Famous Scientists in China and Their Stories

Qian Xuesen's story before returning to China

When the first five-star red flag was slowly raised in Tiananmen Square in 1949, Qian Xuesen, then director of the supersonic laboratory of California Institute of Technology and head of the Guggenheim Jet Propulsion Research Center, was deeply happy for the rebirth of the motherland. He intends to return to China and use his professional knowledge to serve the new China. However, it was not easy for China scientists in the United States to return to China at that time, and Qian Xuesen's expertise was directly related to national defense, so he finally returned to the embrace of the motherland after going through hardships. His tortuous struggle process showed Qian Xuesen's love for the motherland at that time, which was very touching.

1in mid-September, 950, Qian Xuesen resigned as the director of the supersonic laboratory of California Institute of Technology and the head of the Guggenheim Jet Propulsion Research Center, and went through the formalities of returning to China. He bought a plane ticket from Canada to Hong Kong and gave his luggage to the handling company for consignment.

However, just two days before he planned to leave Los Angeles, he suddenly received a notice from the US Immigration and Naturalization Service that he was not allowed to return to China! The Immigration Bureau threatened to leave the country without authorization and be fined or even jailed if caught!

A few days later, Qian Xuesen was arrested in the detention center of the US Immigration and Naturalization Service. The "crime" is "participating in a political party that advocates overthrowing the US government by force".

The luggage handed over by Qian Xuesen to the handling company was inspected by the US Customs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is said that telegraph codes, weapons drawings and the like are all "found" from it. The Immigration and Naturalization Bureau wants to "interrogate" Qian Xuesen, saying that Qian Xuesen is "party member made in the United States". Later, it was said that among several American classmates that Qian Xuesen knew when he was studying in the United States, several of them worked in party member. The Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization threatened Qian Xuesen to "violate American immigration laws" and "expel Qian Xuesen". It didn't take long for him to change his mind. Because Qian Xuesen is going to be "deported", which is exactly what Qian Xuesen wants! In the detention center, Qian Xuesen was imprisoned like a criminal. Qian Xuesen once recalled: "15 days of confinement, I lost 30 pounds." In the detention center, every night, spies will come in every hour to wake you up, so that you can't rest and are in an extremely nervous state. "

The persecution of Qian Xuesen by the Immigration and Naturalization Service aroused public indignation in the American scientific community. Many American friendly people came forward to rescue Qian Xuesen and find a defense lawyer for him. They raised $ 15000 as a deposit to bail Qian Xuesen out of the detention center.

1June, 955, Qian Xuesen wrote to Comrade Chen Shutong, then vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC), asking the party and government to help him return to the embrace of the motherland at an early date. Premier Zhou attached great importance to this matter and instructed relevant personnel to deal with it at an appropriate time. After hard work, in June 195565438+ 10/8, Qian Xuesen's family finally returned to the motherland after 20 years' absence. Soon, he was appointed as the director of the Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.