TsKhSD (Center for the Storage of Contemporary Documentation), f.5, op.30, d.164, ll. 7a, 48-9. Obtained by Tatiana Zazerskaia and translated by David Wolff.
January 15, 1956
Request by the Chinese leadership to the Soviet Leadership for Help in Establishing a Chinese Nuclear Program
This document was made possible with support from Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY)
Top Secret
Attachment No. 4
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT
OF AN ATOMIC ENERGY INDUSTRY
In order to quickly and efficiently organize and develop an atomic energy industry in the People's Republic of China, in order to further develop nuclear physics research, and also in order to apply atomic energy broadly in the economy, we are asking the CC CPSU to discuss the possibility of helping China to organize an atomic energy industry and elaborate a long-term development plan for the production of nuclear energy and to provide us with the following aid in this area:
1. We ask [you] to discuss the possibility of helping China in the construction of one or two modern atomic industry installations, providing us with comprehensive aid in preparing plans, supplying equipment, construction-assembly and provision of raw material [i.e., nuclear fuel, trans.].
2. Assuming that the atomic industry installations mentioned above will be considered, we ask [you] to discuss whether it is possible in 1956 to send a group of Soviet specialists-advisors in nuclear technology to lead and aid China in the elaboration of a comprehensive plan for the development of an atomic energy industry.
3. We ask [you] to accept three groups of Chinese scientific and technical workers for short-term study in the Soviet Union in 1956:
a. to accept various technical workers corresponding to needs generated by the tasks in point one [above] for study in the Soviet Union of various technical areas of the atomic energy industry. We ask the appropriate Soviet organization to help us to designate concretely the number of people and their specialities;
b. to accept fifty or more Chinese scientific-technical workers for studies in the Soviet Union regarding the use of radioactive isotopes (including their use for industry, agriculture, defense, biology, medicine, etc.)
c. to accept a team of scientific-technical specialists sent by China for study and participation in project development (proektnaia rabota) for a powerful focused accelerator (fokusirovannyi uskoritel'). We also ask permission to send from China one or two specialists to the Moscow scientific-research institute for the physics of warm nuclei (teplovye iadra) in order to take part in scientific research.
1. We ask the Soviet government to help our country: to create a central laboratory for radioactive isotopes in the physics institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; to create two laboratories [each] (po dve laboratorii) for radioactive isotopes within the Ministry of Heavy Industry and the Ministry of Health; to create one laboratory [each] for radioactive isotopes in the first and second Ministries of Machine-Building and in the Ministry of Agriculture; We ask the Soviet Union to provide multi-faceted aid in planning the above-mentioned eight laboratories, their provision with equipment and necessary instruments as well as the appropriate radioactive isotopes and scientific-technical materials. [i.e., documentation]. We also ask that specialists be sent to guide the research in these laboratories.
Attachment No. 4
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT
OF AN ATOMIC ENERGY INDUSTRY
In order to quickly and efficiently organize and develop an atomic energy industry in the People's Republic of China, in order to further develop nuclear physics research, and also in order to apply atomic energy broadly in the economy, we are asking the CC CPSU to discuss the possibility of helping China to organize an atomic energy industry and elaborate a long-term development plan for the production of nuclear energy and to provide us with the following aid in this area:
1. We ask [you] to discuss the possibility of helping China in the construction of one or two modern atomic industry installations, providing us with comprehensive aid in preparing plans, supplying equipment, construction-assembly and provision of raw material [i.e., nuclear fuel, trans.].
2. Assuming that the atomic industry installations mentioned above will be considered, we ask [you] to discuss whether it is possible in 1956 to send a group of Soviet specialists-advisors in nuclear technology to lead and aid China in the elaboration of a comprehensive plan for the development of an atomic energy industry.
3. We ask [you] to accept three groups of Chinese scientific and technical workers for short-term study in the Soviet Union in 1956:
a. to accept various technical workers corresponding to needs generated by the tasks in point one [above] for study in the Soviet Union of various technical areas of the atomic energy industry. We ask the appropriate Soviet organization to help us to designate concretely the number of people and their specialities;
b. to accept fifty or more Chinese scientific-technical workers for studies in the Soviet Union regarding the use of radioactive isotopes (including their use for industry, agriculture, defense, biology, medicine, etc.)
c. to accept a team of scientific-technical specialists sent by China for study and participation in project development (proektnaia rabota) for a powerful focused accelerator (fokusirovannyi uskoritel'). We also ask permission to send from China one or two specialists to the Moscow scientific-research institute for the physics of warm nuclei (teplovye iadra) in order to take part in scientific research.
1. We ask the Soviet government to help our country: to create a central laboratory for radioactive isotopes in the physics institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; to create two laboratories [each] (po dve laboratorii) for radioactive isotopes within the Ministry of Heavy Industry and the Ministry of Health; to create one laboratory [each] for radioactive isotopes in the first and second Ministries of Machine-Building and in the Ministry of Agriculture; We ask the Soviet Union to provide multi-faceted aid in planning the above-mentioned eight laboratories, their provision with equipment and necessary instruments as well as the appropriate radioactive isotopes and scientific-technical materials. [i.e., documentation]. We also ask that specialists be sent to guide the research in these laboratories.
Request by Chinese leaders to the Soviet leadership for technical and scientific aid in establishing a nuclear program in the People's Republic of China, including exchange programs for Chinese scientists, building of scientific labs in China, and providing specialized education for Chinese students.
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