l9 SEPTBE 00 13 UUAIZB Department of State SECRET NOODSS PAGE OI TAIPEI 36351 31 OF 62 1900332 ACTION NOOS-BO COPY OF 15 COPIES INFO OCT-31 ISO-BO l 1 A 196 6372 62 1889392 SEP 78 FM AMEMBASSY TAIPEI TO SECSTATE NASHOC 9894 SECTION 91 OF 02 TAIPEI 36351 NODIS E O 11652 XGOS-S TAGS MNUC SUBJECT PROPOSED ASSIGNMENT OF U S NUCLEAR SCIENTISTS -- REFS A TAIPEI 6965 B STATE 231333 1 AS THE DEPARTMENT IS ANARE SDMETIME AGO PRESIDENT CHIANS MADE A FORMAL OFFER TO ACCEPT A NUMBER OF U S NUCLEAR SCIENTISTS ON ASSIGNMENT TD TO PARTICIPATE DIRECTLY IN NUCLEAR RSD PROGRAMS CONDUCTED bY THE GRDC THIS OFFER HAS BEEN REITERATEO TD US ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS HY THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF MOST RECENTLY ON SEPTEMBER 8 AND ON HIS BEHALF BY THE PREMIER FOREIGN MINISTER TND VICE FOREIGN MINISTERS AND OTHERS THE POINT OF THIS REPEATEU OFFER IS TD ALLAY U S CONCERNS ABOUT THE NATURE AND THRUST OF GROC NUCLEAR PROGRAMS ESPECIALLY U S CONCERN THAT THE GROC MIGHT VIDLATE EXIST- ING BILATERAL AND MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS GOVERNING PEACE- FUL NUCLEAR COOPERATION NE HAVE REPORTED THESE REITERA- TIONS OF THE OFFER AND HAVE DISCUSSED THEM NITH VISITING NUCLEAR TEAMS AND OTHER INTERESTED NASHINGTON OFFICIALS- 2 REF 3 INDICATES 15 RE-THINKING THE uss SECRET DECLASSIFIED Ihurll M g 1 116 $63 narconucen mmou ma aumonlzmon as THE ixscunve secamnv Department of State E igeM lx SECRET PAGE 62 TAIPEI 6635 HI OF 62 1960331 POSITION ON THIS OFFER THIS MESSAGE IS INTENDED TO CON- TRIBUTE A FEH CONSIDERATIONS SEEN FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE 3 GIVEN THE VULNERABILITY THE TEHPTATIONS TO EXAHINE THE POSSIBILITY OF ACOUIRING A NUCLEAR WEAPONS CAPACITY HAVE TO BE ASSUHEO THERE ARE OF COURSE MANY FACTORS HHICH NOULO ARGUE AGAINST SUCH AN EFFORT IN COLLECTIVE GROC THINKING E G RELATIVE IN- EFFECTIVENESS VIS-A-VIS THE PRC HEIGHTENED DANGER OF A PRC PRE-EHPTIVE STRIKE IF THE RDC SEEHEO TO HAVE SUCH A CAPACITY OR THREATENEO TO USE ACHIEVED HEAPONRY JEOPARDIZ- ING POLITICAL SUPPORT FROH FRIENDLY COUNTRIES AND AN IMMEDIATE ECONOMICALLY OISASTROUS CUT-OFF OF PEACEFUL NUCLEAR SUPPLIES FROM THE U S HE DO NOT KNOH OEFINITIVELY THAT ANY FUNDAMENTAL OECISIONHAS IN FACT BEEN TAKEN CCK HAS ASSUREO US EHPHATICALLY AND CATE- GORICALLY IN THE NEGATIVE AOHITTEOLY HE COULD BE EX- PECTED TO DO THIS IF HE SAN HIS ESSENTIAL IN- TERESTS AS REQUIRING THE ACHIEVEMENT OF NUCLEAR HEAPONS CAPACITY CLEARLY IF THE ROC HERE TO MOVE IN THIS OI- RECTION THEY NOULD HAVE TD CDNCEAL THEIR EFFORT FROM US AT ALL COSTS IN ANY EVENT CCK IS NON EVEN MORE PAINFULLY AHARE OF OUR