Timeline of Taiwan's nuclear program
The nuclear program of the Republic of China can be represented as a Timeline of the Taiwan-based Republic of China's nuclear program.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1956 | National Tsinghua University in Taiwan is reestablished where the university built the nation's first research nuclear reactor and began training atomic energy specialists.[1] |
| 1964 | Taiwan launched a nuclear weapons program after the first Chinese nuclear test in October 1964.[1] |
| 1964 | The military Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology developed the "Hsin Chu Program" which included the purchase of a heavy-water reactor, a heavy-water production plant, and a plutonium separation plant.[1] |
| 1968 | Taiwan signed the Non-proliferation Treaty[2] |
| 1968 | The Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER) established as the sole national institute in Taiwan specialized in nuclear technology R&D programs.[1] |
| 1969 | INER purchased a small (40 MWT) heavy-water research reactor from Canada began work on it in September and finished it in April 1973 Canada furnished Taiwan with heavy water and 25 tons of natural Uranium.[2] |
| 1969 | Work began on other INER facilities, a plant to produce natural uranium fuel, a reprocessing facility, and a plutonium chemistry laboratory[2] |
| 1970 | Work began on a fuel reprocessing facility at the "Hot Laboratory"[2] |
| 1971 | On Oct. 25 Taiwan is "expelled" from the United Nations and IAEA. The seat is given to the People's Republic of China as the sole representative of China.[3][2] |
| 1972 | The fuel-fabrication plant began operating in 1972 or 1973, using a supply of natural uranium from South Africa, It was expected to produce about 20–30 metric tons of fuel a year roughly twice as much as the research reactor required.[2] |
| 1974 | The US CIA stated "Taipei conducts its small nuclear program with a weapon option clearly in mind, and it will be in a position to fabricate a nuclear device after five years or so."[1] |
| 1976 | In September President Chiang Ching-kuo stated that Taiwan would not develop reprocessing facilities or engage in reprocessing.[1] |
| 1978 | On Dec. 15 the United States announces it will terminate its diplomatic relations with Taiwan on Jan. 1, 1979.[3] |
| 1987 | On July 15 the end of martial law is declared in Taiwan.[3] |
| 1988 | Taiwan shut down the TRR reactor.[1] |
| 1988 | INER became a part of the Atomic Energy Council.[1] |
| 1995 | President Lee Teng-hui told the national assembly: "We should restudy the question [of nuclear weapons] from a long-term point of view." He added: "Everyone knows we had had the plan before."[2] |
| 1995 | A few days later, Lee states that Taiwan "has the ability to develop nuclear weapons, but will definitely not" develop them.[2] |
| 2000 | On Feb. 21 China issues a White Paper warning more explicitly than before that Taiwan's further heel dragging on reunification–let alone any declaration of independence–could force China to take "drastic measures."[3] |
| 2004 | Speculation over a covert Taiwanese nuclear program intensified on October 13, after the Associated Press reported that IAEA officials disclosed they had evidence that Taiwan experimented with plutonium during the early 1980s.[1] |
| 2006 | The US Defense Department mistakenly shipped secret nuclear missile fuses to Taiwan and did not learn that the items were missing until 2008[4] |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pike, John. "Taiwan's Nuclear Weapons". 4 April 2008. globalsecurity. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Albright, D; Gay, C (1998). "Taiwan: Nuclear nightmare averted". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 54 (1): 54–60. Bibcode:1998BuAtS..54a..54A. doi:10.1080/00963402.1998.11456811.
- 1 2 3 4 "Taiwan Timeline". Infoplease. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
- ↑ White, Josh (March 26, 2008). "Nuclear parts sent to Taiwan in error". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
