Cox Report - WikiHQ

right|thumb|120px|U.S. Representative Chris Cox (Republican-California) chaired the Committee that produced the report.

The Report of the Select Committee on U.S. National Security and Military/Commercial Concerns with the People's Republic of China, commonly known as the Cox Report after Representative Christopher Cox, is a classified U.S. government document reporting on the People's Republic of China's espionage operations within the United States during the 1980s and 1990s. The redacted version of the report was released to the public on May 25, 1999. The release of the redacted report was preceded by an intelligence community report which was more conservative in its allegations.

The Chinese government responded that the allegations were "groundless" and that it had already developed the necessary technologies prior to the alleged thefts. As part of its rebuttal, the Chinese government revealed that it had developed a neutron bomb in the 1980s.

Various academic critiques of the Cox Report exist. A group of Stanford University scientists analyzed the report, concluding that it was inflammatory, groundless in some instances, and had some important relevant facts wrong. Other academic analyses have noted that the chronology of China's development of comparable warheads contributes to refuting the Cox Report allegations or that alleged stolen secrets were in fact fairly basic information.

Committee created by the U.S. House of Representatives

The report was the work product of the Select Committee on U.S. National Security and Military/Commercial Concerns with the People's Republic of China. This special committee, created by a 409–10 vote of the U.S. House of Representatives on June 18, 1998, was tasked with the responsibility of investigating whether technology or information was transferred to the People's Republic of China that may have contributed to the enhancement of the nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles or to the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction.

The committee released a classified version of its report in January 1999.

The Chairman of the committee was Republican Rep. Christopher Cox of California, whose name became synonymous with the committee's final report. Four other Republicans and Democrats served on the panel, including Representative Norm Dicks, who served as the ranking Democratic member. The committee's final report was approved unanimously by all 9 members. The redacted version of the report was released to the public May 25, 1999. Some U.S. intelligence agents believed that Lee, an employee of Los Alamos National Laboratory, had leaked information to China, but years of investigation failed to connect Lee to any espionage.

China

The Chinese government called all allegations "groundless." It stated:

Director of the China Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP) Hu Side stated, "With regard to the level of our nuclear weapon development, we do not need anything from the U.S. What the U.S. did for us and the whole world was to prove that atomic and thermonuclear weapons worked. That is what you gave us and everyone else. That was the main secret you gave away. Everything else we did on our own."

A group of Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists re-examined the documents brought by a Chinese walk-in to the American Institute in Taiwan. and Hughes paid a $32 million fine in 2003.

Timeline

June 1995, "Walk-in" agent gives CIA officers classified Chinese document detailing American nuclear designs.
July 1995, CIA director, Energy Secretary, and chief of staff learn of nuclear espionage for first time.
October 31, 1995, FBI agents learn of nuclear thefts.
November 1995, National Security Advisor to the President learns of Chinese nuclear espionage.
Late 1995, Energy Dept. agents discover theft of nuclear designs while analyzing nuclear tests by China.
April 1996, Assist. National Security Advisor, Defense Sec., Attorney General, FBI director learn of nuclear thefts.
July 1997, President learns of Chinese nuclear espionage from National Security Advisor.
December 1999, four Stanford University professors release a report rebutting the Cox Commission, noting that "...facts are wrong and a number of conclusions are, in our view, unwarranted."

References