Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

The Prime Minister has not yet returned to China and is currently visiting India. The Commander-in-Chief is 67 years old and has been largely inactive in many specific areas of work since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Besides enforcing Party discipline, he occasionally attends Military Commission meetings and meets with foreign guests.

Chen Yun went to Shanghai, so he did not participate.

Aside from the four members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the rest of the people attending the meeting today were cadres who had some connection to the atomic bomb project.

Wei Hongjun is in charge of the Ministry of Geology and basic industries, and is in charge of uranium exploration and mining.

Li Fuchun and Bo Shuchun were in charge of heavy industry, Mao Zemin was in charge of the Ministry of Finance, and Deng Xixian was the head of the Planning Commission.

Minister Yang Quanwu of the Ministry of Nuclear Industry, along with Vice Ministers Zhao Lu, Han Wei, Liu Jie, and Qian Sanqiang, attended the meeting. In addition to them, Li Siguang, Minister of Geology, also attended.

"Comrades, although we have been supporting the development of the atomic bomb for several years, this is the first time we have sat together to discuss the issue. We must have the atomic bomb. Otherwise, the Americans will scare us with it every day."

The Chairman was humorous and everyone laughed. The atomic bomb was indeed an infuriating thing.

But everyone had come through war, so they still needed to maintain a spirit of revolutionary optimism. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the central government had already considered the issue of the atomic bomb. After Yang Quanwu took charge of the nuclear industry, the central government also provided some funding.

But it’s all preliminary preparation.

At the time, the central government hadn't yet made up its mind to pursue atomic bomb development. However, as China's industrial development improved over the past few years, central government funding began to increase. The central government officially began considering the issue, leading to this meeting.

"Today we are all students, listening to the opinions of the great experts." Qian Sanqiang stood up.

Qian Sanqiang is the only Chinese scientist currently holding the official rank of general. This is not because the state favors Qian Sanqiang, but rather because before he was awarded the rank, he held a position in the Military Commission, serving as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Nuclear Industry.

Military rank should correspond to military position. That's why he got the military position.

He stood up and explained to everyone what an atomic bomb is in very simple language.

Of course, for the leaders present, a general understanding of what an atomic bomb is is sufficient. Qian Sanqiang was quite capable in this area, and everyone could understand what he said.

Li Siguang also brought uranium ore for everyone to see.

After Qian Sanqiang finished speaking, the Chairman asked, "So, if my country wants to develop an atomic bomb, what preparations should it make now? Comrade Yang Chengwu, what preparations has the Ministry of Nuclear Industry made?"

Yang Quanwu has been in charge of the nuclear industry for three years and is quite familiar with this area.

So he said: "Leaders, comrades, to build an atomic bomb, we first need the raw material, and that is uranium ore. Don't worry about this. The Ministry of Geology has been exploring various places in recent years and has discovered several uranium mines that can be mined. According to the exploration results of the Ministry of Geology, these uranium reserves are sufficient for us to build an atomic bomb."

"Once we have uranium, we need to mine it, refine it, and produce the fuel and components needed for the atomic bomb. Of course, before that, we need to do theoretical calculations. Only after all these are solved can we finally assemble and manufacture the atomic bomb. Each of these tasks must be completed successfully before we can successfully manufacture the atomic bomb."

"As for our preliminary work, the Ministry of Geology has already yielded fruitful results in uranium exploration, and Comrade Qian Sanqiang's theoretical research institute has been established. Construction has begun in Beijing on a 7000-kilowatt heavy water reactor and a 1.2-meter-diameter cyclotron imported from the Soviet Union. According to Comrade Zhao Sanli and his theoretical research lab, the heavy water reactor and cyclotron will be officially ready for handover and testing by the end of next year."

"The next thing we need to do is build uranium mining and X-ray component factories, as well as a nuclear weapons research and development base. We need the Soviet Union's support in these areas. Without the support of Soviet machinery and equipment, these factories will be difficult to build in a short period of time. Therefore, we must contact the Soviet Union as soon as possible and request their support in this regard."

