Chapter 35 Enlai's care and guidance for my country's science and technology undertakings in three or four weeks

This year is the 90th anniversary of the birth of Comrade Zhou Enlai.From the founding of New China to his death in 1976, for nearly 27 years, he has been the prime minister of our government. Under the correct decision-making of the Party Central Committee, he led the Chinese people and people's governments at all levels to carry out social activities. The great struggle for socialist revolution and construction, and every achievement of New China, all embody his hard work. Similarly, he gave great care and devoted energy to the development of science and technology in our country. Here are just a few things I have come into contact with and personally listened to his teachings, and I will briefly describe them as follows, so as to express my infinite reverence and nostalgia for the beloved Comrade Zhou Enlai.

The "1956-1967 Outline of the Long-term Plan for the Development of Science and Technology" (referred to as the Twelve-year Science and Technology Plan) was formulated under the direct leadership of Premier Zhou.He instructed that my country's scientific work should be arranged and planned according to the world's scientific achievements, and strive to bring the most urgently needed scientific departments close to the world's advanced level by the end of the third five-year plan period.This task is both urgent and arduous in the early days of the founding of New China, when the level of science and technology is very backward, and the first five-year plan for the national economy of our country is being implemented.This is because socialist construction must use the most advanced science and technology in the world at that time as much as possible. Only by mastering the most advanced science and technology can we have a solid national defense and a strong advanced economic force.At that time, we were not enough to meet the needs of the rapid development of socialist construction in terms of quantity, professional level, and political awareness.With the only scientific and technological strength, it is very difficult to accomplish this task.When he was listening to the report on scientific planning, he emphasized that we should try our best to adopt the world's advanced technology, aim at the emerging science and technology at that time, and lose no time in "catching up". Development" to avoid the dispersion of forces and procrastination.

In the planning of scientific and technological development, it is a matter of decisive significance to correctly handle the relationship between theory and practice, and to properly handle the relationship between scientific research and production practice.In order to closely integrate my country's scientific and technological work with the reality of socialist construction and effectively solve scientific and technological problems in production and construction, it was proposed to formulate plans with the principle of "tasks leading to disciplines". After repeated discussions, more than 50 tasks were proposed and arranged. Tasks of scientific investigation, research experiment and trial production have been completed.He pointed out that while vigorously developing applied scientific research, it is necessary to strengthen basic theoretical research. He said: In order to systematically improve the level of science and technology in our country, we must also break the tendency of myopia. If we do not strengthen the long-term needs and theoretical If we pay attention to our work, then we will make big mistakes.Without certain theoretical and scientific research as the basis, there can be no fundamental progress and innovation in technology.Under the direct guidance of Premier Zhou, the 12-year science and technology development plan added "Research on Some Basic Theoretical Issues in Modern Natural Sciences", and later formulated a basic scientific research plan on this basis.Comrade Zhou Enlai was far-sighted and deeply understood the laws of the development of science and technology, so that the development of science and technology in our country avoided many detours and achieved rapid development.For example, with regard to the development of nuclear weapons, our country used to have almost no personnel specialized in this field. It is precisely because our country has a group of theoretical physicists with profound attainments that the development of nuclear weapons in our country can achieve rapid success.In the later period of the "Cultural Revolution", Premier Zhou said to the comrades of the Academy of Sciences, "In order to develop nuclear weapons, a group of comrades who were transferred from the Academy of Sciences to do theoretical work can now be returned to you to strengthen basic theoretical work." Important and Comrade Zhou Enlai's foresight.

Under Premier Zhou's repeated reports and instructions on scientific planning, my country's 12-year scientific and technological development plan was formulated and implemented with the approval of the Party Central Committee.Due to the correct planning guidelines, specific measures, and organizational implementation, the 12-year plan was five years ahead of schedule. After careful inspection in 1962, the specific projects were basically completed.Thereby effectively solving a number of scientific and technological problems in my country's national economic construction and national defense construction, which has improved my country's scientific and technological level by one step and narrowed the gap with the world's advanced level.

