CHINA'S A-ARMS CAUSE ALARM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000100120071-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 18, 1999
• Sequence Number: 71
• Publication Date: February 2, 1966
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Relea~/j ~P7
N 0, -Z\ T TZ, IV
,SUN Cause Alarm
FEB 2 1966
Approved For
By ROBERT S. ALLEN
and PAUL SCOTT
President Johnson's foreign pol-
cy advisers are urging him to
Hake a sweeping reappraisal of
policies to deal with what they
cscribe as "the increase of Red
China's power in Asia and the
potential spread of nuclear weap-
ons."
Headed 'by Secretaries Rusk
and 'McNamara and UN Ambas-
sador Goldberg, the policy for-
mulators are calling for a
critical assessment of military
alliances in both West and East,
including revising NATO as one
of the first steps toward greater
Soviet-Western cooperation.
In some of the boldes and
most controversial proposals ' to
be made in the White House in
recent years, this group, which
includes Ambassador - at-Large
Llewellyn Thompson, Undersec-
retary George Ball and Dr.
Walt Rostow, chairman of the
Stale A parlmpnt'A PIiFy Plan,
ttltig Cowid!, wants flit tr'@sI?
dent through either negotiations.
or military action to curb Pei-
ping's capabilities to produce
nuclear weapons and wage
"wars of liberation."
They warn that while Red
China's immediate intentions in
Southeast Asia might be a mat-
ter for debate, it is certain Pei-
ping, within five years, will have
the potentiality to upset the
strategic balance of the world
through "nuclear blackmail."
forming a secret alliance with' They are asking Presi nt
Russia to use a "carrot and Johnson to "trust" Russia to
The crucial question the Pres- cessions to Hanoi and Moscow
Veteran CIA authorities,,, .who Rostow faction is suggesting he
obtained. the, same information, need for a "controlled confroa-
are cautioning that it emanated ' ti on" with Communist Ch na
froiii-"" knotvlr-'Ccitnmuntsts"` - whether it be at the conference
Lion came from "sources on the conference table.
the China"'' mainland""'-'through' The Rusk - McNamara
the`TiiWtefhig;"-Lhbi r ETiisI riforma- if necessary-to bring Hanoi
Moreover, if the growth of
Communist China as a nuclear
military power increases the un-
controlled spread of such weap-
ons throughout the world, the
danger of nuclear war would
immensely intensify.
In one backstage briefing of
a small handpicked group, Sec-
retary Rusk warned that Red
China is preparing its third nu-
clear blast in "a matter of
weeks," and is scheduled to pro-
duce its first H-bomb by the end
of 1966.
Aides of Rusk indicated at
sick l1, I 40001i'v6u~A~ law
According to their position pa- aggressor in Viet Nam.
and undernourished dragon." telling the world the U.S. is
might be to accept what the
the Peiping government into
ternational negotiations."
weapons, rather than Russia,
the principal problem facing
This group, which includ
'CIA Director Raborn, FBI
rector 1TdiS~er,
Committee, and Thomas Dod
D-Conn., is cautioning against
secret alliance with the Kremlln
policy to "destroy the U.S."
These officials warn that
votvement in a war on the Chi
mainland could be a Soviet tr
ation in Africa and Latin Am
ica."
these advisers have pointed
that despite their public den
can forces in South Viet N
between Peiping and Mosco
they stress, the U.S. could sta
on the sideline and encour
the two Communist powers
side with one or the other.
As the Viet Aam conflict
tinues, this sharp dispute
ful presidential advisers is v
likely to intensify.
The ~l aborn-JQi
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