"As long as the Soviet Union supports us and we open these factories, then our atomic bomb project will have a foundation and can officially begin."

Yang Quanwu is very excited now.

I'd been doing preliminary work in the nuclear industry for three years, but because the central government hadn't made a decision, I'd been feeling a wave of uncertainty. Now that the central government was beginning to prioritize the atomic bomb, and this time, with so many central leaders gathered to listen to the report, the message was clear.

It’s exciting just thinking about it.

Because the central government hadn't made up its mind before, Yang Quanwu had no choice but to put his skin on the ground and recruit people everywhere. It was because Yang Quanwu was shameless, not afraid of being scolded, and had sufficient rank that he was able to complete these preliminary tasks.

If someone else had been the Minister of Nuclear Industry, most of the previous work would have been impossible to accomplish. Historically, Qian Sanqiang and others did the preliminary work, but because they were scientists, they had no connections in government or military departments.

So the preliminary work was done very slowly.

It can be said that with Yang Quanwu, the preliminary work of the nuclear industry has been done very well. Now we are waiting for negotiations with the Soviet Union to officially start the atomic bomb project.

Comrade Xiuyang asked, "Comrade Yang Quanwu, has your Ministry of Nuclear Industry calculated how much it would cost to build these factories?"

"Have."

Yang Quanwu nodded.

He said, "We've negotiated with the Soviet Union to import the necessary machinery and equipment, as well as a lot of technical information. The Ministry of Nuclear Industry hasn't done detailed calculations on this, because we don't know the Soviet Union's price for these machines and equipment. But we've discussed this with some Soviet experts, so we have a general understanding of how to build these factories. To build these factories, our Ministry of Nuclear Industry has calculated that the first step will require at least 12 billion RMB. This is because we need to build at least two uranium mines and two nuclear fuel component factories. We also need a nuclear industrial base to develop atomic bombs. 12 billion is the initial capital for factory construction, and we can't yet determine the subsequent funding."

Everyone looked at each other.

It's said that developing an atomic bomb is expensive, but I didn't expect it to be this expensive. It cost 12 billion RMB.

In 1954, the Soviet Union assisted the construction of more than ten factories, with a total investment of just over 12 billion RMB. However, the initial cost of developing the atomic bomb was billion RMB. Historically, there are varying accounts of how much China spent on developing the atomic bomb.

China initially calculated the cost of developing the atomic bomb test.

This part of the cost is 28 billion RMB. But if we take into account the factories built to manufacture the atomic bomb, including mines and power plants, China spent tens of billions on the atomic bomb. After the atomic bomb project was launched, the annual expenditure was about 3 million RMB in the first few years, and about 4 million RMB in the later period. When the actual development of the atomic bomb began, that is, in 1961,

In the years from 1964 to 10, the annual expenditure was nearly billion yuan.

You can imagine how expensive it would have been to make an atomic bomb. Just thinking about that amount of money is terrifying. How could they have made 12 billion?

Now the central government is eager to dig up even the rat holes to see if there is any food hidden by the rats.

"If we have the help of the Soviet Union, can we build an atomic bomb?" Gao Gang asked.

Qian Sanqiang said, "Yes. Our theoretical team is now waiting for the heavy water reactor and cyclotron to be built before we begin verifying the data we have. If we can obtain more technical information from the Soviet Union, our research and development work will be able to move forward. The atomic bomb is said to be complex, and it is indeed very complex. But in fact, there are step-by-step procedures. As long as our theoretical team has results and the factories that Minister Yang just mentioned are built, then manufacturing the atomic bomb will be a natural process. We will definitely be able to successfully develop our atomic bomb."

Before Qian Sanqiang returned to China, he was a world leader in atomic research. He and his wife were among the top scientists and technicians in China's nuclear industry. He returned to China specifically to pursue the atomic bomb. For China's atomic research, he literally rummaged through every garbage can in Beijing.

