A US congressional report has claimed that China stole American nuclear weapons secrets over 20 years through espionage at government laboratories. The report, says China has used the secrets to upgrade its nuclear arsenal. Republican members of the US Congress described the report as scary and said its shows a major breach of national security. China has strongly denied it stole US nuclear secrets.
The 700 page report from the US Congressional panel says that China begin stealing some of the most closely held US weapons secrets in the 1970's and continued right up to the mid 1990's. The reports says China obtained classified information on seven nuclear warheads and design information for the neutron bomb.
The espionage was focussed on four nuclear research laboratories including the high security facility at Los Alamos, New Mexico. A scientist from that lab was fired in March on suspicion of passing classified information to China but he has not be charged with any crime.
The Congressional report, which is due to be released later today, has already caused a political storm in Washington. There have been calls for the resignation of US Attorney General Janet Reno, who's come under fire for her handling of the investigation into alleged Chinese spying.
