Chapter 29 Premier Zhou asked me to engage in missiles

Our country's development of atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs, missiles, and artificial satellites are all under the leadership of Premier Zhou. Once when I was talking to foreign journalists stationed in Beijing, I said that we technicians miss Premier Zhou very much. During the "Cultural Revolution", Premier Zhou still insisted on this task, and other tasks were messed up and could not be done, but the "two bombs" work has not stopped. What I feel most is that the Prime Minister really took the time to listen to our opinions carefully.This is the consistent style of the Prime Minister.Many people came to each meeting, and people with different opinions were also invited. The Prime Minister asked repeatedly: "Do you have any opinions?" After listening to our opinions, he finally decided what to do.In one meeting, the Prime Minister asked everyone what their opinions were on an issue, and the secretary ran over and whispered to the Prime Minister: "You have approved this matter before" (I guess that's what the secretary said).The Prime Minister said loudly, "What does that matter? Everyone thinks something wrong with what I approved can be corrected!"

I joined the special committee of the Central Committee very late. In the past, the leaders of the department went there, and we listened to the communication. I only started participating in 1967.When I returned to China to engage in missiles, General Chen Geng was the first to tell me about it. In the late autumn and early winter of 1955, shortly after I returned to my motherland, I was working at the Academy of Sciences.The leader of the Academy of Sciences said: "When you come back, let's take a look at China's industry. The best industry in China is the Northeast." I said that I haven't been to the Northeast.In this way, I went to the Northeast to study.Later, I went back and forth to Harbin, where I was arranged to meet General Chen Geng, the dean of the Military Engineering College.Chen Geng met me and had dinner.Chen Geng asked me: "Can the Chinese make missiles?" I said: "Why not! Foreigners can do it, but we Chinese can't? Is it possible that the Chinese are shorter than foreigners!" General Chen Geng said: "Ok !” Later, someone told me: Chen Geng rushed to Harbin from Beijing that morning just to meet me in the evening, and I was very moved when I heard that.Later, he was also very active. Once Ye Shuai invited us to dinner at home, my wife also went, and Chen Geng was also there.After dinner, probably on a Saturday night, they said to find the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister danced at the three gates.We ran there and waited for the dance to end. The Prime Minister came over, and Ye Shuai and Chen Geng talked with the Prime Minister.Afterwards, it was probably negotiated. The Prime Minister gave me a task and asked me to write an opinion-how to organize this research institution?Later, I wrote an opinion, held another meeting in the Xihua Hall, and decided to engage in missiles.On the day of the constitutional meeting, I ate lunch at the Prime Minister’s place. There were steamed eggs on the table, and the bowl was placed on the Prime Minister’s side. The Prime Minister even gave me a spoonful.The opinion letter I wrote was mentioned in Nie Shuai's memoirs, and it is in the file.I feel really ashamed when I think about it now. I didn’t know anything about the situation in China at that time, so there must have been many mistakes in the submission.

I remember that on December 26, 1964, I was attending a meeting of the National People's Congress, and someone asked me to attend a banquet.After waiting for a while, Comrade Deng Yingchao came. She talked to me and asked me where I went to elementary school and middle school. .She said happily: "Don't you know me? I was the first batch of female teachers in the Primary School Attached to Normal University at that time!" So Comrade Deng Yingchao was still my teacher!But she didn't teach me.What did she ask me again?I said that I was engaged in rockets and missiles, and introduced some scientific and technological personnel engaged in missiles. They were not afraid of hardships and dangers.Our missile at that time was called "Dongfeng No. 2". It was the first missile designed by ourselves, and it used liquid oxygen and alcohol as fuel.It was almost launched during the test, and something went wrong.If the liquid oxygen is to be removed and the valve fails, our technical personnel will go up to deal with it, which is very dangerous!Later, she told the prime minister about it, and she made a mistake, saying it was an atomic bomb.She saw me again later and told me that the Prime Minister said to her: "You messed up, and he wouldn't tell you that. He is engaged in missiles, not atomic bombs." Comrade Deng Yingchao said to me: "I It is possible to make a mistake. Because I have agreed with Enlai, I will not ask about things that I should not be in charge of. I can’t figure out whether it is a missile or an atomic bomb.” I was deeply impressed by this incident.

During the "Cultural Revolution", we were all protected. Without the protection of Premier Zhou, I am afraid that I would have passed away long ago.We were all under military control at that time.The military control committee reports to the prime minister once a week.The Prime Minister issued an order to make a list of scientists.After the list was sent up, the Prime Minister said: "Everyone on the list, you must guarantee that if there is a problem, I will come to you!" Yang Guoyu knew about this. He is the deputy director of the Military Control Commission, in charge of science and technology, and has a lot of contact with us. He talked about these things very vividly.

We understand that China's "two bombs" in such a situation where the industry and technology are very weak can't be done without the socialist system, that is, the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao give orders, and we will do it without further ado, and we will directly lead The organizers and organizers are Premier Zhou Enlai and Nie Shuai. Our scientific and technological personnel have always been patriotic and have a glorious tradition.Mr. Nie said in a comment: "Chinese scientists are not stupid!" Indeed.I also want to say that Chinese scientists are very smart!Moreover, Chinese scientific and technological personnel are all working hard, and few foreigners work as hard as the Chinese.

