Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

The South China Reclamation Bureau adopted a "mainland first, Hainan second" approach, thus withholding resources from Hainan. However, this did not prevent Hainan from developing its own rubber industry. Consequently, Hainan established its own First Forestry Engineering Division to independently develop the rubber industry. Thanks to the First Forestry Engineering Division and Hainan's existing rubber industry base, the Hainan Military and Political Committee decided to establish a public-private partnership for Hainan's rubber plantations. Thanks to everyone's efforts, Hainan was able to expand its rubber plantation area from over 30,000 mu (approximately 120,000 mu) in less than two years.

Then soon the Second Corps was also reorganized.

It became a public security force under the Hainan Military Region, designated the Hainan Public Security First Division. At the same time, some older soldiers were given professional positions. To ensure their professionalism, the central government allocated 230 billion yuan (old currency) to accommodate these professional soldiers.

The reason why the central government mobilized so much money was because it took into account the historical contributions of the Qiongya Column.

The Hainan Military Region then reorganized the First Corps into the First Independent Division of the Hainan Military Region, which consists of approximately 7000 personnel. This is currently the only unit in the Hainan Military Region. Of course, this does not mean that Hainan does not have other units.

The 16th Army of the 47th Corps is stationed here.

The 47th Army, formerly the Third Column of the Northeast Field Army, was Deng's first major column in the Northeast. Following Deng's campaigns, it fought from South Manchuria to Hainan. Three armies participated in the Hainan offensive, but Deng ultimately retained the 47th Army, his most loyal, to combat banditry. However, to prepare for further conflict on the Korean Peninsula, the 49th Army was transferred to form the Northeast Frontier Defense Army, forcing the 47th Army to remain in Hainan.

In order to discuss the security of Hainan, the Premier chaired a meeting of the Central Military Commission.

At this CMC meeting, the 47th Army stationed in Hainan was formally incorporated into the Hainan Military Region. An anti-aircraft artillery division was also incorporated into the Hainan Military Region to bolster its air defense capabilities. Four coastal defense regiments were also added to Hainan.

The 19th Army of the 69th Corps was then reorganized, with the 205th Division reorganized into the Second Public Security Division of the Hainan Military Region, and the former First Independent Division of the Hainan Military Region reorganized into the Third Public Security Division of the Hainan Military Region. A Public Security Army was established under the Hainan Military Region, with Cai Changyuan, deputy commander of the 69th Army, transferred to serve as its commander.

The 206th and 207th Divisions were reorganized into the 69nd and 69rd Hainan Forestry Engineering Divisions. Together with the existing st Forestry Engineering Division, the three forestry engineering divisions were reorganized into the Hainan Reclamation Corps. Zhang Yinghui, former commander of the th Army, was appointed commander of the Hainan Reclamation Corps, and Li Zhen, former political commissar of the th Army, was appointed political commissar of the Hainan Reclamation Corps.

It can be said that this move has greatly increased the strength of the Hainan Military Region.

The Hainan Military Region was reorganized from the Qiongya Column, and was originally a corps-level unit. However, with the incorporation of the 47th Army and the reorganization of the 69th Army into the Hainan Military Region, the region's strength increased significantly. It was no longer suitable for a corps-level organization.

Therefore, the meeting decided to formally separate the Hainan Military Region from the Guangdong Provincial Military Region and place it directly under the leadership of the South China Military Region. It also decided to increase the Hainan Military Region's organization from an army-level unit to a deputy corps-level unit.

The Central Military Commission appointed Cheng Zhicai, former commander of the 16th Corps, as the third deputy commander of the South China Military Region. The Hainan Military Region also appointed Xiao Siming, former commander of the 47th Army, as its first deputy commander, and Zhang Yinghui, former commander of the 69th Army, as its second deputy commander. Sha Xuewen was transferred from the Guangxi Military Region to serve as the first deputy political commissar of the Hainan Military Region, and Li Zhen as its second deputy political commissar.

The reason for appointing so many deputy commanders and deputy political commissars is that, while Cheng Zhicai serves as the top commander of the Hainan Military Region, his primary duties are not in Hainan. Furthermore, while the Hainan Military Region has become independent from the Guangdong Military Region, it cannot currently fully depart from the Guangdong Military Region's support. Therefore, Cheng Zhicai is being given concurrent responsibilities in the Hainan Military Region.

The current South China Military Region commander, Deng Guo, and first deputy commander, Yang Dezhi, have both left. Therefore, the region's day-to-day operations are now led by its second deputy commander, Chen Kaikun, formerly commander of the 19th Corps, and third political commissar, Lai Chuanzhu, and deputy political commissar, Wang Daobang.

