[Editor's Note] On August 17, Zhou Guangzhao, former Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, former President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and recipient of the "Two Bombs, One Satellite Merit Medal," passed away in Beijing at the age of 95 after ineffective medical treatment for an illness. Liu Huaizu, who worked with Zhou Guangzhao for many years as the Director of the Beijing Positron-Electron Collider Engineering Leadership Group Office and Secretary-General of the China Center for Advanced Science and Technology, held him in great esteem. In 2009, on the occasion of Zhou Guangzhao's 80th birthday, Liu Huaizu wrote the following piece, reminiscing about their three decades of acquaintance and shared experiences at work. This article is included in the book "Comrade Guangzhao as We Know Him," edited by Xu Guanhua (Science Press).
Mr. Zhou Guangzhao in the office Source: Chinese Physical Society Journal Network
In the late 1960s, when I was not yet acquainted with Comrade Guangzhao, I heard that he was a young and exceptionally talented theoretical physicist. It was also said that he had enthusiastically engaged in the development of China's atomic bomb and hydrogen bomb with high patriotic fervor, which was commendable. However, it wasn't until the late 1970s when he transferred from the Ministry of Nuclear Industry to the Institute of Theoretical Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences that I got to know him. In the early 1980s, after he took on a leadership role at the Academy, I worked under his guidance in various departments, including the Planning Bureau of the Academy, the Beijing Positron-Electron Collider Engineering Leadership Group Office, and the Academy’s General Office. I had many interactions with him, which are still fresh in my memory.
1. In Critical Moments, Withstand Pressure, Respond Calmly, and Achieve Final Success
In the early 1980s, at that time when China was constructing the Beijing Positron-Electron Collider, there were differing opinions both domestically and internationally, with several influential figures in the Chinese scientific community vocally opposing the project. In 1983, the Central Committee ultimately decided to proceed with the construction, forming an engineering leadership group composed of Gu Yu, Zhang Shou from the National Development and Reform Commission, Lin Zongtang from the State Economic and Trade Commission, and Zhang Baifa from Beijing to oversee it, reporting directly to the central government and the State Council. Comrade Guangzhao, as the Vice President in charge of this matter at the construction unit, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, consistently cared for, supported, helped, and cooperated with Comrade Gu Yu and the leadership group. He held Comrade Gu Yu in high regard and often consulted with him on matters. In mid-1986, following Comrade Gu Yu's retirement, the Central Committee decided that Comrade Guangzhao would also serve as the leader of the Beijing Positron-Electron Collider Engineering Leadership Group. He worked diligently alongside Zhang Shou, Lin Zongtang, and Zhang Baifa from the leadership group, closely managing the development, production, acceptance, and installation of each piece of equipment according to the established project schedule, and fostered strong relationships with the three leaders. He frequently listened to reports from me and the Engineering Leadership Group Office, visiting sites to gather information and solve problems, which ensured that the project was completed ahead of schedule without exceeding its budget and met quality standards.
In early August 1988, just as the overall commissioning of the Beijing Positron-Electron Collider was approaching its final stages, we received news from Beidaihe that during a central meeting, the leadership in charge expressed strong opposition to the construction, even specifically naming Comrade Xiaoping and other central leaders who supported the initiative. Suddenly, the leadership group, especially Comrade Guangzhao, felt tremendous pressure. Together with group members and myself, he discussed the situation and agreed that since the central committee had not mandated that this leader's opposition be communicated, we decided not to disseminate this information downward to avoid causing confusion and wavering morale at such a critical moment in the project's adjustments. Instead, we resolved to continue with the project as planned and to closely monitor reactions from all sides. He specifically reminded me and the leadership group office to remain vigilant and not act impulsively, to prevent unnecessary troubles and interference in the project’s progress. His calm response ensured the smooth completion of the project during this crucial commissioning phase.