China did not conduct large-scale scientific and technological research in the past. The "two bombs" are large-scale scientific and technological research, which requires the cooperation of thousands or tens of thousands of people. China did not have it in the past.The organization is very large. To put it bluntly, every time we conducted experiments at that time, nearly half of the country's communication lines were occupied by us, which shows the scale.At that time, Premier Zhou Enlai was in charge, and Nie Shuai would be in charge of it. China did not have this experience before.I think they used the experience of organizing the people's army and commanding the revolutionary war. Of course it is very effective, thus creating a set of methods for organizing and leading the "two bombs" work.This makes a lot of sense in the new era.At a special committee meeting, Premier Zhou made such a ten-year speech. He said: "Our set of tools can also be used by civilians in the future! The Three Gorges Project can use this." I remember very clearly, and I agree with his words. .This refers to a set of leadership methods for organizing and directing large-scale scientific and technological research and production, which can be applied and promoted.

In our line of work, there are a lot of insights, which make sense, but may not be comprehensive.But here we have one, the final decision is made by the chief designer.After the chief designer listened to various opinions, after analysis, the final decision was made by the chief designer.The chief designer is not alone, he also has a general design department and a large team, which is the system engineering team in today's words.They used system engineering to measure various factors and choose the optimal solution. The chief designer listened to the opinions of experts in various fields and read the report of the general design department. Finally, he made up his mind to make a decision. counted.This is what Premier Zhou and Mr. Nie have stipulated for us, and the chief designer is the chief designer.Our current chief designers are all trained in this way.Ren Xinmin, as I said just now, was the chief designer, and Tu Shoupin and Xie Guangxuan were also chief designers of missiles.The chief designer must have demeanor, the demeanor of a general!

This makes sense!Now many departments will not use this, and the effect is not good.Modern projects are huge and complex. One opinion is good for a part, but not necessarily good for the whole.The above is in terms of technology, there must be a chief designer and an overall design department; there is also a general scheduling system, a set of organizational management systems.In order to connect research, manufacturing, testing, and production, there is a very large organizational management system.Scheduling is like fighting a war. If something goes wrong, it needs to be solved.So there is a chief designer and a chief dispatcher.Zhang Aiping spoke very well. He concluded that there must be two lines: one is the line of the chief designer, and the other is the line of the chief dispatcher.Finally, it is summarized to the leader (in the army, it is the party committee), and the final decision is the leader.This set of organizations is scientific, has Chinese characteristics, is in line with China's reality, and is native to China.The formation of this set of things was created under the leadership of Premier Zhou. This is a very important experience.

At that time, the decision of the special committee of the Central Committee made no difference which unit should do what.The decision is also very simple: which meeting of the special committee of the Central Committee decides what to do in your unit, and what time is the time limit to complete it,... don't say why, this is an order!The comrades of the Central Special Committee took it, called the leader, and once the order was read out, it had to be followed!Many collaborations are done in this way. Sometimes railway transportation requires vehicles, and the vehicles are dispatched with one order.How can I do without this set!Thousands of troops matter, the atomic bomb is about to explode, and the missile is about to be launched. How can we do it if we don't work together!Is it so easy to press the button?One click will have an impact across the country, so keep up with the action!Of course, our country is currently undergoing a series of system reforms, and it is not acceptable to use instructions for everything, but we can engage in contracts, and that is what the contracts say must be done.

We launched a communication satellite not long ago. Premier Zhao Ziyang and Vice Premier Li Peng both visited the site to observe and guide us, and spoke highly of our system.They had never been to the scene before, but this time they saw it and said, "Your organization is really tight."Speaking of electronic technology, Comrade Li Peng said, "Your electronic computers are not very advanced! But thanks to strict organization, you can do things that sometimes cannot be done with advanced computers in other places!" We rely on One is that those who perform tasks are all wearing military uniforms, and they stress organizational discipline; the other is that Chinese scientific and technological personnel are always working hard, day and night!Therefore, it can be said that Chinese people are very serious, rigorous and serious.Therefore, our "two bombs" tests had the fewest accidents and the least casualties, all achieved under Premier Zhou's strict requirements.He said: "It must be safe and reliable, and foolproof." This instruction, we must follow every test, and the inspection is very strict, so there are few accidents and few casualties.Of course, it doesn't mean that there will be no accidents, because there are always things that you don't realize.However, because we implemented Premier Zhou's instructions, accidents and casualties were much less than those of foreign countries.

Now there are some misunderstandings, thinking that it was a mistake to engage in "two bombs", and spending so much money was not used to develop production.It's not just someone's opinion.I always explain: "That's not the case. First of all, we spend less money on the 'two bombs' than foreign countries, because we have the leadership of the party, specifically Premier Zhou Enlai and Nie Shuai are leading us. Then there is the excellent quality of Chinese scientific and technological personnel , so this task has been completed with the least loss and the least cost.” Of course, it cannot be said that we have no mistakes, nor does it mean that we did not spend any wronged money.China's industry and technology are so backward, I still have a little contact with rockets and missiles abroad, but it was just started abroad in the 1940s and early 1950s, and like everyone else, I have only a half-knowledge.So it's not that I didn't make mistakes, and I can't say that I didn't waste any money. This is the tuition fee.But in general, it is much better than foreign countries, because of the two aspects mentioned above.I also said: "You say you shouldn't do it, that's fine; if you don't do it, and there are no atomic bombs, missiles, and artificial satellites, then what is the status of China! It is impossible for you to engage in economic construction, because there is no such a peaceful environment." We Those who are engaged in defense science and technology are very dissatisfied when they hear these incorrect comments. It should be noted that from a large perspective, this is an issue related to the country's strategic position; from a small perspective, we have created a set of experiences that are very precious.In the past, it was small-scale production, two mu of land, and the method of small furnace makers. Now we are engaged in large-scale construction. Premier Zhou said before his death that this method can be applied to civilian use, but we have not yet summed up this experience and applied it to civilian use. In this regard, the Prime Minister has made great achievements. He has created successful experience for the development of China's large-scale science and technology, and it is combined with China's reality and has Chinese characteristics.