After the Party Central Committee put forward the great task of realizing the modernization of agriculture, industry, national defense and science and technology in our country, in accordance with the instructions of the Party Central Committee, the National Science and Technology Work Conference (that is, the Guangzhou Conference) held by the State Science and Technology Commission in February 1962 discussed the formulation of The problem of new scientific planning.Premier Zhou attended the meeting and gave important instructions. After a period of preparation, he began to organize the compilation of the "1963-1972 Science and Technology Development Plan" (the "Ten-Year Plan") at the end of that year.This plan was formulated after the "Great Leap Forward", my country's national economy suffered serious difficulties, and the Soviet Union unilaterally withdrew experts and tore up the agreement.

Comrade Zhou Enlai further pointed out at the Shanghai Science and Technology Work Conference in 1963 that "the key to building our motherland into a powerful socialist country lies in the modernization of science and technology." The main requirements for realizing the modernization of science and technology are: seeking truth from facts, advancing step by step Promote each other and catch up.He encouraged scientific and technical personnel to have a scientific attitude and to have high ambitions. He also repeatedly emphasized the need to trust and rely on their own workers and technicians.He personally convened meetings of relevant departments, scientific and technological personnel and leading cadres for many times to discuss, organize collaboration, check progress, overcome difficulties one by one, and partially fulfill the requirements of the plan.It is a pity that the "Ten-Year Plan" was implemented less than five years ago, and was forced to stop due to ten years of turmoil.

Comrade Zhou Enlai attached great importance to the intelligence and information work of science and technology.I remember that shortly after the formulation of the "Twelve-year Science and Technology Plan" in early 1956, when we reported the progress of the plan to him, we proposed that in order to catch up with the world's advanced level, we must timely grasp the information on the development of foreign science and technology, but we still do not have a scientific and technological information mechanism.Premier Zhou said: "You have been working for so many years, and there is no such intelligence department. How did you fight your 'battle'?" His words were both criticism and encouragement, and he proposed an urgent task for us. , So in the twelve-year plan, the establishment of scientific and technological intelligence work was listed as a key task as an emergency measure.

At the Eighth National Congress of the Party, Comrade Zhou Enlai pointed out: "In order to develop our country's scientific research, we should also solve the necessary books, materials, instruments and test sites in a timely manner, and actively improve the work of scientific researchers. Conditions, and further close international scientific research work contact and cooperation, collect and exchange domestic and foreign scientific and technical data." According to this instruction, in May 1958, the State Council approved the " The Plan on Carrying out Scientific and Technical Information Work defines the tasks, management system, institutional setup, and principles of establishing a domestic scientific and technological information network for my country's scientific and technological information work.In just over a year, various departments have established more than 50 professional intelligence agencies, and 7 regional comprehensive intelligence institutes have been established across the country, publishing 457 kinds of intelligence publications, 28 kinds of scientific and technological abstracts, and more than 20 kinds of express reports.

However, in the initial stage of planning and implementation, the establishment of an intelligence agency was still not taken seriously by the relevant leading departments.After the State Council approved the construction of a new office building, it was delayed again and again because of problems such as land and construction. After about a year, I met Premier Zhou in the Great Hall of the People one night because of other things. He asked me as soon as he saw me, "How is the building of your intelligence agency going?" I truthfully reported the progress to him.After more than a year, I never imagined that he still remembers this matter.The prime minister has a lot of plans to deal with, national and world affairs are in his mind, but he has not forgotten how much he pays attention to the development of science and technology in our country as a specific measure in the scientific and technological work of a department!This moved me deeply.Almost 30 years later, I still remember it as if it happened yesterday!

In the "Ten-Year Science and Technology Development Plan" formulated in 1963, scientific and technological information work was listed as one of the key tasks. During the decade of turmoil, Premier Zhou still cared about my country's scientific and technological intelligence work. In 1970, when he was listening to the work report of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, he once again pointed out: "The intelligence office must be well organized and have a good leadership team, which serves everyone." In order to catch up with the world's advanced level of science and technology, we must proceed from the actual needs of our country, earnestly rather than superficially, selectively rather than comprehensively, analytically rather than blindly, and on the premise of insisting on independence and self-reliance. Learn foreign advanced science and technology.He instructed us many times to learn and delve into foreign advanced things. For friendly countries and international friends, we can adopt the method of exchange and request, or we can adopt the method of purchasing technology to absorb foreign scientific and technological achievements.Under the guidance of his guiding ideology, the "Twelve-year Science Plan" separately listed the chapter "International Cooperation".We have successively carried out scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation with the Soviet Union, Eastern European socialist countries, third world countries and capitalist countries, which have played a certain role in the development of my country's science and technology.

