Published by: THE WORLD UYGHUR NETWORK NEWS 13 September 1997

Beijing Liaowang No 30, 28 Jul 97 pp 4-6

"An Account of How Jiang Zemin Shows Concern for the Building of Units Under the State Commission of Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense"

On 22 August 1990, Jiang Zemin flew to Xinjiang on an inspection tour aboard a special plane. His first stop was the nuclear testing base. He was delighted to see the base set like a green gem in a boundless desert.

As soon as he disembarked, he said to the leading comrades of the base who had come to welcome him: "I had already seen you from up there." Comrade Jiang Zemin found the story of how the base had been built and developed very poignant.

He said: "This is our country's own nuclear testing base. Our first atomic bomb was successfully exploded here. It made the Chinese people, who had arisen by then, very proud and was a result of our implementing the principle of self-reliance and working hard for the prosperity of the country."

The special plane that took Comrade Jiang Zemin to the nuclear testing base flew more than five hours. He listened to the report on the development of the base and was briefed on the achievements of nuclear testing. Visibly moved, he said the following about the feats of generations of people working hard in the "dreadful sea of death" to forge China's nuclear shield: "You have made indelible contributions to the strengthening of our republic. Our motherland will not forget this!"