The making of an intellectual hero: Chinese narratives of Qian Xuesen

China Quarterly

Volumn , Issue 206, 2011, Pages 352-371

  Wang, Ning ^a  

^a BROCK UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

BIOGRAPHY; HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE;

EID: 79960260935     PISSN: 03057410     EISSN: 14682648     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1017/S0305741011000300     Document Type: Article

References (105)

1. Among the scholarship that deal with these changes, see esp. Merle Goldman, Sowing the Seeds of Democracy in China: Political Reform in the Deng Xiaoping Era (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1994);
2. Timothy Cheek, "The new Chinese intellectual: globalized, disoriented, reoriented," in Lionel Jensen and Timothy Weston (eds.), China's Transformations: The Stories beyond the Headlines (Lanham, MD; Rowman & Littlefield, 2007);
3. and Joseph Fewsmith, China Since Tiananmen: from Deng Xiaoping to Hu Jintao (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008).
4. Renmin ribao (People's Daily), 17 October 1991, p. 1.
5. Wang Shouyun, Qian Xuesen zhuan (A Biography of Qian Xuesen), in Kexuejia zhuanji dacidian bianjizu (ed.), Zhongguo xiandai kexuejia zhuanji (Biographies of Modern Chinese Scientists) (Beijing: Kexue chubanshe, 1991), Vol. 1, pp. 767-73;
6. Iris Chang, Thread of the Silkworm (New York: Basic Books, 1995), pp. xi-xiii, 40-84, 139-43.
7. Wang Shouyun, A Biography of Qian Xuesen, pp. 773-74;
8. Chang, Thread of the Silkworm, pp. 158-62, 168, 188-89.
9. Tu Yuanji, Renmin kexuejia Qian Xuesen (People's Scientist Qian Xuesen) (Shanghai: Shanghai jiaotong daxue chubanshe, 2003), p.137;
10. Chang, Thread of the Silkworm, pp. 208-11;
11. "Tsien revisited," in Caltech News, Vol. 36, No.1 (2002), pp. 5-6.
12. See Li Yutang, "Qian Xuesen lun zhishi mijixing caochanye" ("Qian Xuesen on knowledge-intensive grass industry"), in Beijing daxue xiandai kexue yu zhexue yanjiu zhongxin (ed.), Qian Xuesen yu xiandai kexue jishu (Qian Xuesen and Modern Science and Technology) (Beijing: Renmin chubanshe, 2001), ch. 11 for "hybridized grass" programme;
13. and Dai Ruwei, "Qian Xuesen lun dacheng zhihui" ("Qian Xuesen on the Great Wisdom"), ibid. ch. 13, for dacheng zhihui.
14. Tu Yuanji, People's Scientist, p. 157.
15. Chang, Thread of the Silkworm, p. xiv;
16. Caltech News, Vol. 36, No 1 (2002), p.7;
17. Aviation Week and Space Technology, Vol. 168, No. 1 (2008).
18. H. Lyman Miller, Science and Dissent in Post-Mao China (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1996), pp. 202-04, 236, 280.
19. Brian Harvey, China's Space Program: From Conception to Manned Spaceflight (Berlin: Springe, 2004).
20. In 1957, Qian's Gongcheng kongzhi lun (Treaties on Engineering and Control System) was granted the First Class Natural Science Award by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and in 1985 he received, together with other scientists, a National Science and Technology Development Special Award for his contributions to ballistic missile technology.
21. See Wang Shouyun, A Biography of Qian Xuesen, pp. 775, 781.
22. See People's Daily, 17 October 1991, p.1, for Jiang's speech;
23. see 17-21 October 1991 issues for praise by other top leaders.
24. See Qian Xuesen bangongshi (ed.), Jiushi huadan Qian Xuesen (90th Birthday of Qian Xuesen) (Shanghai: Shanghai jiaotong daxue chubanshe, 2003), preface.
25. The coverage and photographs of these events have been mostly incorporated in ibid. pp.13-29, 323-579.
26. Cong Cao, China's Scientific Elite (New York: RoutledgeCurzon, 2004), pp. 56-59.
27. Wang Shouyun, A Biography of Qian Xuesen, pp.775-76;
28. Chang, Thread of the Silkworm, pp. 212-13.
29. Wang Shouyun, A Biography of Qian Xuesen, pp. 778-79;
30. Chang, Thread of the Silkworm, p. 228.
31. For instance, Jiang Zemin recognized in 1991 that "Comrade Qian Xuesen, with his profound knowledge and great ardour for the cause of people, played a very important role in organizing and leading the research and development of rocket, missile and spacecraft of new China." People's Daily, 17 October 1991, p. 1.