Comrade Zhou Laien also attached great importance to the exchange and confidentiality of scientific and technological information. In order to correctly handle the relationship between scientific and technological exchanges and confidentiality work, and to promote the development of my country's scientific and technological undertakings, he has done a lot of work. In 1958, according to the instructions of the Central Committee on the confidentiality of science and technology, various science and technology departments began to establish confidentiality work organizations and confidentiality systems.However, during the implementation process, the scope of secrecy became wider and wider, and the level of secrecy became higher and higher, which to a certain extent affected the exchanges between various units and regions, and even formed a mutual blockade, so that scientific and technical personnel could not get access to information. Necessary information, do not understand the work progress of other units, affecting the work.At the Canton Conference in 1962, scientists reacted strongly to this.Comrade Zhou Enlai saw this problem from the "briefing" of the meeting, and quickly instructed the State Science and Technology Commission to solve it.To this end, the State Science and Technology Commission and the Publishing Bureau of the Central Propaganda Department, under the leadership of Vice Premier Nie Rongzhen, held a special conference on scientific and technological publications to resolve issues such as the publication, printing, and remuneration of scientific and technological papers and books.For this reason, the National Science and Technology Commission established the Publishing Bureau, which enabled the timely publication of scientific treatises and initially improved domestic academic exchanges. Strengthening the publishing work has improved the situation of scientific and technological exchanges, but the problems of excessive secrecy and strict classification have not yet been resolved.In order to change this situation, in May 1965, the central government approved and forwarded the "Report on Improving Science and Technology Secrecy Work" by the Party Group of the State Science and Technology Commission, and decided that the Central Secrecy Committee, the State Science and Technology Commission, the National Economic Commission, the National Defense Industry Office, the National Defense Science and Technology Commission and The General Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army jointly held a scientific and technological exchange and confidentiality work conference, and I was designated to be in charge of the preparations.After the preparatory group reported to the four vice-premiers Nie Rongzhen (also director of the State Science and Technology Commission), Bo Yibo (also director of the State Economic Commission), Luo Ruiqing (also director of the National Defense Industry Office), Xie Fuzhi (also Minister of Public Security) and leaders of relevant departments , made a report to Premier Zhou Enlai on August 22. Premier Zhou pointed out the reasons for the strict secrecy: First, he did not trust the masses and scientific and technological personnel, so that the secrecy was "increased layer by layer". For their own sake, the third is that the approval is too strict, the exchange procedures are too complicated, and the other is to learn from the "framework" of the Soviet Union.Therefore, he called for "creating a secrecy system that is in line with China's actual situation." This work must be done well in terms of political and ideological style, relying on the masses, and strengthening the party's leadership.He also instructed to catch a few typical examples, "only when there are typical examples can we draw conclusions."Finally, he asked all relevant departments to "create confidential projects and keep core secrets. Only with fewer projects can we truly keep them. Only when leaders pay attention, the masses pay attention, and responsibilities are clarified, can scientific and technological secrets be kept."According to the characteristics of the development of science and technology, he also pointed out that some scientific and technological secret projects can be declassified after a period of time.Premier Zhou also reviewed the report outline of this meeting word by word.The National Science and Technology Exchange and Confidentiality Work Conference was held as scheduled.The meeting was very successful and achieved the expected purpose. After this meeting, relevant departments of the State Council and some provinces and cities specifically formulated scientific and technological confidentiality projects and classification of classification, which not only promoted scientific and technological exchanges, but also kept state secrets.It's a pity that it didn't last long. Ten years of turmoil began in 1966. Whether it was scientific and technological exchanges or secrecy, everything was in vain!The situation is different now. my country implemented the Patent Law in 1985, which not only protects the legitimate rights and interests of inventors and avoids technological monopoly, but also appropriately resolves the relationship between communication and confidentiality. It has been 12 years since Comrade Zhou Enlai left us, and our country's scientific and technological workers have lived up to his ardent expectations. Today, it will be very beneficial to review these teachings of Comrade Zhou Enlai under the new situation of reform, opening up and revitalization.