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'{{Weapons of mass destruction}} [[Taiwan]] pursued a number of [[Weapon of mass destruction|weapons of mass destruction]] programs from 1949 to the late 1980s. The final secret nuclear weapons program was shut down in the late 1980s under US pressure after completing all stages of weapons development besides final assembly and testing; they lacked an effective delivery mechanism and would have needed to further miniaturize any weapon before it could be effectively used in combat. There is no evidence of Taiwan currently possessing any [[chemical weapon|chemical]], [[Biological agent|biological]], or [[nuclear weapon]]s.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/20/world/how-a-spy-left-taiwan-in-the-cold.html|title=How a Spy Left Taiwan in the Cold|first=Tim|last=Weiner|date=20 December 1997|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> ==Nuclear weapons== During the [[Cold War]], the United States deployed nuclear weapons on Taiwan as part of the [[United States Taiwan Defense Command]]. In 1972, United States president [[Richard Nixon]] ordered nuclear weapons to be removed from Taiwan and this was implemented by 1974. Nuclear weapons are known to have been stored at [[Tainan Air Force Base]].<ref>{{cite web |title=National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 20 |url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/news/19991020/ |website=nsarchive2.gwu.edu |publisher=George Washington University |access-date=27 September 2020}}</ref> ===Research program=== {{External media |align=right |width=220px |image1 = [https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10215450632937597&set=p.10215450632937597&type=3 Declassified historical ROC Army nuclear strike plan covers Xiamen City & international Port of Economy Zone, population: 1.06 million]}} The development of nuclear weapons by Taiwan has been a contentious issue, as it had been triggered by the [[People's Republic of China]] [[Project 596|first nuclear test]] in 1964.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.china.org.cn/english/congress/228244.htm |title=1964: China's first atomic bomb explodes |publisher=China.org.cn |access-date=2017-02-07}}</ref> The United States, hoping to avoid escalating tensions in the [[Taiwan Strait]], has continually opposed arming Taiwan with nuclear weapons after 1979. Accordingly, Taiwan adheres to the principles of the nuclear [[Non-Proliferation Treaty]] and has stated that it does not intend to produce nuclear weapons, on an official basis. Past nuclear research by Taiwan makes it a "threshold" nuclear state.<ref name="ISIS 2018" /> In 1967, a secret nuclear weapons program began under the auspices of the [[Institute of Nuclear Energy Research]] (INER) at the [[Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology]]. Taiwan was able to acquire nuclear technology from abroad (including a research reactor from Canada and low-grade [[plutonium]] from the United States) allegedly for a civilian energy system, but in actuality to develop fuel for nuclear weapons.<ref>{{cite book |last=Roy |first=Denny |title=Taiwan: A Political History |url=https://archive.org/details/taiwan00denn |url-access=registration |year=2003 |publisher=Cornell University Press |isbn=0-8014-8805-2}}</ref> During the 1970s, Taiwan had an active program to produce [[plutonium]] using [[heavy water]] [[Nuclear reactor|reactors]]. However, after the [[International Atomic Energy Agency]] (IAEA) found evidence of Taiwan's efforts to produce [[weapons-grade plutonium]], Taiwan agreed in September 1976 under U.S. pressure to dismantle its nuclear weapons program.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ide|first1=William|title=How the US stopped Taiwan's bomb|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/1999/10/14/0000006401/1|access-date=26 November 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=14 October 1999}}</ref> {{citation needed|reason=IAEA ‘evidence’ needed|date=April 2020}} A study by the [[Mitre Corporation]] in 1977, included Taiwan in a list of "insecure" nuclear threshold states—states with the technical capability to develop nuclear weapons and the security motivations to seriously contemplate such an option. The other states were [[Israel]], [[South Africa]], [[South Korea]], and [[Yugoslavia]].