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

CRS-3
report completed in November 1998 that reportedly was sent to the White House. 6
At hearings in 2000, Senator Specter criticized the prosecution of this case.
“Kindred Spirit”/”Fall Out”. The third case became public as a result of a
comprehensive investigation into technology transfers to China conducted in 1998
by the bipartisan House Select Committee on U.S. National Security and
Military/Commercial Concerns with China (led by Representative Chris Cox and
commonly called the “Cox Committee”). The press first reported in January 1999
that U.S. intelligence discovered in 1995 that secrets about the W88, the most
advanced miniature nuclear warhead (deployed on the Trident II SLBM), may have
leaked from Los Alamos National Laboratory to China between 1984 and 1988. U.S.
intelligence reportedly was handed a secret PRC document from 1988 containing
designs similar to that of the W88. The discovery prompted an FBI investigation
(code-named “Kindred Spirit”) that began in September 1995. 7
Suspicions that China may have acquired W88 data also led analysts to
reexamine a series of nuclear explosions detonated by China prior to its
announcement of a moratorium on nuclear testing (in July 1996) and new willingness
to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) (in September 1996). After
China became the last of the five declared nuclear weapon states to begin a
moratorium, there were suspicions that China took the step, not just because of arms
control, but because it had reached its goals in nuclear weapon modernization or
achieved the capability to simulate nuclear explosions. Some speculated that China
received test data from Russia or France. 8
Separate from the W88 case, however, the investigation resulted in the criminal
investigation and indictment in 1999 of Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee 9 for
mishandling defense information and questions about whether Taiwan was involved.
6 Reuters, December 9, 1997 and March 26, 1998; Washington Post, December 12, 1997;
testimony of FBI Director Louis Freeh before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on
Commerce, Justice, State, and Judiciary, March 17, 1999; Walter Pincus and Vernon Loeb,
“For Chinese Scientists, a Subtle System of Espionage,” Washington Post, May 9, 1999; Jeff
Gerth and James Risen, “Reports Show Scientist Gave U.S. Radar Secrets to Chinese,” New
York Times, May 10, 1999.
7 Gerth, Jeff and Eric Schmitt, “Bipartisan Report Finds Theft of Nuclear Technology That
Hurt National Security,” New York Times, December 31, 1998; Carla Anne Robbins, “China
Got Secret Data On U.S. Warhead,” Wall Street Journal, January 7, 1999; Walter Pincus,
“U.S. Cracking Down On Chinese Designs On Nuclear Data” and “Spy Suspect Fired At
Los Alamos Lab,” Washington Post, February 17 and March 9, 1999; James Risen and Jeff
Gerth, “China Stole Nuclear Secrets From Los Alamos, U.S. Officials Say,” New York
Times, March 6, 1999; testimony of FBI Director Louis Freeh before the House
Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and Judiciary, March 17, 1999.
8 Lim, Benjamin Kang, “China Nuclear Halt May Stem From Deal,” Reuters, July 30, 1996;
Robert Karniol, “Nuclear Blast Heralds A Chinese Moratorium,” Jane’s Defense Weekly,
August 7, 1996.
9 Risen, James, “U.S. Fires Nuclear Scientist Suspected of Spying for China,” New York
Times, March 9, 1999, quoting Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson in naming Lee.