    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [April 21, 1999]
    [Page 591]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Damage Assessment Concerning China's Acquisition of
    Nuclear Weapons Information and Development of Future Weapons
    April 21, 1999

        I welcome the Intelligence Community's damage assessment on the
    ``Implications of China's Acquisition of U.S. Nuclear Weapons
    Information and the Development of Future Chinese Weapons'' and the
    review of the damage assessment by a panel of independent experts led by
    Admiral Jeremiah, as requested by the
    House Select Committee, chaired by Congressmen Cox and Dicks. I
    appreciate the careful analysis by the intelligence community and the
    independent panel, as well as their efforts to make as much information
    as possible available to the public on this crucial issue.
        The findings of the damage assessment underscore the need to
    implement fully the Presidential Decision Directive I issued in February
    1998 to strengthen security and protections at the U.S. nuclear weapons
    laboratories. I commend Secretary Richardson
    for his efforts in this regard and look forward to the review of lab
    security I requested by the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory
    Board, chaired by Senator Warren Rudman.
        Measures to protect sensitive nuclear weapons information must be
    constantly scrutinized, whether this information is at the national
    laboratories or at other U.S. Government institutions. Therefore, I am
    asking the National Counterintelligence Policy Board to assess potential
    vulnerabilities at other institutions associated with nuclear weapons
    besides the national laboratories and to propose any concrete steps that
    may be appropriate to strengthen protections against efforts by China
    and other countries to acquire sensitive nuclear weapons information.
        I have also asked DCI George Tenet to
    review the recommendations made by Admiral Jeremiah on intelligence collection and resources and to act
    promptly on these recommendations.