<ref>Report of the Nuclear Energy Policy Study Group, Nuclear Power Issues, and Choices (Cambridge, MA: Ballinger Publishing Co., 1977), p. 284.</ref> [[United States Intelligence Community|U.S. intelligence]] also believed that Taiwan had designed devices suitable for [[nuclear testing]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The 22 September 1979 Event |work=Interagency Intelligence Memorandum |id=MORI DocID: 1108245 |page=5 (paragraph 4) |publisher=[[National Security Archive]] |date=December 1979 |url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB190/03.pdf |access-date=2006-11-01}}</ref> The secret nuclear weapon program was revealed after the [[1987 Lieyu massacre]],<ref>{{cite book|author=Guan Ren-jian|title=<The Taiwan you don't know: Stories of ROC Arm Forces>|url=https://share.readmoo.com/book/1913|publisher=Puomo Digital Publishing |date= 2011-09-01| isbn=9789576636493}}{{in lang|zh-tw}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Zheng Jing, [[Cheng Nan-jung]], Ye Xiangzhi, Xu Manqing|title=<Shocking inside story of the Kinmen Military Murder Case>|url=https://m.gamer.com.tw/home/creationDetail.php?sn=3018241 | publisher=Freedom Era Weekly, Ver 175-176|date=1987-06-13}}</ref> when Colonel [[Chang Hsien-yi]] Deputy Director of Nuclear Research at INER,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Sui|first=Cindy|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39252502|title=The man who helped prevent a nuclear crisis|date=2017-05-18|work=BBC News|access-date=2020-04-17|language=en-GB}}</ref> who was secretly working for the CIA, defected to the U.S. in December 1987 and produced a cache of incriminating documents.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Chen Yi-shen|title=Chang Hsien-yi: I didn't betray Taiwan; I betrayed Hau Pei-tsun|url=http://www.storm.mg/article/208995|access-date=2017-01-08|agency=Storm Media Group|date=2017-01-08}}</ref> In 1988 upon being questioned by Drector of [[American Institute in Taiwan]], David Dean in person with the United States [[Reconnaissance satellite|satellite]] image recording a minimized nuclear test at Jioupeng military base field in [[Pingtung County|Pingtung]] in 1986, Superior-general [[Hau Pei-tsun]] claimed that scientists in Taiwan had already produced the controlled nuclear reaction as the continuous progress in decades after the previous accomplishment equivalent to 1/6 of [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki| Hiroshima scale]] in [[History of South Africa (1948 to 1994)|South Africa]] in 1980, as per General Hau's Diary and President [[Nelson Mandela]]'s later findings.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506011809/http://udn.com/news/story/9492/1515007 |title=Telegram Decryption... US Blocked 2 Tides of Nuclear Weapon Development in 1970s|accessdate=2021-05-24 |author=Chen Wei-ting |date=2016-02-21 |publisher=United Daily News |language=zh-TW}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSWgacjFblg |title=The Nuclear Secret in Taiwan History |accessdate=2021-05-24 |author=H Wan-ling |date=2016-06-20 |publisher=[[Formosa Television]] |language=zh-TW}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve4OPvxllEQ |title=台核武機密保衛戰..揭新竹計畫若成功台灣國防能力就不一樣？ |accessdate=2021-05-24 |author=呂捷 張齡予 |date=2021-01-17 |publisher=[[SET News]] |language=zh-TW}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV9OTMn-Xhs |title=最後一秒老美帶走「已完成的8顆核彈」 失敗新竹計劃讓老蔣含恨 |accessdate=2021-05-24 |author=馬西屏 劉燦榮 |date=2016-12-23 |publisher=Crucial Time, [[Eastern Broadcasting Company]] |language=zh-hant}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author = Hau Pei-tsun |title=<8-year Diary of the Chief of the General Staff (1981-1989)> |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=2WKCAAAAIAAJ |publisher = Commonwealth Publishing |date= 2000-01-01 |isbn=9576216389}}{{in lang|zh-tw}}</ref> Under pressure from the U.S., the program was halted. A study into the secret program concluded that at the time of Chang's defection, Taiwan was one or two years away from being able to complete a deliverable weapon.<ref name="auto"/> Chang claims that [[Soong Mei-ling|Madame Chiang Kai Shek]] and military officials loyal to her had expedited the development of nuclear weapons and even set up a parallel chain of command to further their agenda.