9 January 2001
Manager of China's Nuclear Engineering and Construction Group Corporation (CNEC) Mu Zhanying announces at a Beijing conference that China has achieved full domestic capability in the construction and management of nuclear power plants. Self-reliance in the nuclear industry has been CNEC's goal since its inception in 1999. In addition to developing China's nuclear power industry, CNEC is also involved in China's nuclear weapons program. It currently employs 65,000 people.
--"Chinese Official Says Country Now has Ability to Build Own Nuclear Power Plants," Xinhua General Overseas News Agency via BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 11 January 2001, in Lexis Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

5-8 February 2001
India Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, T.C.A. Rangachari, and China Assistant Minister in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Wan Yi, met in New Delhi to discuss nuclear issues such as China's nuclear cooperation with Pakistan and India's increasing nuclear capability.
--C. Raja Mohan, "India, China to Discuss Nuclear Differences," Hindu, 6 February 2001, in Lexis Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

14 March 2001
Chinese diplomat Sha Zukang announces that China makes routine "updates" to its nuclear arsenal to ensure safety and prevent accidental detonation. Sha maintains that the updates do not constitute "modernization" of the nuclear force, as they do not qualitatively improve the weapons, and do not constitute a violation to the CTBT, which China signed in 1996.
--"China's Updating of Nuclear Weapons Natural: Disarmament Ambassador," Xinhua General Overseas News Agency, 14 March 2001, in Lexis Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

9 April 2001
According to U.S. intelligence signals picked up by U.S. EP-3E Aries II plane, China prepares to conduct underground nuclear tests at its Lop Nur testing facility in western Xinjiang province even though it is a signatory of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1996, which bans all underground nuclear blasts. China had a few years ago purchased a piece of equipment used to mask seismic signatures of nuclear explosions from Russia. A U.S. EP-3 plane after colliding with a Chinese plane was captured on the 1st. The incident set-off a stand-off between the Chinese and the Americans over its use of military spy planes and U.S. concerns over Chinese military modernization efforts.
--Bill Gertz , "Spy Photos Show Beijing Set for Underground Nuclear Test," The Washington Times, 9 April 09, in Lexis Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com<; John Gittings and Ed Vulliamy "Focus: Bush's China Crisis: Spies' Crash Course: The Mid-Air Collision Over the South China Sea Played into the Hands of Beijing's Hawks," The Observer, 8 April 2006.

24 April 2001
China and Pakistan prepare to negotiate on the building of the second of the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant. The production capacity of the second unit will be 600 megawatts.
--Rawalpindi Jang, "Spy Photos Show Beijing Set for Underground Nuclear Test," Urdu via BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 9 April 09, in Lexis Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

15 May 2001
Foreign Ministry spokesman SunYuxi says that the reports of China preparing to conduct nuclear tests are groundless. "China will strictly observe the treaty [Treaty on the Complete Prohibition of Nuclear Tests] on the complete prohibition of nuclear tests," says Sun.
--"China Says Report on Underground Nuclear Test Are 'Groundless'," Zhongguo Xinwen She news agency via BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 15 May 2001, in Lexis Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

25 May 2001
Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Dr Javed Butt, confirmed that China had provided Pakistan with a mini hydroelectric power plant to produce electricity from the water of the Indus River used by Chashma Nuclear Power Plant. The nuclear power plant can now produce an additional 1.5MW of power.
--Rawalpindi Jang, "China Provides Pakistan with Mini Hydroelectric Power Plant,"

June 2001
The PLA's Liberation Army Daily pointed out that since India conducted a series of nuclear tests in 1998, it has "stepped up the process to become nuclear armed" and established a minimum nuclear deterrence that includes developing a nuclear weapons strike force.
--" Long March to Modernisation," Jane's Defense Weekly, 11 July 2001.

7 June 2001
During a visit to Islamabad, Chinese premiere Zhu Rongji and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf discuss civilian and military cooperation between the two countries. Intelligence sources claim that the two leaders also touched on the topics of nuclear weapons and missile technology cooperation.
--"The China-Pakistan Alliance," Jane's Intelligence Digest, 08 June 2001.

