'U.S. Feared India Would Follow China In Conducting Nuke Tests'
As prospects for a nuclear test began to appear imminent in the early 1960s, a lively debate commenced within the U.S. government over how soon it would happen and what its implications would be.
Amid questions over whether Beijing would be "truculent" or "cautious" were proposals for taking preventive military action, possibly with Moscow's cooperation, or for finding ways such as reassuring Asian allies and changing the U.S. military posture to adjust to the reality of a nuclear China.
The US feared that some of China's key neighbours like India would follow suit and as such directed its officials to address New Delhi's security concerns including a defence guarantee proposal as part of its effort to prevent India from conducting any nuclear test.
According to the declassified documents, the Chinese leadership sought nuclear weapons because of their experience in confrontations with the United States during the 1950s.
In this respect, the 1955 Taiwan Straits crisis had central importance in Mao's decisions.
In another secret report dated June 1, 1964, the U.S. discussed the possibility of a covert operation against the Chinese nuclear weapons programme.
The report said that the elimination of China's nuclear capability would greatly reduce the immediate incentive for Indian nuclear weapons development and possible subsequent movement by Japan to acquire such a capability.
The United States, however, could not be sure that its action would fully eliminate China's capability and in any case it could reconstruct its facilities.
The report also discusses alternatives such as broad U.S.-Soviet defence guarantees, guarantees applicable only to India and an Asian nuclear-free zone.
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