[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 16 (Monday, April 26, 1999)]
[Page 690]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the Damage Assessment of China's Acquisition of Nuclear 
Weapons Information and the 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.