Preface
With the progress of the times, the demand for rare earths in today's scientific and technological development is increasing, and the mainland, as the world's largest exporter of rare earths, has an absolute right to speak in the field of rare earth extraction technology and reserves in the world.
No one could have imagined that the mainland had waged a rare earth war with the United States for the development of rare earths, and mainland scientific researcher Xu Guangxian helped the mainland successfully win the war with his unique extraction technology.
The struggle at the national level is certainly an existence that we ordinary people cannot interfere with, so why can Xu Guangxian's achievements quell this rare earth war?
Teenagers are early bloomers
Xu Guangxian's father is a lawyer, and the work of a lawyer has been able to surpass most people now, but in Xu Guangxian's father's era, a lawyer was a more popular existence, so Xu Guangxian's family was very solid when he was a child.
In view of his father's work as a lawyer, Xu Guangxian has been exposed to all kinds of things since he was a child, and under the guidance of his father, he has slowly cultivated Xu Guangxian's diligent and inquisitive quality.
Although Xu Guangxian's mother is a more traditional woman, the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation since ancient times and serving the country have also been transmitted by her mother to Xu Guangxian when he was a child.
Xu Guangxian's youth was in turmoil in the Republic of China, and the death of his father in an accident forced Xu Guangxian to shoulder the burden of the family and go out to work.
After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the country was in danger, Xu Guangxian felt deep pressure, and the idea that backwardness would be violated was also deeply rooted in Xu Guangxian's heart.
The burden of the family and the danger of the nation, can such a situation overwhelm Xu Guangxian?
Life is bumpy and difficult
Because he took on the heavy responsibility of the family early, Xu Guangxian's ability to resist pressure is very strong, not only was he not defeated by the hardships of life, but he made up his mind that he must be admitted to university and use knowledge to be powerful.
So being a tutor during the day and reading at night has become Xu Guangxian's daily routine. At that time, no one around Xu Guangxian would have thought that it was such an act that opened Xu Guangxian's legendary life.
In the end, Xu Guangxian's efforts were not in vain, and he successfully entered the Department of Chemistry of Shanghai Jiaotong University and began his own study.
In school, the appearance of Gao Xiaoxia moved the heart of this young man who was just beginning to fall in love, Xu Guangxian quickly began to pursue Gao Xiaoxia, and the two were still very interested in the same field during the conversation, which also indirectly promoted the relationship between the two.
Unlike other lovers, the two are more learning partners who work hard and supervise each other in life.
Later, the two also gained a lot in academics, and finally passed the government's study abroad test and successfully went to the United States to study.
The two happily went to their own advanced academic research, but will life in the United States really go as smoothly as Xu Guangxian imagined?
Tough choices
After arriving in the United States, Xu Guangxian and his wife did not dare to slack off at all, and quickly devoted themselves to learning, and the air was filled with their thirst for knowledge.
Since he studied alone at the beginning to now with his wife, the cost of living has also become the biggest problem for Xu Guangxian at that time.
Later, through a friend who is also an American student, Xu Guangxian got a teaching assistant position at Columbia University, and after his life was guaranteed, Xu Guangxian was even more like a chicken, and he obtained a master's degree in the United States within a year of coming to the United States.
In 1949, the news of the founding of the People's Republic of China spread internationally, and Xu Guangxian, who was in the United States, could not help but be moved when he heard the news.
He was well aware of the hardships of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation, and that New China was in the greatest need of scientific research talents at this moment, so the idea of returning to China was buried in Xu Guangxian's heart.
Not only did Xu Guangxian know this truth, but the United States also deeply felt the power of New China, and in order to prevent New China from developing rapidly, the United States prevented mainland personnel from going to the United States from returning to China by offering high salaries and all kinds of obscene means.
Soon after, the Korean War began, and the news of the United States' successive defeats and retreats on the battlefield soon reached the United States.
At this time, his wife was studying for a doctorate, and it was already at a critical moment, although she didn't want to disturb her study, but in the face of such a tense international situation, Xu Guangxian still tactfully expressed to his wife the idea of returning to China.
But his wife felt the eagerness from Xu Guangxian's words, so she made the most important decision in her life, giving up her degree and returning to China with her husband.
As soon as Xu Guangxian and his wife left, in just a few dozen days, the United States promulgated restrictive provisions, and a large number of Chinese students were held back in foreign countries.
New China has just been founded, and everything is waiting to be rebuilt, what can Xu Guangxian, who returned to China at this time, do?
Break the blockade to help the country
After returning to China, Xu Guangxian was introduced by a friend and taught at Peking University and Yenching University at the same time, answering students' questions one by one, and moving all his life's learning to the lecture hall.
With the development of modernization, whether it is in the military field or in the field of science and technology, the amount of a rare resource is increasing, and this rare resource is rare earth.
At that time, the reserves of rare earths and the leading extraction technology directly determined the international status of each country, and in view of the backwardness of technology and the lack of reserves, the mainland at that time could only import rare earths from the world at a high price.
But before that, the United States stumbled upon a rare earth mine with a lot of reserves, and through its own technological advantages, it quickly became the world's largest exporter of rare earths, and controlled the fate of many countries in the world.
Despite this, the mainland still did not give up the exploration of rare earths, and soon the mainland discovered a huge rare earth mine, surpassing most countries in the world.
In order to continue to maintain its position in the field of rare earths, the United States has restricted rare earth extraction technology and started a rare earth war with the mainland.
In the face of this situation, Xu Guangxian of course will not sit idly by, and immediately set up a team to carry out the research and development of rare earth extraction technology.
And it is this technology that allows the mainland to break through the limitations of the rare earth field and successfully win this rare earth battle without gunsmoke.
epilogue
In Xu Guangxian's life, there is a strong fine style of the Chinese nation everywhere, and this style exists in the blood of every Chinese people, and in the future, there will certainly be more outstanding talents like Xu Guangxian to contribute to the construction of the mainland.
Primary sources
Yiwu Association for Science and Technology "Scientist Calendar丨Xu Guangxian: He Breaks the Monopoly of Western Technology and Ends the Fate of "Cheap Sale" of Rare Earths" 2023.11.7
The Paper "Science and Technology Figures| Xu Guangxian: The Father of China's Rare Earths, Breaking the Nightmare of Western Monopoly "2022.8.11