Around 1960, the country fell into difficulties due to the forced debt of the Soviet Union and natural and man-made disasters inside. In some provinces with a large number of people and few land, and serious disasters, a large number of floating people have rushed to the border areas with their families and families.
In view of the actual needs of development and construction and in consideration of the overall situation, the XPCC has set up reception stations in Weiya, Shanshan, Turpan and other places in Xinjiang to accommodate and accept people from Henan, Anhui, Sichuan, Gansu and other provinces. Who knows, the more and more people are resettled, so that the population of the corps has skyrocketed, and the food ** has suddenly become scarce.
One day in the late spring and early summer of 1962, Zhang Zhonghan received a report from Shi Ji, political commissar of the 7th Agricultural Division, saying that in order to alleviate economic difficulties, the XPCC had notified and ordered the 7th Agricultural Division to immediately reduce the number of farm workers by 5,500 and repatriate them to their original hometowns in Guannai within a time limit.
Because Shi Ji had objections to this, and this matter was very tricky and needed to be dealt with urgently, he eagerly said to the old leader: "Political commissar, do you and Commander Tao know about this?"”
Individual leaders of the Corps Headquarters raised this matter, but the Corps did not make a decision. After a pause, Zhang Zhonghan resolutely instructed: "Shi Ji, you must not do this. The country has encountered temporary difficulties, we must take into account the overall situation, and share the responsibility for the country”
Shi Ji, who received understanding and support from Zhang Zhonghan, handled the matter well after he went back. At Zhang's urging, the Corps Headquarters withdrew its order, and the responsible persons were also severely criticized by Zhang.
In fact, however, when the issue of whether or not to accept and resettle millions of migrants was discussed, there were serious differences of opinion at the top level of the XPCC's party committee.
Some leaders resolutely objected, on the grounds that "the XPCC's production has also suffered serious disasters, the economy is strained, and their own lives are already hard enough, and they still have to accept artesian personnel”
Zhang Zhonghan tried his best to dispel public opinion and patiently persuaded: "No matter how difficult the corps is, there is always something to eat!."The conditions of the farm and company are better than those of the commune, and no one will starve to death. If we only take care of ourselves and let the people who have no support to live in society, starving, sick, and begging, how much instability will it bring to local social order, and how much political impact will it have on the country?What is the mission and role of the Corps?If the country and the people are in trouble, if we don't come forward, what is the significance of the existence of the Corps?......
The XPCC Party Committee with Zhang Zhonghan as the core resolutely resisted and refuted all kinds of erroneous ideas and arguments, withstood pressure from all quarters, and finally formed a resolution on accepting the floating population after a great deal of ideological work inside and outside the meeting.
In the winter of 1960 alone, the XPCC provided 10,000 tons of sugar residue, 150,000 kilograms of wheat seeds, 250,000 kilograms of rapeseed seeds, 250,000 kilograms of soybean and soybean cakes, and 50 tons of frozen mutton to the disaster-stricken areas in Shandong.
In order to vigorously popularize the advanced experience of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and in accordance with the instructions of the premier, in 1964, Zhang Zhonghan unreservedly selected and transferred 178 leading cadres and professional backbones of divisions, regiments, battalions, and companies from the Corps to form the 11th Agricultural Construction Division, which was stationed in Gansu to develop the Hexi Corridor and provide free support for 5 million kilograms of grain and seeds, as well as some agricultural machinery. In the year of its establishment, the division reaped a bumper harvest.
When the premier met with Zhang Zhonghan, he instructed him: "You are the political commissar of the Corps and the vice minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Reclamation, and you must stand on the height of the country and have a far-sighted vision; after Gansu, there are also Ningxia, Qinghai, and Shaanxi, and you must look at the entire northwest, organize an agricultural division according to the order of the corps, and develop the great northwest." ”
Zhang Zhonghan and Pan Duan expressed his long-thinking foresight: "On the basis of the establishment of the 14th Division, Shaanxi set up the Soil and Water Conservation Corps (actually the Soil and Water Conservation Corps in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, later renamed the Northwest Forestry Construction Corps), which is not only the development of the western region, but also the more important significance is to control soil erosion in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, ** flooding in the Yellow River Basin, and improve the ecological environment ...... northern China."”
Zhong Han, this is a big strategy!When necessary, you summoned the principal leaders of these divisions from the five northwestern provinces to Beijing, and I personally listened to the report and told me about any difficulties. The Prime Minister said excitedly.
After that, Zhang Zhonghan quickly transferred a full set of 450 management, business, and technical cadres from divisions, regiments, battalions, and companies to aid the construction of the 12th Agricultural Construction Division (Ningxia), the 13th Division (Qinghai), and the 14th Division (Shaanxi), and selected and transferred a full set of 456 cadres to help build the Northwest Soil and Water Conservation Corps (the original text was later renamed the Northwest Forestry Construction Corps, but there was actually no Northwest Soil and Water Conservation Corps, but it should be the Soil and Water Conservation Corps in the middle reaches of the Yellow River).
In 1966, Zhang Zhonghan was ordered by the ** Military Commission to select and transfer 167 cadres with rich experience in construction and installation from various divisions of the Corps to Gansu to support the construction of Jiuquan Iron and Steel Plant (in fact, it was a complete set of cadre organizations for the formation of the second detachment of the infrastructure engineering corps).
Editor's postscript: According to relevant information, when Comrade Zhang Zhonghan was in Beijing, Yang Guanzhi, member of the Standing Committee of the XPCC Party Committee and deputy chief of staff, put forward a plan, that is, the XPCC's 450,000 workers need to be reduced by 200,000 people, and 100 million yuan will be raised from these people, and each worker will be given 500 yuan as compensation.
This plan was supported by Wang Jilong, fourth secretary of the XPCC Party Committee and director of the Political Department, Yang Guanzhi, member of the Standing Committee and deputy chief of staff, and Yang Rungui, member of the Standing Committee and political commissar of the First Industrial Division.
However, Chen Shi, member of the Standing Committee and deputy chief of staff, Liu Yicun, member of the Standing Committee and deputy director of the Political Department, and Yang Nangui, member of the Standing Committee and director of the Cadre Department, expressed opposition to this.
After discussion, it was finally decided to first ask the party committee of the autonomous region and the party group of the Ministry of Agricultural Reclamation for instructions, and wait for Zhang Zhonghan to return before making a decision.
However, Yang Guanzhi privately informed his subordinates to immediately implement the downsizing plan, which eventually led to the downsizing of 46,000 employees, of which more than 20,000 were streamlined in the First Division.
This incident has had a serious political impact, not only causing huge economic losses to the downsized workers, but also damaging the image and credibility of the XPCC party committee. At the same time, this incident also exposed the problems of differences of opinion and non-transparent decision-making within the XPCC Party Committee at that time, which needed to be paid attention to and reflected.
Recommended Reading:
Do you know how the "General Canal" was built in Shihezi?After reading the article, I understood.
Comrade Zhang Zhonghan's manuscript of "Memories of Xinjiang": full of nostalgia, love and yearning for the cause of military reclamation.