Cheng Zhicai is the third deputy commander of the South China Military Region, primarily responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Guangdong Military Region. Therefore, it's unlikely that Cheng Zhicai will be assigned to Hainan. The actual operations of the Hainan Military Region will be overseen by Xiao Siming and Sha Xuewen.

Sha Xuewen is a graduate of Yenching University. He served as the political commissar of the Iron Blood Anti-Japanese Team, which was composed of students from various universities in Peking. After the Iron Blood Anti-Japanese Team was assigned to the Eighth Column in 1939, it received even more attention. He first served as the political commissar of the Special Forces Regiment and went to Rehe with Kang Shui to open up a base. Later, he served as the director of the Political Department of the Eighth Brigade and the political commissar of the First Special Forces Brigade. After entering the Northeast, he was later incorporated into Li Tianyou's Fourth Column. He served as the political commissar of the brigade, director of the column's political department, and later as the deputy political commissar of the column. When the Fourth Column was reorganized into the 39th Army, he served as the political commissar of the 39th Army. After the 13th Corps was changed to the Guangxi Military Region, he served as the director of the Political Department of the Guangxi Military Region.

This time, the Hainan Military Region was established, and Sha Xuewen was once again appointed as the deputy political commissar and director of the political department of the Hainan Military Region. After arriving here, Sha Xuewen was not unfamiliar at all.

When Cheng Zhicai was in the Ji-Re-Liaoning Military Region, he fought several joint operations with troops from the Ji-Re-Cha Military Region, and they were very familiar with each other. Even Xiao Siming, commander of the 47th Army, was a cadre from the st Red Army Division and Yang Quanwu's Independent Regiment. However, he later went to the Ji-Re-Liaoning Military Region to fight under Deng Guo.

With these adjustments, Hainan officially entered the stage of large-scale development.

878 Overseas Chinese Affairs

"Vice Premier Wei."

After dealing with the rubber battle, Wei Hongjun met with He Kang alone.

Wei Hongjun had long wanted to meet He Kang alone. He had a mission in Beijing. He had already coordinated with the South China Reclamation Bureau and Yunnan authorities to investigate Yunnan and determine which areas were suitable for large-scale coffee cultivation. However, He Kang hadn't gone to Yunnan, remaining on the Leizhou Peninsula.

It's just that I've been too busy during this period.

No time to talk to him.

Now that he had time, he wanted to meet him. But Wei Hongjun hadn't approached him yet, so he approached Wei Hongjun first. He Kang hadn't come alone when he arrived, but had brought someone with him. It was a scholar in his forties.

"Vice Premier Wei, this is Comrade Cai Xitao, Director of the Kunming Station of the Institute of Plant Taxonomy, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has been studying plants and animals in Yunnan for twenty years. His station was also mobilized for this rubber campaign. I met Comrade Cai Xitao on the Leizhou Peninsula and talked with him about Yunnan. I found him very familiar with the region. Later, I heard that Vice Premier Wei was going south, so I waited for you on the Leizhou Peninsula."

He Kang immediately introduced Cai Xitao to Wei Hongjun.

At the same time, he explained to Wei Hongjun why he hadn't gone to Yunnan. Although he was young, he was a member of the underground party after all, so his words were flawless. Then he said: "Comrade Cai Xitao told me that he knows which areas in Yunnan are best for growing coffee."

"Comrade Cai Xitao, hello."

Wei Hongjun extended his hand to shake hands with Cai Xitao.

Cai Xitao said, "Vice Premier Wei, this is the map of Yunnan I brought with me. According to my information, the best place to grow coffee in Yunnan is the Pu'er Special District. The climate and soil here are very suitable for growing coffee trees, and many people have already successfully grown coffee trees here. I've visited those successful coffee-growing areas before, and I haven't found any problems with the coffee trees acclimatizing properly."

Cai Xitao pointed to the Pu'er area.

Pu'er Prefecture currently has over 20 counties under its jurisdiction, making it a very large prefecture. The main areas of the later Pu'er City and Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture are now Pu'er Prefecture.

Wei Hongjun was aware that Pu'er City later became famous for its tea production, and Xishuangbanna for its coffee production. Of course, Wei Hongjun only had a superficial understanding, as he wasn't specifically interested in these matters. Pu'er City is also a renowned coffee base in China. Coffee production in Pu'er and Xishuangbanna accounts for over 80% of China's total coffee production.

“What if you want to plant hundreds of thousands of acres?”

"No problem."

Cai Xitao said confidently, "My family drinks coffee, too. When I was in Yunnan, I drank coffee produced here. The climate and soil conditions in this area are very suitable for growing coffee trees. In addition to coffee, sugarcane and tea are also important producing areas. Planting hundreds of thousands of acres of coffee trees in this place, as long as the plan is well-planned, will definitely be successful."

