What did the declassified documents reveal?

This episode presents a declassified Central Intelligence Agency memorandum reviewing a Senate draft study on intelligence concerning China, dated June eighth, nineteen seventy‑eight. The document is notable because it records internal CIA assessment of congressional efforts to evaluate the United States intelligence community’s work on China during the Cold War. The source is archived at the Black Vault and can be accessed at archive.org. The memorandum was approved for release on October thirtieth, two thousand two, under the authority of the CIA’s declassification board. It was made public through a Freedom of Information Act request and posted on the Black Vault website, where the full text is available for download. The memorandum reads as follows: “Secret. Approved for release October thirtieth, two thousand two. CIA‑RDP83B00100R000100040005‑7. June eighth, nineteen seventy‑eight. Memorandum for: National Intelligence Officer for China. From: Director of Geographic and Cartographic Research. Subject: Review of Senate Draft Study on Intelligence – Concerning China. 1. We have reviewed the Senate staff study and in general find it a useful evaluation of the state of community intelligence efforts on China. Several helpful observations are made, some primary weaknesses in the intelligence process are identified, and most of the recommendations, though hardly startling, deserve careful consideration. On the other hand, the report is overlong and rambling and, in places, internally inconsistent; the selective historical tidbits about who said what and when add little to the study; and some of the recommendations appear to suggest major bureaucratic reorganizations far beyond the scope of the study or the ability of the Select Committee to implement. 2. Two criticisms made in the staff study and the corollaries drawn seem particularly useful for follow‑up action, namely, the points that (1) too much effort in the past has been spent on the details of Chinese internal politics, and (2) overemphasis on the collection of intelligence and analysis of the Chinese military threat. We support suggestions that in political reporting and analysis more attention can usefully be put on the constraints that will face the Chinese leadership, regardless of which particular faction assumes power, and that greater priority be accorded to the collection and analysis of non‑military topics. Our view, however, is that only minor changes in emphasis are needed rather than major program shifts. We also agree generally with most of the points made in the section on the management of the intelligence effort on China, pages ten through fourteen. From the viewpoint of the Office of Geographic and Cartographic Research, and the location of our analytic units in Rosslyn, the National Intelligence Officer system has improved our contacts and communications with other intelligence producers and the policymakers. But we also feel additional improvements in the system are…

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 Reviewing A Senate Draft Study

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This episode presents a declassified Central Intelligence Agency memorandum reviewing a Senate draft study on intelligence concerning China, dated June eighth, nineteen seventy‑eight. The document is notable because it records internal CIA assessment of congressional efforts to evaluate the United States intelligence community’s work on China during the Cold War.

Date: AUG 4 · 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 Reviewing A Senate Draft Study about?: This episode presents a declassified Central Intelligence Agency memorandum reviewing a Senate draft study on intelligence concerning China, dated June eighth, nineteen seventy‑eight. The document is notable because it records internal CIA assessment of congressional efforts to evaluate the United States intelligence community’s work on China during the Cold War.
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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