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sui |first1=Cindy |title=The man who helped prevent a nuclear crisis |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39252502 |website=www.bbc.com |publisher=BBC |access-date=27 September 2020}}</ref> In 1987 the warhead design had a diameter of 60-70cm with casing and a weight of 900kg meaning that further miniaturization would have been needed to optimize the weapon for delivery.<ref name="ISIS 2018" /> ===Delivery systems=== [[File:IDF Pre-production.jpg|thumb|[[AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo|F-CK-1A]] IDF pre-production aircraft]] The [[Sky Horse]] ballistic missile system was developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s before a combination of pressure from American President [[Ronald Reagan]] and internal competition from [[anti-ballistic missile]] development programs ended the program in 1982. Faced with an inability to field their desired delivery system planners turned to alternatives.<ref name="ISIS 2018" /> The secondary delivery vehicle was the [[AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo]], then in development. Weapons designers at CSIST (now NCSIST) were instructed to design the nuclear weapon to fit within the dimensions of the F-CK-1’s centerline [[drop tank]] (~50cm diameter). Modifications to the aircraft would have been required for it to obtain the desired 1,000km range (especially without the centerline drop tank available). The F-CK-1 would not have been able to fulfill the [[nuclear strike]] mission until mid-1989 at the very earliest. Early designs called for an unpowered gravity bomb.<ref name="ISIS 2018">{{cite book |last1=ANDREA STRICKER |first1=DAVID ALBRIGHT AND |title=TAIWAN'S FORMER NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM |date=2018 |publisher=institute for science and international security |isbn=978-1727337334 |url=http://isis-online.org/uploads/isis-reports/documents/TaiwansFormerNuclearWeaponsProgram_POD_color_withCover.pdf |access-date=5 August 2019}}</ref> ===Current status=== [[File:President Lee teng hui.png|thumb|Former ROC President [[Lee Teng-hui]]]] Since the end of the nuclear weapons program the “Nuclear Card” has played an important part in Taiwan's relationship with both the United States and China.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Segal |first1=Gerald |title=Taiwan's Nuclear Card |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB902265323131779500 |website=www.wsj.com |publisher=Wall Street Journal |access-date=27 September 2020}}</ref> During the [[Third Taiwan Strait Crisis|1995–1996 Taiwan Strait crisis]], then President of Taiwan, [[Lee Teng-hui]], proposed to reactivate the program, but toned down the rhetoric a few days later, saying that although Taiwan was nuclear latent, it "will definitely not" produce nuclear weapons.<ref name="Latent">{{cite web|last1=Albright|first1=David|last2=Gay|first2=Corey|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-54574534.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110227231955/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-54574534.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 February 2011|title=Taiwan: Nuclear nightmare averted|date=1 January 1998|work=[[Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]]|access-date=18 May 2015|url-access=subscription |via=[[HighBeam Research]]}}</ref> There is no evidence that Taiwan possesses any nuclear weapons or any programs to produce them, although it does have the advanced technological ability necessary to develop nuclear weapons as well as the high-tech ability to enrich uranium or process plutonium.<ref name="Latent" /> Taiwan's nuclear power plants use imported [[enriched uranium]] and are subject to IAEA inspections.<ref name="ISIS 2018" /> Taiwan theoretically has the potential to develop nuclear weapons from domestic [[monazite]] reserves, and this potential was explored by the military in 1951-1952. However, the monazite's [[thorium]] content was deemed too low to justify recovering, and the military turned to friendly foreign sources instead.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Liao |first1=George |title=Business Weekly: A reserve of rare earth minerals keeps Taiwan's hope of developing nuclear weapons alive |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3718227 |website=www.taiwannews.com.tw |publisher=Taiwan News |access-date=9 October 2020}}</ref> ==Chemical and biological weapons== During the Japanese colonial period a chemical weapons factory was in operation in North Taiwan, the Nationalists took possession of this facility following the conclusion of World War II and are believed to have expanded the facility.