In the early 1950s, Qian Xuesen broke through the many obstacles of the United States to serve the motherland, and many documents highly affirmed his feat, praising him as a model for Chinese. Judging from the process of returning to China at that time, in addition to serving the motherland, his purpose of returning to China is also a side that cannot be ignored when he returns home to fulfill his filial piety.
However, for Qian Xuesen's description of "returning to China to fulfill his filial piety", most of what he has seen so far is just a piece of words, and even false rumors. The book ""I am Loyal to the Chinese People" - A Complete Record of Qian Xuesen's Hearings in the United States in the 1950s (hereinafter referred to as "Full Record") was published, from which we can see not only Qian Xuesen's firm determination to "return to China and be loyal", but also his true feelings for "returning to China to fulfill his filial piety".
Father's teachings are taken to heart
In 1935, Qian Xuesen was going to study in the United States. Before leaving, his father Qian Junfu gave him a note that read: "People, born with qualities: Ruzhe, Ruren, Ruyi, Ruzhi, Ruzhong, Ruti, Rujiao!" Wu'er's trip to the west this time is not his long-cherished ambition, when youth returns, brilliant but return! It was the Father who told it. His father told him to be a good man, return to China in time after studying in the United States, and serve the country.
When the US side first asked why he returned to China, Qian Xuesen answered bluntly - visiting relatives. Through the other party's constant questioning, he said all the reasons for visiting relatives that his mother had died, his father was old, and he had to have another operation shortly after undergoing a major operation. As a traveler overseas for many years, he must go back to fulfill his filial piety, which is a completely tabled reason and easy for Americans to accept.
In the Full Record, the first was an informal hearing on the island of Termino on September 20, 1950, detailing the confrontation.
Q: How old is your father?
A: He is 69 years old.
Q: A few years ago, your father had a major operation?
A: No, he had stomach surgery last winter.
Q: Did you know this through letters?
A: Yes, it was known by letter, and the doctor informed that the operation was not yet complete and he hoped to have a second operation this winter.
Q: Have you received a letter from your father asking you to go back?
A: Yes, received.
The US side knew that Qian Xuesen had made up his mind, but it still did not forget to throw out the "bait" and analyzed the pros and cons to him. Qian Xuesen, however, opposed the First Army, saying that the Americans had missed the appointment first.
Q: Since you have received a letter from your father, how did the information that you could not continue to engage in secret-related work in the future affect your final decision to return to China?
A: That would have a very big impact. I have received a letter from my father, who hopes that I will return to China as soon as possible. His health was not good, I knew early on, but at that time I was focused on work. When you concentrate on your work, you rarely pay attention to some personal situation. I couldn't do secret work, which was a big shock for me. This led me to think about personal questions: Do I want to stay in the United States, or do I return to China?
The American side means that just because your father asked you to go back, you gave up your career in the United States? He still used filial piety as a cover and tried not to take sides between China and the United States to avoid complicating the issue of returning to China.
Q: Does this strengthen your determination to return to China?
A: Absolutely... What I need to make clear is that I think there are many things that prompted me to return to China, my father's upcoming surgery and the possible open conflict between China and the United States, and my father's life in communist China. If there was a bad relationship between China and the United States, I would not be able to send money to my father, who is now completely dependent on me and supported by me. Therefore, I am deeply disturbed by the possible confrontation between China and the United States. I hope that these problems can be solved and that my difficulties in supporting my father can be eliminated.
Qian Xuesen will not be able to fulfill his filial piety if he does not go back, and avoid expressing political positions between China and the United States, which has to be said to be his extremely wise answer.
"I am loyal to Chinese people"
However, in the end, the US side still did not let him go. The content of the "Full Record" shows that after repeatedly testing Qian Xuesen's relationship with China and failing to get an affirmative answer from "loyal to the United States", he resorted to tricks to make him say something like "loyal to communist China" to create evidence that prevented him from returning to China. The confrontation at that time went like this:
Q: What is your purpose in returning to China?
A: I came back to China to deal with family affairs related to my father and stepsister.
Q: Are you ready to stay there permanently?
A: I didn't plan to, but actually, I had to stay there for a while.
Q: Are you planning to teach in Shanghai?
A: No unit offers me a job.
Q: Are you going to get such a job?
A: Of course, you have to get a job in order to survive, but I don't know if I can get a teaching or other job.
Q: You're not going to go to Taiwan, China, where the Kuomintang is located, are you?
A: There was no plan before.
Q: You have no plans to go there, then you are loyal to communist China?
A: No.
Q: So who are you loyal to?
A: I am loyal to Chinese people.
Q: Who are Chinese people?
A: That's 450 million people.
Qian Xuesen's wisdom in this confrontation lies in his ambiguous attitude to avoid overly stimulating the United States. However, he did not have the slightest ambiguity and clearly expressed the reasons for not going to Taiwan, China. Because my father is Chinese mainland, of course I have to return to Chinese mainland. Of course, in this paragraph, Qian Xuesen also left a little "hope" for the US side, saying that he did not consider staying in China forever so as not to overly stimulate the other party and continue to be detained.
This "Complete Record" is a valuable source material that can correct many vague statements now, from which we can see Qian Xuesen's great wisdom in dealing with American McCarthyism.
Excerpt from | Leadership Digest, June 2023
Source: Unity
Author of this article | Qian Yunchun
Responsible Editor | Note late
WeChat Edit | Again