Wei Hongjun nodded.

What Wei Hongjun needed now was the technicians' reports. With their reports, he could begin developing the area. However, transportation was a major issue in this era. Why was it easiest to develop light industry in coastal areas?

It’s because of traffic reasons.

Furthermore, developing light industry requires supporting infrastructure. Transportation is one area, and even the most basic water and electricity systems must be in place. These are no simple tasks. This explains why China was able to rapidly absorb foreign industries after reform and opening up.

This is because China at that time had the strength to provide supporting industries for these light industries.

Wherever development is needed, transportation is inconvenient, or water and electricity are lacking, the government can provide it all in a short period of time. Look at the speed of Shenzhen's development; they build whatever you need. This is the unleashed energy of the industrial base of the past three decades. But now, even building a power plant is a major national project. Power plants account for a significant portion of Soviet aid projects, precisely because it's difficult for China to build a single power plant on its own.

Many people never consider these factors when criticizing the early years of the People's Republic of China for not developing light industry. Wei Hongjun unknowingly overestimated his own potential.

Wei Hongjun quickly came to his senses and said, "Comrade Cai Xitao, could you please organize these contents and write a report for me?"

"OK."

Cai Xitao stayed in Yunnan for twenty years.

I have been studying the various animals and plants in Yunnan, so I am very familiar with Yunnan.

"It's not just about coffee. You just said that this place is also suitable for growing tea and sugarcane. Please write all of this down." Sugarcane and tea are both major commodities among China's exports.

Just like the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries, there is a huge demand for Chinese tea. Planting sugarcane and developing the sugar industry here is also a very important project. Sugar is a scarce commodity and a strategic material in this era.

"Yes."

"Comrade He Kang, I want you to take some people into Yunnan to make preliminary plans. I can't say the details yet, but I can briefly explain that the central government may establish an agricultural reclamation base in this area in the future, building a large-scale state-owned farm and planting approximately 50 mu of coffee trees. However, this is just the most preliminary idea. When we reclaim wasteland here and build an agricultural reclamation base, we can't just plant coffee trees. We will also plant other crops based on the specific conditions here. I want you to enter Yunnan before us and help us identify areas suitable for large-scale reclamation and which areas are most suitable for coffee bases."

"Vice Premier Wei, am I not going to Hainan?"

He Kangdu has already prepared to go to Hainan.

Although He Kang knew that living conditions in Hainan were poor and that there were various threats, with so many scientific research institutions moving to Hainan, He Kang didn't want to be left behind. Although he came from a wealthy family, he didn't have the pampered airs of other rich kids. Even his wife, though a spoiled young woman, was willing to follow him to Hainan to contribute to the rubber war. Later, many people commented on her, saying that she didn't have strong beliefs, but was driven by love. She supported whatever her husband decided, never complaining, no matter how difficult the situation.

Besides, He Kang has been studying rubber issues in the past two years and is planning to go to Hainan to show his skills.

Wei Hongjun said, "Rubber planting in Hainan is important, but right now we're in the rubber war, and people are being drawn from all over the country, so they have no shortage of manpower. But Yunnan can't possibly have so many people to support the construction of its agricultural reclamation base. Yet, the Yunnan agricultural reclamation base is also crucial, and it's also related to our country's grand strategy of earning foreign exchange through exports. You've seen the situation during this rubber war. Many of our cadres are inexperienced and prefer to use the methods of wartime to advance their work. However, without scientific guidance, blindly advancing work will ultimately result in half the effort, or even failure. We must learn from this lesson. Therefore, I hope that the construction of the agricultural reclamation base in Yunnan can proceed under scientific guidance. Go there and conduct a thorough investigation, and provide our cadres with the best possible report. This will help them avoid detours and successfully complete the construction of the agricultural reclamation base."

"Vice Premier Wei, I understand. I am willing to go to Yunnan." He Kang nodded.

He Kang's faith was unwavering. He might not have been a true communist, but he was a nationalist, perhaps even a patriot. His motivation for joining the revolution was primarily his belief that the Communist Party could lead the country and nation to independence and lead the new China toward prosperity.

So he was willing to give everything he had.

Going to Hainan was work, and going to Yunnan was also work, both of which were contributions to the prosperity of the country. The task Wei Hongjun gave him was not an easy one.

But he was willing to accept the challenge.

Wei Hongjun nodded and said, "Comrade He Kang, I'll discuss the specific appointment with the Yunnan authorities later. Remember, your work will determine the future development of the Yunnan Agricultural Reclamation Base. Furthermore, your time is limited, so you must quickly determine a base for coffee cultivation."

