Chapter 41 The handshake between the American oil tycoon and the "Little Oriental Man"——Deng Xiaoping and Hammer (2)

On March 25, 1982, Deng Xiaoping and Hamer met for the third time.Deng Xiaoping congratulated Hammer for formally signing the Pingshuo Coal Mine Cooperation Agreement with China.Deng Xiaoping said: "This is a good start." Hammer said to Deng Xiaoping that he would "permanently station" in China to "supervise the battle here", and said: "Now is a critical moment in history, and our cooperation can only be successful, not allowed. Failure." Hamer told reporters after the meeting that he was "full of confidence" in China. In the early 1980s, Hamer, as one of the first batch of foreign-funded entrepreneurs to enter China, carried out various economic and technological cooperation in China.Among all economic projects operated by Sino-foreign joint ventures at that time, Pingshuo Coal Mine was the largest one.This cooperation project is also Hammer's largest investment project in China. On March 24, 1982, the agreement between China and the United States on the development of Pingshuo Coal Mine was formally signed.This is Hamer's third visit to China after his visit to China on July 3, 1981.

The cooperation method of this project is contractual operation, and the planned cooperation will be carried out in stages, with the first stage being 20 years.The two parties jointly invest and share risks.The total investment was as high as 550 million US dollars, which was indeed not a small figure in China at that time.The US-based Island Creek Company is responsible for completing the basic construction in three years, and plans to produce coal in 1985, with an annual output of 15 million tons of raw coal.The Chinese side is responsible for solving the transportation problem.For daily production management, the US side will serve as the principal and the Chinese side will serve as the deputy for the first 10 years, and the Chinese side will serve as the principal and the US side will serve as the deputy for the next 10 years.If the cooperation in the first phase is successful, discuss the cooperation in the second phase.

The signing of this cooperation project was of great significance in China at that time.Because at that time, China was undergoing reform of government institutions and cracking down on criminal activities in the economic field.These two actions of China have aroused the close attention of many foreign friends and compatriots in Hong Kong and Macau. They are worried whether the Chinese government's reform and opening policy will change.At this time, the U.S. government's military sales to Taiwan violated China's sovereignty and cast a shadow over Sino-U.S. relations. American entrepreneurs also worried whether the trade between China and the U.S. would be affected.

In China, regarding Hamer's Pingshuo coal mine cooperation project, China National Coal Development Corporation has invited experts and scholars from various fields to discuss the feasibility of this cooperation project in terms of technology, finance, law and comprehensive economic benefits. Repeated demonstrations and consultations with China International Trust and Investment Corporation.Finally, after full consideration, it was decided to cooperate with Hammer. Therefore, in a sense, Hammer’s third trip to China and the signing of the Pingshuo Coal Mine Agreement showed that the Chinese government’s unswerving implementation of the policy of opening to the outside world has not changed, and China is willing to develop on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. Foreign economic and technological cooperation.Because of this, Hammer's trip to China and his meeting with Deng Xiaoping are particularly eye-catching.

On the second day after the agreement was signed, on March 25, at 10:00 am, Deng Xiaoping received this American man who was 6 years older than him for the third time in front of the East Hall of the Great Hall of the People. This is the fourth time the two old people have met.Have friends come from afar.Deng Xiaoping had a kind face and held Hamer's hand in good spirits. The silver-haired Hamer smiled and said to Deng Xiaoping: "You look so good, and you are in good health!" "You are so old, and you look so good!" "When you live to my age, your body must be healthier than mine!" Hammer said with a smile.

After exchanging pleasantries, the host and guest entered the main topic of the meeting. "I keep my promise and here I come again. We have signed an agreement with China to jointly develop the Pingshuo Coal Mine." Hammer then added, "I am very grateful to Vice Chairman Deng for personally intervening and giving us great support and encouragement. , so that the agreement can be signed quickly." Deng Xiaoping said: "This is a good start." "Yes." Hammer said, "I hope to come to China often in the future. I will stay here to supervise the battle until the coal mines are mined and transported to the port for loading on ships."

Deng Xiaoping said, "I can help you solve this." "Now is a critical moment in history. Our cooperation is only allowed to succeed, not to fail," Hammer said. Deng Xiaoping agreed with Hamer. During the meeting, Hamer also put forward some suggestions on my country's economic construction.He said: "China should develop high-efficiency liquid fertilizers as soon as possible, and quickly engage in agriculture, so that it can no longer import food and strive to be able to export some." He also said: "I think the two most important issues in the world: one is the food problem, the other is the energy problem. China can take the lead in the world in these two aspects. The success of these two aspects will be able to Help the third world and contribute to world peace." During the meeting, he expressed his willingness to develop cooperation with China in areas such as fertilizer and animal husbandry.

He also said to Deng Xiaoping: "I am very assured of China's leadership, and your career will definitely be successful." At the subsequent appreciation banquet, Hammer said again: "As an entrepreneur, our decisions and actions have been carefully considered. We believe that China is politically stable. At present, China is reducing government agencies and employing new people. This will surely make the government's administrative management more effective. China's economic adjustment, according to the needs of the country and the people, rearranged the development sequence of agriculture and industry, put energy and transportation in an important position, and improved people's living standards, Great progress has been made in various aspects such as the national budget and the balance of import and export trade. Generally speaking, what we see is a China that is politically stable, economically developing, and has broad energy prospects. It is strong and progressive. Implement an open policy to the outside world, welcome all friendly countries to invest in China, and promote the prosperity of China's economy and trade."

At the end of this trip to China, he said in an interview with a special correspondent of China's "Reference News" on China's reform and opening up policy and future development that he was "full of confidence in China's victory." Reference News published this Hamer article in issue 9499: China's current leader is one of the few great men of this century.And the reforms he (Deng Xiaoping) is currently pursuing in China's cities are bound to succeed. Just like the last rural reform aimed at improving the living conditions of villages and peasants, China's urban reform this time will surely succeed.These reforms will help to improve China's national economy, give greater freedom of action to all levels of management, and will greatly increase the incomes of urban workers.These reforms had a positive impact in three areas, namely the introduction of management knowledge, foreign capital and advanced technology into China.These are exactly the three things Occidental Petroleum is currently doing in Shanxi coal mines.

China has repaid all its debts and has always kept its promises in fulfilling its contracts, Occidental Petroleum's investment in China will prove wise... Deng was introducing a lot of healthy things into China - all the good things about capitalism but not the bad things.The reason for this is that all banks, railways and large industries are still owned by the state.