The story about Qian Xuesen’s return to China to invent missiles

At that time, there was a severe shortage of talents in the country to develop missiles and atomic bombs. Chen Geng suggested to Zhou Enlai and other leaders to win over Chinese scientists studying in the United States. Luo Shijun and Zhuang Fenggan, two of Qian Xuesen's former students at the California Institute of Technology in the United States, told Chen Geng that Professor Qian Xuesen was originally planning to return to China with us, but the United States did not allow Qian Xuesen to return to China. They said: Professor Qian Xuesen is engaged in aerodynamics and has made great achievements in aviation theory. He is very willing to return to work in China.

After hearing this, Chen Geng said that Professor Qian Xuesen not only had scientific knowledge and was a scientist, but also had great organizational skills, and he was willing to return to China. We must do whatever we can to mobilize Professor Qian to return to China. Chen Geng quickly reported it to Premier Zhou, who strongly agreed.

On January 15, 1955, at the enlarged meeting of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China chaired by Chairman Mao, the decision to develop atomic energy and develop an atomic bomb was made. In April, Chairman Mao once again emphasized in his report "On Ten Major Relations": "China not only needs more aircraft and artillery, but also atomic bombs."

October 8, 1955 On July 1, after stern negotiations by the Chinese government and careful planning and arrangements by Premier Zhou Enlai, Professor Qian Xuesen overcame numerous obstacles and finally returned to his motherland from the United States and arranged to live in Beijing. From November 22 to December 21, Qian Xuesen was accompanied by Zhu Zhaoxiang and others to inspect Northeast China. "First we inspected Shenyang, Anshan Iron and Steel, fighter factories, engine factories and other military industries, then went to Changchun Automobile Manufacturing Plant to visit, and then proposed to visit Harbin Military Engineering Institute."

Because the Harbin Military Industry was a key confidentiality unit at that time, the reception department immediately reported to Chen Geng. Chen Geng heard that Qian Xuesen was going to visit Harbin Military Industry, so he took a special plane from Beijing to Harbin overnight to meet Qian Xuesen. Chen Geng said in his welcome speech: "Our Military Engineering College opens its doors to welcome Mr. Qian Xuesen. For Mr. Qian, we have no secrets to keep."

Qian Xuesen during his two-day visit to the Harbin Military Industry , Chen Geng has been accompanying him to visit. In the college exhibition hall, there are many U.S. military aircraft, tanks, and artillery shells with radio fuses seized from the Korean battlefield. Chen Geng said with a smile: "These are all American things, why should they be kept secret?"

In fact, Qian Xuesen's return to China has already attracted Chen Geng's attention. After Qian Xuesen returned to Beijing from the United States, Chen Geng immediately suggested to Peng Dehuai: Harbin Military Industry has experts and professors who understand aviation and rockets, as well as teaching instruments and equipment. It is best to invite Qian Xuesen to visit and listen to his opinions on China's development of rockets. .

Extended information:

The first missile development facility was built in an ordinary two-story building

The "Opinion Letter on Establishing my country's National Defense Aviation Industry" was written by Qian Xuesen It was drafted in February 1956 at the request of Premier Zhou Enlai.

Qian Xuesen’s son Qian Yonggang said: “Under such difficult conditions in China at that time, the Party Central Committee was determined to develop its own aviation industry and began to research our own rockets and missiles. This is what my father did in the United States. It is not difficult for him to develop aerospace planning, and he does not rely on others. This opinion letter can be said to be the first plan for my country's aerospace development."

Next to this exhibit, There’s a black-and-white photo of an unassuming two-story building. Qian Yonggang introduced that this is my country’s first missile development institution, the Fifth Research Institute of the Ministry of National Defense, which was established in October 1956.

“This was originally a military hospital. After the hospital was moved, my country’s first generation of astronauts, including my father, carried out their earliest start-up work in this environment. People who were at the base at that time , they were eating wild vegetables, it was very difficult, and the country could not give them a lot of money. Under such conditions, the whole country supported the aerospace industry and built the first missile.

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People’s Daily Online—Who was the first person to propose “developing missiles” to Qian Xuesen?