<ref name="Taipei Times 2001" >{{cite web |last1=Minnick |first1=Wendell |title=Taiwan still haunted by stories of secret arms |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2001/08/11/0000098097 |website=www.taipeitimes.com |publisher=Taipei Times |access-date=14 April 2021}}</ref> The U.S. Congress was informed in 1989 that Taiwan could have acquired offensive chemical weapons capability, including stockpiles of [[sarin]]. The alleged facilities include [[Tsishan]] and [[Guanxi, Hsinchu|Kuanhsi]]. Taiwanese authorities acknowledged only the existence of a defensive research program.<ref>[http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/Japan_overview/index_2738.html NTI: country profile Taiwan] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112165901/http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/Japan_overview/index_2738.html |date=November 12, 2007 }}</ref> In 1997 the Russian [[Foreign Intelligence Service (Russia)|Foreign Intelligence Service]] assessed that Taiwan did not possess biological weapons but had "shown signs of conducting biological research of an applied military nature.”<ref name="Taipei Times 2001" /> There have been rumors of ongoing offensive and defensive Taiwanese biological and chemical weapons programs but no conclusive evidence of development or deployment has ever been presented.<ref>{{cite web |title=TAIWAN |url=https://www.nti.org/learn/countries/taiwan/ |website=www.nti.org |publisher=Nuclear Threat Initiative |access-date=27 September 2020}}</ref> ==Ratification of international treaties== The [[Republic of China]] ratified the [[Geneva Protocol]] on August 7, 1929, and the [[Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty]] (NPT) in 1970, and Taiwan considers itself bound by both. Following [[China and the United Nations|UN General Assembly Resolution 2758]] (1971) the [[United Nations]] recognizes the People's Republic of China and does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state with the legal ability to join international treaties. Because of its controversial [[political status of Taiwan|political status]], Taiwan has not been allowed to join either the [[Biological Weapons Convention]] or the [[Chemical Weapons Convention]], but it has stated that it will abide by both treaties nevertheless. In addition, Taiwan has stated that it will continue to abide by the NPT, notwithstanding Resolution 2758.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://disarmament.un.org/treaties/a/npt/china/acc/washington |title=Show Action |publisher=Disarmament.un.org |access-date=2017-02-07}}</ref> Taiwan was one of the original members of the NPT in 1968. After the People’s Republic of China replaced Taiwan at the United Nations in 1971, in effect Taiwan ceased to be active as a participating party to the official NPT activities. However, it signed a trilateral agreement with the United States and the IAEA in 1971 stating that it would continue to abide by the terms of the NPT as a ratification party. While not a member of the IAEA, Taiwan does continue to subscribe to the [[IAEA safeguards]] under two agreements, INFCIRC/133 and INFCIRC/158.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nti.org/media/pdfs/taiwan_3.pdf?_=1381971852 |title=Spreadsheet |website=www.nti.org}}</ref> ==See also== * [[Japan and weapons of mass destruction]] * [[China and weapons of mass destruction]] * [[History of the Republic of China]] * [[Military of the Republic of China]] * [[List of states with nuclear weapons]] * [[Timeline of the Republic of China's nuclear program]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * [http://thebulletin.metapress.com/content/d661v3675t623824/?p=fd7c304a0d2d48d5aa1a3d183bb72716&pi=1 Deployments by country, 1951-1977 ] [http://thebulletin.org The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists], Nov/Dec 1999 {{Military of the Republic of China}} {{Portal bar|Nuclear technology}} [[Category:Weapons of mass destruction by country]] [[Category:Military of the Republic of China|weapons of mass destruction]] [[Category:Nuclear weapons program of the Republic of China]] [[Category:Military history of Taiwan]]'