CONCERNS AND OF THE NECESSITY OF CONVINCING US OF THE CREDIBILITY OF HIS ASSURANCES EVIDENC AP- 6 FOLLUH-UP gs 4 IN THIS CONTEXT WE BELIEVE THAT IF PROPERLY STRUCTUREO THE PLACING OF PERCEPTIVE KNOHLEOGEABLE AND RELIABLE U S SCIENTISTS HERE COULD SIGNIFICANTLY FURTHER OUR NONPROLIFERATION OBJECTIVES OF COURSE THE PRESENCE OF SUCH SCIENTISTS COULD NOTEABSDLUTELY PRECLUDE A CLAN- SECR DECLASSIFIED ODUCED WITHOUT THE AUTHORIZATION OF TH Authoriwg g m EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Department of State INCOMING TELEGRAM SECRET TAIPEI 96351 OF DE 1989332 OESTINE ROC EFFORT TO ACHIEVE A NUCLEAR HEAPONRY CAPABILITY THEIR PRESENCE MAKE SUCH AN MORE BY FURCING STILL GREATER LIHITING THE NUMBER OF ROC SCIENTISTS THAT COULD BE INVOLVED AS HELL AS THE PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF THE FACILITIES APPARATUS AND MATERIALS THAT COULD BE EHPLOYEO THE 0 5 SCIENTISTS COULD REOUIRE HIOESPREAO FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT IN SCIENTIFIC LABORATORIES AND RESEARCH AREAS AND CLOSE CON- TACT WITH ROC PHYSICAL SCIENTISTS HIOING CLUES FROM THEH HOULO BE OIFFICULT FOR THIS REASON THE PRESENCE OF THESE U S SCIENTISTS NOULO PROVIDE US HITH GREATER FREEOOH TO PURSUE LEADS DEVELOPED DY CLANOESTINE SOURCES HITH SUESTANTIALLY LESS DANGER OF COMPROHISE 5 RE DO NOT SEE HHAT OFFSETTING DISADVANTAGES THERE HOULO BE THE USG RDULO NDT GIVE UP ANY OF OUR EXISTING PRACTICEs DR PROCEDURES HE HOULO RATHER ADO ANOTHER STRING TO OUR BDH IT IS TRUE THAT THE ROD HDULO BE ABLE - IN RESPONSE TO U S INQUIRIES OR INSPECTION TEAMS TD POINT OUT THAT RE ALREADY HAVE HEN ON THE GROUND BUT THIS WOULD BE 51v- THEM ONLY A MINOR TALKING POINT RHIDH up ITSELF COULD NOT OEFLECT US FROM PURSUING OTHER INVESTIGATIONS HE MIGHT HISH 6 THE u S SCIENTISTS GIVEN THEIR OAY-TO-DAY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS HITH THIS COUNTRYIS Kt SCIENTISTS AND PROGRAM MANAGERS COULD REPRESENT A POSITIVE FORCE IN INFLUENCING ROC RGO PROGRAMS LINES COMPATI- BLE HITH OUR POLICY GOALS VIZ-I TO ORIENT THOSE ago AC- TIVITIES TOHAHD MORE DIRECT AND PRACTICAL SUPPORT OF THE PEACEFUL USES NUCLEAR PROGRAH PRINCIPALLY 1N ELECTRIC POKER GENERATION 7 RE ENVISION SUCH SCIENTISTS BEING ASSIGNED TO TAIHAN SECRET -_Lo DECLASSIFIE MIREPRODUCED WITHOUT THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY I 00 1 0 004l27 I Department of State SECRET PAGE BI TAIPEI 66351 D2 OF 32 1963242 ACTION NDOS-OO INFO OCT-BI 150-00 IUOI lgapzaz 62 1309392 SEP 73 FM AHEHBASSY TAIPEI TU SECSTATE HASHDC 9995 SECTION 32 OF 02 TAIPEI 06351 NOOIS OSTENSIBLY IN A PRIVATE PERHAPS AS RESIDENT CON- TO AVOID POSSIBLE PROBLEMS