Fortuitously, with the direct care of the Central Committee, State Council, and Comrade Xiaoping, thousands of scientific personnel, workers, and officials involved in this project did not disappoint the expectations of the Party and Comrade Xiaoping. After nearly 1,500 days and nights of relentless efforts, on October 1988, Chinese scientists finally realized the long-cherished dream of colliding positron and electron beams at the Beijing Positron-Electron Collider on schedule. Under the context of reform and opening up, China, relying primarily on its own resources, constructed this advanced high-tech facility in just four years, marking the completion of its first high-energy accelerator with world-class standards. The quality of its construction was of international excellence, with the main indicators and performance parameters of the collider and spectrometer reaching or exceeding design specifications, placing it among the leaders in the world. Its investment was only a fraction of similar projects abroad and was the only large-scale national project at that time that completed ahead of schedule and within budget; such feats were extremely rare in the international accelerator construction field. This drew significant attention in the international high-energy physics community, which regarded it as “a great advancement in the development of Chinese science and a milestone in the progress of high-energy physics in China.”
After realizing the electron-positron collision, Comrade Guangzhao immediately asked me to inform the other three comrades in the leadership group and Comrade Gu Yu, and he promptly drafted a report to Comrade Xiaoping. After he revised the report twice, it was marked urgent and sent to Comrade Xiaoping's office. Soon, the Central Office notified me to come to Zhongnanhai for a meeting to discuss the related issues of Comrade Xiaoping's and other central leaders' planned inspection. After the meeting, I reported to Comrade Guangzhao, who was very pleased and instructed me to carefully arrange the inspection route, agenda, and preparations for safety and health, among other details. Two days later, he personally listened to the report and conducted an on-site inspection.
On October 24, 1988, Comrade Xiaoping revisited the site where he had laid the foundation four years prior. It had transformed into a modern construction complex housing the largest accelerator and detector developed in China, of world-class standards, both above and below ground. Comrade Xiaoping and other leaders, accompanied by Comrades Guangzhao, Gu Yu, Zhang Shou, Zongtang, and Baifa, walked and observed, visibly pleased. In the reception hall, Comrade Xiaoping and other central leaders listened to Comrade Guangzhao's report. After his report, Comrade Guangzhao invited Comrade Xiaoping to give instructions. Comrade Xiaoping delivered his famous speech, declaring, "China must have a place in the high-tech field of the world."
2. Foreign Cooperation Focused Solely on Benefiting National Scientific Development, Not Personal Status
On an early visit to the United States in 1979, Comrade Xiaoping, along with President Carter, co-chaired the signing of a protocol on collaboration in high-energy physics research between China and the United States. The agreement stipulated that the China-U.S. High-Energy Physics Joint Committee would meet alternately each year between the two countries. After 1986, Comrade Guangzhao served as the Chinese co-chair and attended each meeting in person until 1997, when he left the Chinese Academy of Sciences. At that time, he was the president of the Academy, while the counterpart's chair was merely the head of the high-energy segment within the Department of Energy. Some members of the foreign affairs department believed our delegation was too senior. However, Comrade Guangzhao emphasized that this was a significantly scientific and crucial collaboration between China and the US, which should not be viewed through the lens of hierarchical titles. This indicated that he placed more importance on the actual impact of his work on China’s scientific progress than on his personal rank.
3. A Special Mission Assigned to Me
In the mid-1980s, as China's reform and opening-up was in full swing, it included reforms in scientific research. At this time, some individuals, including a few leaders at higher levels, had a limited understanding of the fundamental laws of scientific and technological development and the importance of basic sciences for the long-term national growth. They were eager for quick results and supported relevant departments in preparing a proposal for reforming the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which included a significant content to abolish the Academy as an entity. Some applied research institutes would be integrated into or transferred to industries, while some basic scientific research would be transitioned to higher institutions, leaving the Academy as an honorary academic entity. This news circulated, causing confusion in the scientific community. After hearing of this proposal, several leading figures, including Comrade Guangzhao, firmly opposed this brewing “reform plan,” which they felt was critical to the future of national science and the Academy.
