8-15 March 1996
China tests four M-9 ballistic missiles whose northwest Taiwan Strait target zones were within a few dozen miles of Kaohiung, Taiwan's largest port and northern Keelung harbor. The tests come less than two weeks before Taiwan's first direct presidential election on 23 March and are widely thought to be an attempt by Beijing to discourage voters from supporting candidates who China believe have a pro-independence agenda such as Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui.
--Patrick E. Tyler, "China Says Maneuvers will Last Through Taiwan's Elections," New York Times, 16 March 1996, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/>; Choo Li Meng, "China's Fourth Missile Lands West of Kaohsiung: Taiwan," Straits Times (Singapore), 14 March 1996, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/>.

22 March 1996
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Shen Guofang calls Washington's sale of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to Taiwan "irresponsible".
--Tan Tarn How, "China Slams U.S. Decision to Sell Missiles to Taiwan," Straits Times (Singapore), 22 March 1995, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/>.

2 May 1996
An unnamed Beijing source tells the Hong Kong newspaper Sing Tao Jih Pao that China no longer keeps its missile bases at fixed locations and has an Army-people joint system whereby the military works with local police to ensure the secrecy of the missiles' locations.
--"Mainland China Reassesses Military Exercises, Takes Precautions Against Leaks of Military Secrets," Sing Tao Jih Pao, in "Mainland Seeks to Control Leaks of ‘Military Secrets'," OSC Document ID FTS19960502000147.

20-21 May 1996
A Washington Times article states that there is a secret Defense Intelligence Agency report which posits that China, pretending to buy space launchers, is actually receiving technology and parts from Russia's SS-18 intercontinental ballistic missile technology. The report says that the technology is flowing to China outside of official Russian controls. The next day U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry says that Washington warned both Russia and the Ukraine that it "would be significant mistake" if they sold the SS-18 missile technology to China.
--"China's Arsenal Gets a Russian Boost; Deal for ICBM Technology to U.S., classified Pentagon Report Says," Washington Times, 20 May 1996, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/>. "U.S. Warns Russia, Ukraine on Chinese Missile Requests," Deutsche Presse-Agentur, 21 May 1996, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/>.

23 July 1996
A CIA source tells the Washington Times of an agency classified report that states that the China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corp. (CPMIE), delivered missile-related components to Syria in early June 1996. The report says the CPMIE made the delivery to Scientific Studies and Research Center, a Syrian company that works on ballistic missiles, weapons of mass destruction and advanced conventional arms programs.
--"China's Arsenal Gets a Russian Boost; Deal for ICBM Technology to U.S., Classified Pentagon Report Says," Washington Times, 20 May 1996, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/>.

29 October 1996
Taiwanese newspaper Tzu-li Wan-Pao says that the Taipei's military intelligence estimates that China would begin mass producing its long range DF-31 ballistic missile the following year and will deploy the missile by the year 2000.
--"Mainland Plans for Dongfeng-31 Missile Production Viewed," Taipei Tzu-li Wan-Pao, 29 October 1996, OSC Document ID FTS19961029000157.

31 May 1997
The U.S. State Department issues a 25-page unclassified document to Congress officially stating that it believes China has sold C-802 ship-based anti-ship cruise missiles to Iran. The report was issued to in order respond to a number of questions that New York Republican Congressman Gerald B. H. Solomon asked Secretary of State Madeline Albright in February. The report also says that China "has advertised" a land-based version of the C-802 but does not explicitly confirm whether Beijing actually transferred the missile to Iran.
--Thomas W. Lippman, "U.S. Confirms China Missile Sale to Iran," Washington Post, 31 May 1997, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/>.

9 July 1997
According to India's Pioneer newspaper Indian intelligence reports indicate that China is selling M-11 missiles to Pakistan and that Islamabad is using the technology to build its own medium range ballistic missiles. A spokesman for the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the Indian newspaper report.
--Pakistan "Making Nuclear Warheads with Chinese Help," Deustch Presse-Agentur, 9 July 1997, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/>; "Pakistan Withholds Comment on Nuke Warheads Development Reports," Deutsche Presse-Agentur, 9 July 1997, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/>.

10 July 1997
According to the Washington Times a classified Pentagon report says that China is upgrading its intermediate-range ballistic missile nuclear force that is designed to hit targets in Russia and throughout East Asia, including India, Taiwan and Japan.
--Bill Gertz, "New Chinese Missiles Target All of East Asia", Washington Times, 10 July 1997, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/>.

23 September 1997
A group of American proliferation specialists, including former science advisor to President Reagan and National Defense University researcher Seth Carus tell a Senate subcommittee that older U.S. missile technology is readily available to potential proliferators through declassified files, information on the internet and military surplus dealers. Carus identifies China as a particular problem since Beijing has both taken considerable advantage of U.S. surplus military technology to enhance its own arsenal and has readily sold its own technology other countries such as Pakistan.
--Bill Gertz, "Ballistic Missiles within Easy Reach for Many Nations; Internet, Surplus Sales Lower Barriers," Washington Times, 23 September 1997, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/>.

18 October 1997
The New York Times reports that Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen has promised U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright that China will stop selling C-801 and C-802 cruise missiles to Iran at a meeting that took place in advance of summit to take place between Chinese President Jiang Zemin and U.S. President Bill Clinton.
--Steven Erlanger, "U.S. Says Chinese will Stop Sending Missiles to Iran," New York Times, 18 October 1997, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com/>.

23 October 1997
U.S. Department of Defense Spokesman Kenneth Bacon tells reporters that China has "a small number of intercontinental ballistic missiles that are probably capable of reaching the United States."
--"Chinese Missiles Could Hit U.S., Pentagon Says, Japan Economic Newswire, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com/>.

25 November 1997
The Russian Itar-Tass News Agency quotes Russian the Chief Naval Staff as saying that four destroyers which Russia plans to sell to China may be equipped with state-of-the-art "Yakhont" missiles capable of destroying aircraft carriers and other surface warships. Itar-Tass goes on to say "no navy in the world has the means to combat this missile."
--"Russian Destroyers Built for China May Carry New Missile," Japan Economic Newswire, 25 November 1997, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com/>.

10 December 1997
An article in Flight International says that Russia is working together with China to develop a variant of the Zvezda Strela Kh-31P (AS-17 Krypton) anti-radiation missile known as the KR-1. According to the article the Russian tactical missile design house has already given China a small number of the missiles and that these KR-1 missiles may in fact be the same as the Chinese YJ-91 cruise missiles.
--"Russia and China Combine on KR-1, Flight International, 10 December 1997, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com/>.

	Updated June 2008