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When Tang Hua returned to Beijing from Xi'an, Nie Shuai called the three heads of the research institute for a meeting, and even Qian Sanqiang, who was working on the atomic bomb somewhere in Hebei, was called over.
"The first thing we want to talk about at this meeting is something about the Soviet Union. General Secretary Khrushchev reached an agreement with the United States. In 1959 and 1960, the United States and the Soviet Union suspended nuclear tests at the same time. The ambassador informed our country."
Nie Shuai got straight to the point and talked about the most important thing first.
"Moreover, according to the joint statement of Khrushchev and Eisenhower, after the two-year moratorium in 1959 and 1960, the United States and the Soviet Union may continue to extend the ban on nuclear tests. The Prime Minister did not directly reply to Ambassador Eugene's briefing, but said Got it, but the central government has not responded. Now I would like to ask about the current progress of the nuclear weapons project of our research institute."
Tang Hua was familiar with this matter.
Khrushchev's intention to ease with the United States has long been reported by China and the Soviet Union.He chatted with Eisenhower about the limitation and elimination of nuclear weapons, banning nuclear weapons is impossible, banning nuclear testing ... seems possible.As soon as the vodka was served, Khrushchev and Eisenhower made a gentlemanly agreement: suspend nuclear testing for the next two years, so as not to harm the earth.
The chairman is noncommittal about the easing of tension with the United States. Anyway, the United States is like that, relying on its naval superiority to catch merchant ships suspected of transporting goods to China all over the world, but it dare not attack China.Moratorium on nuclear testing?This has something to do with China.
Qian Sanqiang: "If only the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to suspend nuclear tests, it would not have much impact on China. We will continue to develop atomic bombs, and we will conduct tests at a suitable time after we are finished."
Nie Shuai: "The troublesome thing is that this agreement is not limited to the United States and the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom has also been drawn into it."
The United Kingdom actively responded to Eisenhower's call, and also stated that it would not conduct nuclear tests in 1959 and 1960.
Now there are only three countries in the world with nuclear weapons: the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union.All three countries have suspended nuclear tests, which seems to mean a global nuclear suspension.
"This is difficult." Qian Sanqiang frowned when he heard Nie Shuai say that Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union had suspended nuclear tests.
"Khrushchev... I really can't talk about him." Tang Hua rolled his eyes and cut off the second half of the sentence.
Nie Shuai: "Hehe, the Prime Minister said the same thing about Khrushchev after his meeting with Ambassador Eugene."
Qian Sanqiang: "We have thoroughly studied the principles of nuclear energy. We have designed four atomic bomb configurations. Minister Tang took them to the Soviet Union and asked his friends to review them. The results are also good. In recent years, the layout of our nuclear industry has also been very good. Soon, [-] or [-] factories were put into operation one after another, and I cannot agree to suspending nuclear tests.”
Qian Xuesen: "It was just a two-year suspension in 1959 and 1960."
Qian Sanqiang: "But we were able to test the first atomic bomb in the first half of 1960! I don't feel comfortable delaying it for half a year. Besides, the United States and the Soviet Union mean that two years may be automatically renewed. very bad."
Tang Hua: "The statement of automatic renewal has not been written down, it is just a verbal announcement, not very binding. The United States is determined to continue confrontation with the Soviet Union, no matter what agreement Khrushchev and Eisenhower reach, It will all fall apart in the end."
Nie Shuai: "Tang Hua, do you think that after two years of suspending nuclear tests, the Soviet Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom will resume nuclear tests?"
Tang Hua: "We have to notice that the nuclear test moratorium period of the US and the Soviet Union ended at the end of 1960, which was the year when the US president changed his term."
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Eisenhower is now in his second term and will not be re-elected.With a new president in office, anything can happen.
Many details of this world are different from the original ones, but the new president can basically be determined to come from the Democratic Party. Eisenhower of the Republican Party has been in office for 8 years. It is time to "revolving door".
Moreover, Tang Hua checked the latest developments in the American political arena, and it is likely that the new president will still be Kennedy.Just like in history, Kennedy became a senator in 1952 at the age of 35. He has been quite active in American politics in recent years. Needless to say, it is all the forces behind him that package him, because Kennedy is the number one politician of the Democratic generation Focus on training objects.
The power of the political family is unfathomable, but the United States still has to pretend to be cooking persimmon oil.
If this is the case, the moratorium on nuclear testing will be a thing of the past when Kennedy, who is full of chicken blood, comes to power.
Tang Hua: "Nie Shuai, not only is the suspension of nuclear testing likely to end automatically in two years, but the United States, the Soviet Union, and Britain resumed nuclear testing. This agreement is not binding on us. Pull it out and blow it up, don't worry about other things." Nie Shuai: "Then the central government may have to put forward some different opinions in formally replying to the Soviet comrade's text. But it doesn't matter much. It is impossible for China and the Soviet Union to have no differences at all. .”