If Yang Quanwu had not come to take charge of the nuclear industry, it would be unknown when his Institute of Atomic Theory would be able to develop.

So he now told the central leadership with certainty that China could build an atomic bomb.

Yang Quanwu noticed that the atmosphere was somewhat depressing.

So he said: "Leaders, comrades, the manufacture of atomic bombs and the development of the nuclear industry are not just for the purpose of making atomic bombs. There is also the hydrogen bomb. More importantly, the world's major powers have begun to use atomic energy for civilian purposes. In June of this year, the Soviet Union just established a nuclear power plant, which generates hundreds of millions of kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This is another industrial revolution and energy revolution. my country is a major country with national defense needs and construction needs. When other major powers begin to use atomic energy for economic development, if my country cannot keep up, we will fall further behind in the future. Therefore, the atomic bomb project must be launched."

The Soviet Union was the first country to use atomic energy in power plants.

In June 1954, the Soviet Union announced the construction of its first nuclear power plant, a news that shocked the world. This was even more so in China. While China was still debating whether to develop the atomic bomb, the Soviet Union had already begun using atomic energy for power generation.

After hearing Yang Quanwu's words, the Chairman smiled and said, "Look, our 'young general in white robes' is full of ambition. Before the atomic bomb project was even launched, he was already thinking about nuclear power plants."

There is a story behind Yang Quanwu's "young general in white robe," and it's not made up.

During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Jin-Cha-Ji region became famous throughout the country for its brilliant achievements.

So when Li Gongpu came to Jin-Cha-Ji for inspection, he saw that Yang Quanwu was handsome and heroic, and he also saw that Yang Quanwu was young, only 25 years old at the time, so he couldn't help but shouting "What a good young general in white robe".

So Yang Quanwu's nickname "Young General in White Robe" was passed down. Even the Chairman teased Yang Quanwu.

However, after the Chairman made a joke, he said, "However, what Comrade Yang Quanwu said does make sense. Our great diplomatic success at this Geneva Conference was due to the victory in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. But resisting the U.S. and aiding Korea alone is not enough. Without a powerful weapon, we have no confidence. The Americans often use atomic bombs to scare us. No matter how much we say we are not afraid, they will not believe us because we really don't have a powerful weapon. Besides, we will definitely need to develop our own nuclear power plants in the future, so we should seriously consider the deployment of atomic bombs. Everyone, please share your opinions."

After hearing what Qian Sanqiang and Yang Quanwu said, the Chairman agreed to develop the atomic bomb.

But this matter is too big.

The Chairman can't make the final decision alone. If there are too many people in the central leadership who oppose it, then the project won't go forward.

“Isn’t it a bit hasty at this stage?”

Comrade Xiuyang hesitated and said, "Our country's finances are still in serious shortage, and our industry is still in the stage of laying the foundation. If the atomic bomb

Launching the project will only further exacerbate financial pressures. We can postpone it until our finances improve before we begin developing the atomic bomb. We should wait until at least the end of the First Five-Year Plan before considering the atomic bomb project.

"I don't think it's appropriate. If you keep putting this off today and tomorrow, you never know when it will be ready. The First Five-Year Plan was already undergoing adjustments, and now is the right time. Construction on nuclear missiles should begin immediately."

Gao Gang disagrees.

The most frightening thing about doing work is to look ahead and behind.

If you think too much about everything, how can you get your work done?

Comrade Xiuyang said, "Comrade Gao Gang, this isn't something we can just say we're going to start. Once the atomic bomb project is underway, it's going to cost a fortune. In addition to the factories Comrade Yang Quanwu mentioned, we also need to build more supporting factories. Not to mention the power plant. Comrade Cai Quanwu mentioned 12 billion, but if we really start, it'll cost at least 201 billion. We can't just rely on enthusiasm to do our work; we have to consider all aspects of the situation."

Comrade Xiuyang has also been working on this for many years. He won't object casually.