20 July 2001
Russian Nuclear Energy Minister Aleksandr Rumyantsev and the chief of China's State Committee for Science, Technology and Defence Industry, Liu Jibin signed a cooperation agreement on designing a nuclear energy plant for spacecraft and manufacturing "MOX" fuel, a mixture of plutonium and uranium.
--"Russia, China to Cooperate in Nuclear Projects," ITAR-TASS news agency via BBC Monitoring, 20 July 2001, in Lexis Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

27 July 2001
In an annual meeting between ASEAN and dialogue partners, Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister expressed support for the establishment of a nuclear free zone in Southeast Asia.
--"Russia, China Stands for Nuclear-free Zone in Southeast Asia," Xinhua General News Service, 27 July 2001, in Lexis Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

June-July 2001
U.S. intelligence imagery may have detected three nuclear weapons-related tests at the remote Lop Nur test facility in western Xinjiang province. The tests are part of China's strategic nuclear weapons buildup that includes two new road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles, the DF-31 and the DF-41, and a new class of ballistic missile submarines outfitted with JL-2 missiles - a naval version of the DF-31. A Chinese diplomat denies that China is conducting any tests as China is a signatory of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
--Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough, "Inside the Ring," Washington Times, 7 December 2001, in Lexis Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com; Jane Perlez, "Nuclear Tests Not Planned, China Diplomat Says," The New York Times, 6 September 2001, <http://newyorktimes.com>.

5 September 2001
Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith, reiterated the administrations stance that "It is not correct that the U.S. government has any idea of withholding objections to China's nuclear modernization program in return for China's withholding objections to the U.S. missile defense program." White House Press Secretary, Ari Fleischer states, "The United States will not seek to overcome China's opposition to missile defense by telling the Chinese that we do not object to an expansion of their nuclear ballistic missile force. Nor will we acquiesce in any resumption of nuclear testing by China. We are respecting the nuclear testing moratorium and all other nations should as well." As for China's buildup of nuclear forces, Fleischer said, "We will tell the Chinese that it is unnecessary and that it is not good for regional stability or for peace." The Bush administration may also discuss with China the resumption of nuclear tests which if tests resume would break the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty between Russia and the United States. These discussions with China could signal a move away from Sino-U.S. relations to a U.S.- China relation.
--Robert Burns, "Defense Secretary Says Administration Has No Intention of Acquiescing to China's Nuclear Buildup," Washington Dateline, 5 September 2001, in Lexis Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

10 September 2001
People's Daily reports that India now possesses 30 to 60 nuclear weapons and raw barium material for the production of over 70 nuclear bombs. By 2005, India will be able to further produce more than 100 nuclear bombs while at present it has a total of 200 nuclear missiles. India's new long range 'Agni-II' missiles could reach the whole territory of Pakistan and most regions of China including Shanghai and Guangzhou.
--Mehmud Ahmed, "India's Nuclear Arsenal a Threat to China and Pakistan, says People's Daily," Business Recorder, September 10, 2001, in Lexis Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

4 November 2001
U.S. fears of Pakistan moving nuclear arsenal to China for safekeeping from foreign attack has led U.S. General Colin Powell to offer Pakistan high-tech assistance to improve the security of missile vaults and update both command and control communications, and the multiple-code custody arrangements that theoretically prevent rogue missile launches.
--Tony Allen-Mills Washington, "Pakistan Panics Over Threat to Arsenal," Sunday Times, 4 November 2001, in Lexis Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

November 2001
U.S. intelligence imagery may have captured images of Chinese nuclear tests that at the remote Lop Nur test facility in western Xinjiang province. The tests produced no detectable nuclear yield or blast similar to the tests conducted in June and July. A Chinese diplomat denies that China is conducting any tests as China is a signatory of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
--Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough, "Inside the Ring," Washington Times, 7 December 2001, in Lexis Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com; Jane Perlez, "Nuclear Tests Not Planned, China Diplomat Says," The New York Times, 6 September 2001,<http://newyorktimes.com>.

	Updated January 2008