Tang Hua: "Personally, we can reply with a firm attitude. China's nuclear industry has developed to a certain stage and will conduct nuclear tests. China has not joined the three-nation agreement to stop nuclear tests. However, we can choose a The timing of the nuclear test is relatively opportune to preserve the international reputation of our camp."
Qian Sanqiang: "That is to say, we endured for half a year and conducted a nuclear test in January 1961?"
"If no other country breaks through the three-nation cease-fire agreement, we can postpone the nuclear test until January 1961, but if another country conducts a nuclear test, then China will no longer abide by the two-year nuclear test ban. " Tang Hua said.
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Nie Shuai: "Tang Hua, what you said...could it be France?"
Tang Hua: "From the beginning of 57, there have been some signs that France is determined to engage in nuclear weapons. Members of their parliament have released sporadic news. Several industrial companies have received large orders without disclosing details. Obviously, their The nuclear weapons program is underway, and it's not slowing down at all."
A major event in the world political landscape in 1958 was the change in France.
The Algerian rebellion led to the downfall of the French cabinet and then the French Fourth Republic.De Gaulle is now the President of France - the Fifth French Republic was established, from the prime minister cabinet system to the presidential system, de Gaulle's power is much greater than that of the prime minister, and he has become the most powerful individual in France since Napoleon III.
Three days after taking office, de Gaulle ordered an increase in funding for the French nuclear weapons program, directly doubling the amount of money.And without waiting for January 1959 to arrive, the increased appropriation from December 1 will be used for procurement and construction.
The Suez War in 1956 caused France a big loss. Later, the French government knew it was wrong and suddenly increased the funding for nuclear weapons research. The French nuclear project progressed rapidly in 57 and 58.But de Gaulle felt that it was not fast enough, and he could use the banknote ability to speed up a little more.
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"President, the French are making a big splash about their nuclear program. Shouldn't we stop the French a little bit?"
Secretary of State Dulles asked Eisenhower about the details of his visit at the White House before his trip to Europe, and raised this question.
Eisenhower: "It is very difficult to stop France's nuclear program. The only available sanctions, not only have no direct stopping effect, but also lead to a trade war between France and the United States. Both parties will lose. France is a big country, and it will always have its own Some areas of absolute advantage, as well as some core interests that must be established."
Dulles: "Then at least we should clearly remind France to exclude Israeli scientists from its nuclear program. Israel has been conducting nuclear research simultaneously with France in the past two years. I am worried that soon after France conducted a nuclear test, Israel will also become nuclear state."
Eisenhower frowned, but the corners of his mouth curled into a wry smile: "Israel is not only taking a ride with France, even some people in Congress greeted me cryptically."
Dulles: "Then I can guess that it is a consortium."
Eisenhower: "Our agreement with the Soviet Union is not very binding on France, but it can delay the time for China to acquire nuclear weapons, and this is actually one of my main goals."
Some high-level people in the United States are carefully reading the analysis articles of think tanks, and Eisenhower is of course one of them.
Almost all think tanks have affirmed that China’s ballistic missile projection capability is very reliable. According to the report of the RAND Corporation, the launch vehicle used by China to launch satellites can deliver 2 to 3 tons of payload to 2000 kilometers away, and Apparently the accuracy is fine too.China has now made a gun, but it lacks a bullet.
The RAND report believes that as long as China's nuclear test is successful, it means that China will immediately have the medium-range nuclear strike capability, and South Korea, Japan, the Philippines and the US military bases above them will be shrouded in the shadow of China's mushroom cloud.
As for ballistic missiles with a longer range, due to the lack of information, RAND only speculated from the law of technological development that China will develop long-range ballistic missiles next, and the next step is intercontinental missiles.
What the US top leaders want to do most now is to delay the time for China to acquire nuclear weapons.
Another important thing is to find out how far China's nuclear industry has been built.
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At the Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, three big black birds moved from Hawaii to Japan a week ago in order to fulfill Eisenhower's voyeurism.
The reconnaissance of the European part of the Soviet Union and the nuclear facilities in the Soviet hinterland took up most of the energy of the U-2 fleet, but in 1958, the United States felt that the situation in China must also be figured out-the Soviet Union had provided China with reactors and gas diffusion plants , and due to the grounding of the RB-57D, the United States has had a one-and-a-half-year window for strategic reconnaissance in the hinterland of China.
"Boys, it's time to hold back your pee again."
The operation was still in the service of the CIA. Mike Mills, head of the CIA's Far East Intelligence Agency, watched the U-2 slide to the end of the runway from the control tower, turned around awkwardly, slowly accelerated on the runway, and took off.The two wheels on the left and right wings automatically fell off when they were more than ten meters high, and one left and one right fell into the grass at the end of the airport runway.
The speed of U-2 is about the same as that of RB-57D. Anyway, it is flying slowly at high altitude, and it has no maneuverability.
RB-57D最大升限21000米，U-2直接提到25000米。实际上在24000米飞行，差不多就是安全高度了。
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