China: Suspected Acquisition of U.S. Nuclear Weapon Secrets

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espionage continuing into the 1990s. The President said on March 19, 1999, that “to
the best of my knowledge, no one has said anything to me about any espionage which
occurred by the Chinese against the labs, during my presidency.” 238 After the New
York Times reported on April 8, 1999, that China sought additional neutron bomb
data in 1995, however, President Clinton explained his earlier statement as a
response to a question specifically about alleged PRC espionage at the labs, which
were apparently not linked to the neutron bomb case. 239
In 1998, Berger reportedly told the Cox Committee that President Clinton was
informed early that year. In May 1999, Berger said that he briefed the President in
July 1997, after DOE briefed the NSC. 240 The press reported that intelligence and
DOE officials briefed Berger as early as April 1996 on the W88 and the neutron
bomb cases. Berger said that, in 1996, the reports to him were “preliminary” and
that “the FBI hadn’t even begun its investigation” and there was no suspect. Berger
further argued that after a second briefing in 1997 that was “far more extensive”and
suggested that “there was a potentially greater problem with respect to Chinese
acquisition of sensitive information,” he did brief the President. Berger also
explained that the President did not raise the issue of PRC espionage at the October
1997 summit with PRC President Jiang Zemin because of the need to protect the
secrecy of an ongoing investigation. 241 Yet, FBI Director Freeh testified in March
1999 that the FBI began its case (concerning the W88 data) in September 1995 and
that, in August 1997, he told DOE officials that the stalled case was not as important
as the protection of information. 242
The PFIAB said in June 1999 that “although the current National Security
Advisor was briefed on counterintelligence concerns by DOE officials in April of
1996, we are not convinced that the briefing provided a sufficient basis to require
initiation of a broad Presidential directive at that time. We are convinced, however,
that the July 1997 briefing, which we are persuaded was much more comprehensive,
was sufficient to warrant aggressive White House action.”
Also, the PFIAB revealed that the White House knew about PRC espionage at
the nuclear weapon labs earlier than 1996. In discussing the track record of the
Clinton Administration, the report noted briefly that, in 1995, after DOE officials met
with the FBI on suspected PRC espionage of U.S. nuclear weapon data, an analysis
group was formed at DOE to review the PRC nuclear weapon program, and senior
238 Eric Schmitt, “Clinton Says He Is Unaware Of Nuclear Spying During His Presidency,”
New York Times, March 20, 1999.
239 Clinton, William Jefferson, remarks at joint press conference with Chinese Premier Zhu
Rongji, Washington, D.C., April 8, 1999.
240 Cox Committee’s report, Volume I, p. 95.
241 Risen, James and Jeff Gerth, “China Stole Nuclear Secrets From Los Alamos, U.S.
Officials Say,” New York Times, March 6, 1999; Sandy Berger’s interview on NBC’s “Meet
the Press,” March 14, 1999; Jeff Gerth and James Risen, “Intelligence Report Points to
Second China Nuclear Leak,” New York Times, April 8, 1999.
242 Hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and
Judiciary, March 17, 1999.