DURING EVENTUAL NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS NITH PEKING FUNDING HDHEVER NOULO BE BY THE USE OR AN AMERICAN INSTRUHENTALITY THE POINT HERE IS THAT ME AND THE ROC NOULO KNON THE SCIENTISTSI PRESENCE MEANT IN TERMS OF OUR BILATERAL RE- BUT THAT PRESENCE NEED NOTCOHPLICATE OE- VELOPHENTS IN U 5 -PRC RELATIONSHIPS THE SCIENTISTS NOULD I MAINTAIN LON-PROFILE CONTACT HITH THE EMBASSY FOR EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION OF PROBLEM BUT HOULO NOT ADVERTISE THE FACT OF THEIR OFFICIAL 05- GOVERNMENT CONNECTION IN TERHS OF THE IMAGE THEY HDULD THE U S SCIENTISTS HOULO BE PRESENTED AS AND NOULO COMFORT THEMSELVES AS DO HUNDREDS OF OTHER FOREIGN AOVISORS TO THIS GDVERNHENT RESIDENT ON TAIWAN B REGARDING THE KIND OF PERSON TO BE CHOSEN FOR SUCH AN ASSIGNHENTI HE NOULO RECOMMEND A5 A MATTER OF PRIMARY CONSIDERATION THAT POSSESS HIGH PERSONAL DF MATURITT GOOD RELIABILITY TOUGH- Ness PERSISTENCE AND PATIENCE TO DEAL HITH AN EXACTING gun TRYING TASK SECOND THE PERSON SHOULD BE A u s CITIZEN DF LOYALTY PREFERABLT HITH A RORKING EDGE OF MANOARIN AND EXPEREENCE IN DEALING CHINESE 5E RE Auihuril ANDREA WITHOUT THE AUTHORIZATION or THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY INCOMING TELEGRAM SECRET PAGE 02 TAIPEI D6351 02 OF DE 1996242 BEYOND THESE CONSIDERATIONS THE INDIVIDUAL HDULO NEED THE PROPER ACADCHIC CHEDENTIALS DOCTORATE LEVEL PRIATE AURA EAPENIENCE TO BE ACCEPTED EV THEIR CHINESE HOSTS ALSO TD HEET THE ENACTINC PROFESSIONAL NEDUIRENENTS OF TH ASSIGNHENT DN DALANCE AND THIS Is SUBJECT TD FURTHER DIS- HE BELIEVE THAT AT LEAST ONE OF THE SCIENTISTS SHOULD HAVE A BACKGROUND IN NUCLEAR HEAPONS RID HHILE A SECOND SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE IN NUCLEAR PHVSICS AND HEAVV HATER RED AND PRODUCTION IT HOULD ht HELPFUL IF ONE OF THE SCIENTISTS HAD SOHE BACKBROUND IN REPROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES 9 FINALLY NE BELIEVE THAT A PROGRAM SUCH AS THIS COULD HHOSE ASSIGNMENT TO TAIHAN NOULO NOT NECESSARILT HAVE TO BE SIMULTANEOUS INDEED IT TIST ON TAIHAN FOR A TRIAL PERIOD OF SIX HUNTHS BEFORE ON THE AOVISABILITT OF ASSIGNING A SECOND DEPENOING ON THE SPECIAL CIRCUHSTANCES OF THE SCIENTISTS CHOSEN FOR THESE ASSIGNMENTS RE HOULD RECOMMEND THAT THE ASSIGNMENTS BE PROGRAHHED FOR THO-YEAR PERIODS IS TO ALERT THE DEPARTMENT TO THE TREND ASHINOTON ON EXPLORE THIS 10 THIS HESSAGE OF OUR THINKING AHBASSAODR UNDER HILL BE IN CONSULTATION SEPTEHUER 18-3D AND NOULU LIKE TO SUBJECT FURTHER SECRET DECLASSI FIED REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE A 1 UTHOIIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu