Book Reveals U.S. Pressure Ended Taiwan's Nuclear Weapons Ambitions

A new book, "Taiwan's Nuclear Bomb: An Illusionary Struggle of Nuclear Weapons and Human Nature," by Tong Chao-chin, offers a firsthand account of Taiwan's clandestine nuclear weapons program. Tong, who served as the Director of the Integrated Planning Department at the Atomic Energy Council during the Chang Hsien-yi defection incident, draws on his observations and diaries to detail the complex geopolitical and technical struggles involved. The book highlights the challenges faced in developing nuclear capabilities, particularly after the decision to procure Canadian heavy water reactors. A team of technicians was sent to Canada for training, but many lacked direct backgrounds in nuclear physics, primarily coming from naval and mechanical engineering schools. Despite this, these individuals became crucial to operating key facilities at the Nuclear Research Institute. Central to the narrative is the construction of a "hot cell" facility, designed to reprocess spent nuclear fuel from the reactor to extract weapons-grade plutonium. Although the U.S. was aware of this, they only prohibited the construction of an underground tunnel connecting the reactor to the hot cell. This tacit approval allowed the facility, ostensibly for peaceful purposes like inspecting Taiwan Power Company's nuclear fuel, to be completed. Further complicating matters, Taiwan sought to build a factory for refining plutonium into a metallic form. When international suppliers refused to sell the necessary equipment, Taiwan resorted to assembling a makeshift plutonium processing facility using glove boxes, ostensibly for experimental and training purposes. This period also saw increasing international media reports, widely believed to be instigated by the U.S. State Department or CIA, suggesting Taiwan's nuclear weapons development, providing a pretext for intensified U.S. inspections. The U.S. eventually issued a strong ultimatum, demanding the immediate halt of the heavy water reactor's operation and a complete review of all research programs. The situation culminated when the Chief of the General Staff, Song Chang-chih, personally ordered the termination and dismantling of the "New New Project" and related equipment, effectively ending Taiwan's pursuit of nuclear weapons under intense international pressure.

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After the Chang Hsien-yi defection incident, the United States demanded that the Nuclear Research Institute seal both the newly built and existing 'hot cells' with cement, which sufficiently illustrates the foolishness of the original conception.