"Yes."

After dealing with these things, Wei Hongjun did not go back immediately.

Because the Central Committee gave Wei Hongjun a new task.

Because Wei Hongjun was in Guangdong, the Central Committee asked him to investigate matters concerning overseas Chinese. As the Eighth National Congress approached, the Central Committee had more and more things to summarize. Just like the Seventh National Congress, the convening of the Eighth National Congress required the Party Central Committee to finalize many important matters.

Especially the route direction.

By then, the People's Republic of China would have been established for almost four years, and the central government would have to summarize the development of the past four years and propose how to develop in the next five years.

"Old Zhou, Mr. Zhuang, Comrade Liao Chengzhi."

Besides Wei Hongjun, the officials ordered by the Central Committee to investigate overseas Chinese issues included Mao Zemin, Zhuang Xiquan, and Liao Chengzhi, currently Vice Chairmen of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee. All three had been in Guangdong for some time, but Wei Hongjun had been supporting the rubber campaign, so they conducted their own investigations first.

Zhuang Xiquan, 63 years old, is one of the overseas Chinese leaders in the country, second only to Chen Jiageng and Situ Meitang.

In his early years, Zhuang Xiquan followed Sun Yat-sen in his pursuit of industrial development to save the nation, raising significant funds for the Tongmenghui's early revolutionary movement. During the May 30th Movement, he served as an executive officer for the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Kuomintang. Due to the KMT-CCP ​​collaboration, they led a vigorous anti-Japanese goods campaign in Xiamen. As a result, he was captured by the Japanese and imprisoned for over nine months. He was only released after numerous efforts from various parties.

After the September 18th Incident, he promoted anti-Japanese resistance in Shanghai and co-founded a newspaper with overseas Chinese in the Philippines to call for resistance. As a result, he was arrested by the Japanese and imprisoned. After he was finally released, he was arrested by Kuomintang spies again.

Before the founding of New China, he mainly engaged in import and export trade.

Because he has been calling for revolution in China and Southeast Asia for many years, he has extensive connections both in China and Southeast Asia.

Liao Chengzhi, needless to say, was the son of the renowned KMT leftist Liao Zhongkai and a prominent member of our Party. Because the Liao and He families had extensive connections in Southeast Asia, Liao Chengzhi was also a key cadre in our Party's work with overseas Chinese.

"Old Wei."

"Vice Premier Wei." "Comrade Wei Hongjun."

After everyone greeted each other, they all sat down.

Wei Hongjun said: "Why did the Central Committee suddenly start to consider investigating the issue of overseas Chinese?" Wei Hongjun didn't quite understand.

Although Wei Hongjun knew that the Eighth National Congress would certainly discuss issues concerning overseas Chinese, during the two years of mutual exploration between the new China and overseas Chinese, there were no urgent issues in overseas Chinese affairs that needed to be resolved.

Besides, the central government had already begun formulating various policies for overseas Chinese before the founding of the People's Republic of China. That's why the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission was established. Zhuang Xiquan said: "Didn't Vice Premier Wei write a report to the central government on the development of light industry?"

"Correct."

After discussing this with Mao Zemin, Wei Hongjun carefully considered the development of China's light industry. The country's grand strategy could not be changed.

Especially now that Soviet aid projects are continuously flowing into China, after Stalin's death, Khrushchev will inevitably offer China more benefits in order to consolidate his position. Just like in history, in 1953, Khrushchev brought most of the Soviet Union's senior leaders to visit China.

What are you here for?

It is to gain China's support.

Khrushchev wasn't Stalin's designated successor, but he rose to become the Soviet leader. However, Khrushchev lacked prestige. Despite becoming the leader of the Soviet Union, he lacked experience and his appeal within the socialist camp couldn't compare to Stalin's. To consolidate his position within the socialist camp, he sought to woo China, second only to the Soviet Union, by providing it with more aid projects.

Does China want these projects?

Of course you have to.

If you don’t eat the meat that is right in your mouth, you are not a fool.

No matter how high the cost, no matter how indigestible, we have to eat it. Because if we eat it all, China's most basic industry will be established. China's industrialization will have the most solid foundation. But eating it will really cause indigestion.

These basic industries are money-eating beasts. Moreover, they simply cannot sustain themselves in the short term. Like a Pilin, they only eat and do not excrete in the early stages of development. This will put enormous pressure on China's finances.

So how can we improve the lives of the people?

Heavy industry is good, but it's not something you can eat or drink. It's useless for improving people's lives in the short term; instead, it lowers their standard of living. New China was founded, but if living standards don't improve, how can anyone support it?