At that time, I was not only the Director of the Beijing Positron-Electron Collider Engineering Leadership Group Office but also responsible for the Planning Bureau's office at the Academy. One day, Comrade Guangzhao, then Vice President, called me to his office because he had an urgent matter to discuss. After I arrived, he seriously informed me about the report outlining the reform plan that relevant departments had submitted to the Central Committee and asked if I had heard of it. I replied that I had gotten wind of some rumors. He mentioned that President Lu Jiashe and other officials were also anxious, and he had a discussion with President Lu regarding finding a way to address this situation, after which he took me to President Lu's office. After asking me about the progress of the collider project, both leaders began to discuss the potential hazards and seriousness of this brewing report on the Academy's reform proposal for the long-term development of China’s scientific endeavors. They stressed the urgency of the situation and the complications that would arise if it reached the Central Committee for discussion. Both held Comrade Gu Yu in high regard and urged me to convey an urgent request to her that the issues raised by the Academy be formally communicated. I mentioned that I planned to report to Comrade Gu Yu about the progress of the Beijing Positron-Electron Collider project very soon, adding that she was currently conducting research with Comrade Qiaomu in Hangzhou. I flew to Hangzhou the next day.
Upon arriving at the venue, I immediately reported to Comrade Gu Yu about the concerns regarding the department's brewing "reform plan" in my discussions with Comrade Guangzhao and President Lu. Comrade Gu Yu was also quite concerned and promptly took action to convey the Academy's position. Meanwhile, many scientists, having heard the rumors of the proposed plan, expressed intense dissatisfaction, garnering the attention and intervention of leaders at the Central Committee. As a result, the proposal for abolishing the Academy did not proceed to formal discussions.
4. Exhausting Efforts to Assist Cross-Strait Participation in the International Physics Community
In terms of relations across the Taiwan Strait, in September 1984, Comrade Guangzhao, serving as the President of the Chinese Physical Society, dealt with the highly sensitive policy issue of the physicists' societies on both sides joining the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP). He invested substantial effort in this endeavor. With the assistance and cooperation of Professor Li Zhengdao, he engaged in continuous negotiations with Professor Shen Junshan in Taiwan to develop a mutually acceptable solution for both sides. Due to the time constraints and a 12-hour time difference between Beijing and New York, Comrade Guangzhao often sacrificed sleep to communicate with Professor Li Zhengdao in New York via phone and fax while discussing matters with relevant domestic departments. Ultimately, with direct involvement from Comrade Xiaoping, this issue was resolved, paving the way for exchanges between physicists from both sides of the Strait.
5. Assisting Professor Li Zhengdao in Establishing the China Center for Advanced Science and Technology
In the early 1970s, when Professor Li Zhengdao began visiting China, Comrade Guangzhao participated as a young scholar in the meetings held by Premier Zhou Enlai and other party and state leaders with Professor Li, establishing a rapport that continued to flourish in the wake of reform and opening-up. Both being theoretical physicists, they shared much common ground. Over the past three decades, Professor Li Zhengdao contributed significantly to the national scientific and educational endeavors, establishing programs for joint admissions for physics graduate students, setting up the National Natural Science Foundation, creating a postdoctoral system, fostering collaboration in high-energy physics between China and the US, and initiating the establishment of the China Center for Advanced Science and Technology, among other initiatives. Many of his contributions were achieved with Comrade Guangzhao's assistance and cooperation. Comrade Guangzhao consistently made efforts to support and facilitate Professor Li’s initiatives, leading to successful outcomes, including the establishment of the China Center for Advanced Science and Technology.
In the summer of 1986, Comrade Guangzhao met Professor Li in Switzerland at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). They often discussed how to rapidly advance China's lagging basic scientific research to meet world standards. They recognized numerous issues that required immediate attention, one of which