process which has not been entirely disrupted by Cambodia. It is true that the Chinese have displayed particular military sensitivity about the Shantung region, and may have wanted to raise the cost and decrease the effectiveness of our intelligence collection activities in this region by driving us farther offshore and perhaps resorting to fighter cover. There may be also some new military developments in or around Shantung regarding which they are particularly sensitive. However, this may not in itself be sufficient explanation for an effort to shoot down an American aircraft far at sea. Had they succeeded, they would have finished off the slight movement toward…

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.

Central Intelligence Agency Memorandum, Dated July Ninth, Nineteen Seventy

◆ BLUF — The short version

This is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency memorandum, dated July ninth, nineteen seventy, evaluating a Chinese Communist attempt to intercept a United States reconnaissance aircraft. The memorandum was sent from the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs, Henry A. –China relations at that moment.

Date: AUG 6 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was Central Intelligence Agency Memorandum, Dated July Ninth, Nineteen Seventy about?: This is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency memorandum, dated July ninth, nineteen seventy, evaluating a Chinese Communist attempt to intercept a United States reconnaissance aircraft. The memorandum was sent from the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs, Henry A. –China relations at that moment.
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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Central Intelligence Agency Memorandum, Dated July Ninth, Nineteen Seventy

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