CIA: China-US Military Technology Talks, 1984 The Central Intelligence Agency

China-US Military Technology Talks, 1984 The Central Intelligence Agency released a declassified intelligence appraisal, EA M 84-10123, on February 10, 1984. This document provides insight into China's intentions and priorities during the China-US arms talks, which began on February 13, 1984, in Washington. The document was released to the public through The Black Vault, a website that provides access to declassified government records. The document's canonical PDF is available on the Internet Archive. Central Intelligence Agency, Directorate of Intelligence, 10 February 1984 China-US Military Technology Talks Summary The Chinese attach high importance to the China-US arms talks, which begin 13 February in Washington. They hope the negotiations will lead to the transfer of vitally needed technology for China's defense modernization. The Chinese delegation will come prepared to discuss China's specific military needs, and they will attempt to conduct the talks in the context of China's desires to remain largely self-sufficient in defense production. We believe the delegation will focus on buying weapons manufacturing technology rather than complete weapon systems. They will seek state-of-the-art US military technology. They will show a strong preference to limit their negotiations to specific technology on an item-by-item basis rather than broader forms of defense technology cooperation. Technology Focus We believe Beijing remains adamantly opposed to purchasing military systems that exclude the transfer of the manufacturing technology. This memorandum was prepared by the China Division of the Office of East Asian Analysis, Directorate of Intelligence. Questions or comments are welcome and may be directed to the Chief, Defense Issues Branch. Composition of Delegation The composition of the Chinese negotiating team indicates that Beijing regards these talks as extremely important and is earnest in its desire for US assistance in defense modernization. Zhang Pin, leader of the Chinese delegation, is the Defense Minister's son and has a leading role in the NDSTIC. He Ping, son-in-law of Military Commission Chairman Deng Xiaoping, is also part of the delegation. He Pengfei, son of deceased PLA Marshal He Long, is a pivotal official in PLA's General Staff Equipment Department. Ju dian, an official of NDSTIC, participated in the military technology talks with members of Secretary Weinberger's delegation in Beijing last September. Although all are fairly young and junior in military rank, their political connections and positions ensure that they have the ear of China's most senior leadership. While it is unlikely that they have been empowered to make procurement decisions while in the United States, they can be expected to play key roles in China's acquisition of US military technology. The US National Security Council has identified key personnel involved in the talks, including David Laux, Senior Assistant for China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and Hugh Montgomery, Director, INR. This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. The document is available on the Internet Archive at https://archive.org/download/us-china-intel-CI02238/CI02238_djvu.txt.