The fiscal deficit has been in place in recent years.

After entering 1954, the fiscal balance finally began to be achieved.

This balance is achieved through the meticulous art of reducing the number of Party members and cadres and reducing vehicle assets. Where will the government find the billions of yuan?

And this is just the beginning of construction.

Once the atomic bomb project is underway, the cost will be even greater. Two billion, three billion, that's not enough. Such a large sum of money might even affect the development of other industries. In Comrade Xiuyang's view, the atomic bomb isn't that urgent.

The United States is just trying to scare you.

China is currently leaning towards one side, enjoying Soviet protection on the atomic bomb issue. With Soviet protection, China can prioritize economic development. Once economic growth is complete, it will have the resources to develop nuclear weapons.

Why rush now?

The Chairman listened to the argument between Comrade Xiu Yang and Gao Gang and turned to ask, "Comrade Mao Zemin, can the Ministry of Finance provide this funding?"

Mao Zemin was very serious.

He mentally calculated the amount, considering it was no small sum. After a while, Mao Zemin finally said, "That depends on whether other industrial projects will be added to the First Five-Year Plan. If we only follow the First Five-Year Plan, without any other investments, then the government can allocate the funds. But this only applies to the First Five-Year Plan. As for the Second Five-Year Plan, we'll have to review and adjust it."

Draft First Five-Year Plans were drawn up in 1950 and 1951. Soviet experts reviewed them and corrected any flaws. After years of this struggle, the Planning Commission gradually became familiar with how to formulate national plans. The First Five-Year Plan was officially finalized in 1952.

The First Five-Year Plan was formulated based on the economic performance of the previous few years. However, in 1953, during the second half of the First Five-Year Plan, a major adjustment was made to the plan. Khrushchev's Soviet aid project was a key factor in the project. To support this project, Party cadres' salaries and military spending were reduced, and billions of yuan in funding was allocated.

However, when the First Five-Year Plan was formulated, the growth rate of government revenue would not be so fast.

就像是1954年年初,财歧部观'的I时T7收入是377亿。可是从现在的情况来看,今生的财以以人超过420亿是没有问题的。而且根据目前经济发展情况，毛泽民相信1955年和1956年的财政收入还可以增长几十亿。

Therefore, as long as no major projects were launched in 1955 and 1956, Mao Zemin believed that there would be no financial problems. He believed that it would be possible to allocate to billion RMB to support the atomic bomb project.

Mao Zemin's words made all the leaders present breathe a sigh of relief.

Because money is everything. With money, everything is easy; without money, nothing can be done. Now that Mao Zemin, on behalf of the Ministry of Finance, has stated that the finance department can provide the funds, the biggest obstacle has been overcome.

"Comrade Deng Xixian, what about your Planning Committee? Do you have any other plans for 1955 and 1956?"

"There are currently no plans to make major changes to the First Five-Year Plan. Unless something unexpected happens, there will be no changes to the First Five-Year Plan."

Deng Xixian answered. The Chairman nodded.

Deng Xixian and Mao Zemin had both said this, so the Chairman had an idea in mind. But this was a big deal, so the Chairman asked, "What do other comrades think?"

"I think we should get on the horse."

Marshal Nie spoke.

Marshal Nie not only wanted to support Yang Quanwu, but also believed that the atomic bomb must be put into production. A country like China must have an atomic bomb. Only in this way could the security of the new China be guaranteed.

Wei Hongjun followed the crowd and nodded.

历史上1955年中央决定上马原子弹的时候,各方面情况远不如现在。当时1954年财政收入，也就是中央财政收入和地方财政收入加起来才253亿元。1955年也不过是255亿元。

The First Five-Year Plan had just begun, so the industrial base was also very poor.

By comparison, the central and local fiscal revenues now total over 400 billion yuan. In terms of industrial base, it is far ahead of the historical level.

It is entirely possible to launch the atomic bomb project. Li Fuchun and Bo Shuchun also nodded.