32. Li Cheng and Lynn White, "The Fifteenth Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party: fullfledged technocratic leadership with partial control by Jiang Zemin," in Asian Survey, Vol. 38, No. 3 (1998), pp. 231-64. (Pubitemid 28469879)
33. See Chang, Thread of the Silkworm, pp. 236-37, 240-41, 254, 259;
34. Kexue dazhong (Science for the Masses), June 1958, pp. 228-30;
35. People's Daily, 28 June 1989, p. 5.
36. That the scientists were unwilling to follow the Party line is well noted. In February 1989, for instance, dozens of scientists initiated a petition to the CCP leadership calling for the release of "all young people who have been sentenced to prison or labour reform for ideological reasons." Miller, Science and Dissent in Post-Mao China, pp. 232-33.
37. The scientists who participated in the Tiananmen protest turned out to be more popular with their colleagues. Cong Cao, China's Scientific Elite, pp. 193-94.
38. See Qian Xuesen, "Jichu kexue yanjiu yinggai jieshou Makesi zhuyi zhexue de zhidao" ("Research in the basic sciences should accept the guidance of Marxist philosophy"), Zhexue yanjiu, No 10 (1989), pp. 3-8.
39. The citation issued by the PRC State Council specified that in addition to his deep love of the Communist Party, Qian "persistently studies Marxism, Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought and conducts his scientific activities under the guidance of Marxist philosophy." People's Daily, 17 October 1991, p.1.
40. See Fewsmith, China Since Tiananmen, pp. 10, 159-61.
41. See both Li Peng's speech on 7 August 1989 (People's Daily, 8 August 1989, p. 1)
42. and Jiang Zemin's speech at the bestowing ceremony (People's Daily, 17 October 1991, p. 1).
43. http://www.house.gov /coxreport/chapfs/ch4.html;
44. People's Daily, 16 July 1999, p. 2.
45. for instance, in his speech on the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the PRC Jiang Zemin announced that "it is impossible to build socialism without knowledge and intellectuals" and that the Party's intellectual policy would not change because of the "political disturbance" in 1989. People's Daily, 30 September 1989.
46. James H. Williams, "Fang Lizhi's big bang: a physicist and the state in China," HSPS, Vol. 30, No. 1 (1999), pp. 49-87.
47. People's Daily, 17 October 1991, p. 1.
48. See Lai Jingping, "Yingmo suzao de yunzuo jizhi yu xiaoguo fenxi" ("Analysis of the mechanism of hero/model construction and its impacts"), in Dangdai Zhongguo yanjiu (Modern China Studies), Vol. 99 (2007);
49. Lu Ruihua (ed.), Gongheguo yingxiongpu (Heroes of the People's Republic) (Guangzhou: Huacheng chubanshe, 2001. A new trend is that the models/heroes to be glorified are diverse and draw closer to real life: figures such as old ladies enthusiastic for community affairs and devoted firefighters are all being incorporated into television and press coverage.
50. Shuai Yonggang, Lei Feng 1940-1962 (Beijing: Sanlian shudian, 2006).
51. Mark Elvin, "Female virtue and the state in China," Past and Present, Vol.104 (1984), pp. 111-52.
52. See e.g. the coverage that appeared in People's Daily, 19-22 October 1991.
53. Chang, Thread of the Silkworm, pp. 243-45;
54. Tu Yuanji, People's Scientist, pp. 156, 203-04.
55. Chang, Thread of the Silkworm, pp. 243-45, 257, 260;
56. two of my interviewees in CAS, Xing and Tang (interviewed on 13-14 May 2008, Beijing), criticized Qian's endorsement of ESP as supporting the "practice of superstition";
57. one called him "the greatest pseudo-scientist in China."
58. Tu Yuanji, People's Scientist, p. 197;
59. Qian Yonggang, interview, Beijing, 12 May 2008.
60. Among five versions of Qian's biography Tu has published so far, the most comprehensive is Renmin kexuejia Qian Xuesen (People's Scientist Qian Xuesen) (Shanghai: Jiaotong daxue chubanshe, 2003).
61. Wang Wenhua, Qian Xuesen shilu (The Veritable Records of Qian Xuesen) (Chengdu: Sichuan wenyi chubanshe, 2002), pp. 7-12;
62. Qi Shuying, Qian Xuesen (Shijiazhuang: Hebei jiaoyu chubanshe,1999), pp. 2-11;
63. Hu Shihong, Qian Xuesen (Beijing: Zhongguo qingnian chubanshe, 1997), pp. 15-16.
64. Wang Wenhua, The Veritable Records, p. 8;
65. Qi Shuying, Qian Xuesen, pp. 24-26, 63;
66. Hu Shihong, QianXuesen, pp. 55-64.
67. Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik, "Party historiography," in Jonathan Unger (ed.), Using the Past to Serve the Present: Historiography and Politics in Contemporary China (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 1993), pp.151-73.
68. Thomas Scharping, "The man, the myth, the message-new trends in Mao literature from China," The China Quarterly, No. 137 (1994), pp. 168-79.
69. See Wang Shouyun, A Biography of Qian Xuesen, pp. 768, 774, 781;
70. Tu Yuanji, People's Scientist, pp. 7, 15, 16, 21.
71. Qi Shuying, Qian Xuesen, pp. 88-89;
72. Wang Wenhua, The Veritable Records, p. 8. When interviewed on 12 May 2008, Qian Yonggang said that he had never heard such stories from his father.
73. With regard to their descriptions about Qian's experiences in the US, I don't exclude the possibility that these authors have consulted Wen Yang, Qian Xuesen zai Meiguo (Qian Xuesen in the US) (Beijing: Renmin chubanshe, 1984), but there is no footnote indicating this.
74. Comparing Wang Shouyun, A Biography of Qian Xuesen, pp. 769, 770, 773, 775,
75. with Hu Shihong, Qian Xuesen, pp. 26, 48, 61, 88,
76. Qi Shuying, Qian Xuesen, pp. 134, 135, 142, 159, 209,
77. and Wang Wenhua, The Veritable Records, pp. 25, 34, 77, 110, one can clearly see this massive borrowing.
78. Wang Shouyun, A Biography of Qian Xuesen, p. 775.
79. Tu Yuanji, People's Scientist, pp. 45-48.
80. See Hu Shihong, Qian Xuesen, pp. 88-89;
81. Wang Wenhua, The Veritable Records, p. 110,
82. and Qi Shuying, Qian Xuesen, p. 209.
83. Wang Shouyun, A Biography of Qian Xuesen, p. 768;
84. Tu Yuanji, People's Scientist, p. 6;
85. and Tu Yuanji, "Qian Xuesen," in Zhonggong dangshi yanjiuhui (ed.), Zhonggong dangshi renwu zhuan (Biographies of Important Figures in CCP History) (Beijing: Zhongyang wenxian chubanshe, 2002), Vol. 76, p. 71.
86. Qi Shuying, Qian Xuesen, pp. 26-27.
87. For instance, Tu Yuanji many times expressed his admiration for Qian's highly organized mind, personality and moral virtues (simplicity, generosity and modesty). See his People's Scientist, pp. 153, 198-99, 203-04.
88. Qi Shuying's biographical works of Qian were published with slightly different titles by Huashan wenyi chubanshe (1997), Hebei jiaoyu chubanshe (1999), Hebei shao'er chubanshe (2001), and Jiefangjun chubanshe (2001); Hu Shihong's works on PLA general Zhang Aiping were published with Zuojia chubanshe (1998), Shanghai wenyi chubanshe (2000) and Renmin chubanshe (2006). A large portion of Wang Wenhua's The Veritable Records of Qian Xuesen was reworked and published under the title Qian Xuesen de Qinggan shijie (The Inner World of Qian Xuesen) by Sichuan renmin chubanshe (2002), and Qian Xuesen jingcai rensheng (Brilliant Life of Qian Xuesen) by Hubei renmin chubanshe (2009).
89. For instance, with three publications on Qian, Qi Shuying was granted the Excellent Biographical Literature Award in 1998, National Excellent Book Award in 2004 and Chinese Communist Youth League Patriotic Reading Award in 2008 (Qi Shuying, telephone interview, 6 June 2008).
90. Tu Yuanji, "Zuowei Gongchandangyuan de Qian Xuesen" ("Qian Xuesen: as a Communist Party member"), in Pan Min (ed.), Qian Xuesen yanjiu (Qian Xuesen Study) (Shanghai: Shanghai jiaotong daxue chubanshe, 2006), pp. 33-34.
91. Chang, Thread of the Silkworm, p. 209;
92. Tu Yuanji, People's Scientist, pp.1-2.
93. Tu Yuanji, People's Scientist, pp. 156, 203-04.
94. Wang Shouyun, A Biography of Qian Xuesen, p. 799.
95. Ibid. p. 774. However, Qian's self-portrayal was contested by Iris Chang. Chang argued that when he returned to China "Tsien (Qian) himself changed or fabricated the narrative of the situation," as in 1949 "he made the decision to become a US citizen."
96. Chang, Thread of the Silkworm, pp. xii, 151.
97. Guangming ribao (Guangming Daily), 2 November 1955;
98. Tu Yuanji, People's Scientist, p. 140.
99. Wang Shouyun, A Biography of Qian Xuesen, p. 799;
100. "Tsien revisited," Caltech News, Vol. 36, No.1 (2002), p. 7.
101. "Tsien revisited," pp. 10, 12.
102. People's Daily, 8 August 1989, p. 1, 19 October 1991, pp. 1, 3.
103. Tu Yuanji, People's Scientist, p. 151.
104. Ibid. p. 152;
105. People's Daily, 24 June 2002, p. 4.