China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) is a state-owned enterprise responsible for both civilian and military nuclear activities.[i] CNNC, established in 1988 by the State Council[ii], is the successor of the Ministry of Nuclear Security, which built China’s first atomic bomb, the first hydrogen bomb, and the first nuclear submarine.[iii] The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) promotes CNNC as the core of China’s nuclear deterrence.[iv] It adds that the company developed atomic and hydrogen weapons and that “CNNC is the main part of China’s nuclear science and technology advancement […] and the major force of nuclear power development”.[v]
[i] ‘Entities Identified as Chinese Military Companies Operating in the United States in
accordance with Section 1260H of the William M. (“Mac”) Thornberry National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283)**’ U.S. Department of Defense (2024). Available at: Entities Identified as Chinese Military Companies Operating in the United States in Accordance With Section 1260H of the William M. (“Mac”) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.
[ii] ‘Appendix I: Nuclear organizations in China’. World Nuclear Association, updated 3 December 2024. Available at: Nuclear Organisations in China – World Nuclear Association.
[iii] Profile (no date) | China National Nuclear Corporation. Available at: Profile (Accessed: 16 December 2024).
[iv] Overall Information (2017) | China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), Expo 2017. Available at: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/2017expochinaen/2017-06/05/content_29622565.htm (Accessed: 16 December 2024).
[v] Ibid.
Last updated: 2025-02-18 17:07:33