Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

Said: "Then this part can be written in."

Wu Hao made a lot of preparations for this trip to the Soviet Union.

We must get the support of the Soviet Union.

Of course, in order to gain Soviet support, China had to make some concessions, but the specifics of what it wanted from the Soviet Union needed further refinement.

That is why we are holding this kind of meeting to listen to the opinions of our comrades in North China.

Wu Hao turned around and said, "Comrade Wei Hongjun, please continue.

"Another point."

Wei Hongjun paused, hesitant, but continued, "We currently lack many things, most notably outstanding technical personnel. Let me use coal mines as an example. Although we've restored normal production at most mines, we lack a comprehensive vision for their development. I've heard that industrial powers like Europe, the US, and the Soviet Union have fully mechanized coal mines, resulting in extremely high coal production. But we don't yet understand this, and our technicians don't quite understand it. We've never seen it before and don't know how to build such mines. Japanese technicians are also far behind in this area, as they don't have any truly large-scale coal mines themselves. Their coal mining in China is more about exploiting our workers than developing technology. Because everyone lacks understanding, even if we have machinery and equipment, it's difficult to build truly large-scale, mechanized, modern coal mines. Right now, we need technicians from Europe, the US, and the Soviet Union to teach us what truly modern, mechanized coal mining is. It would be great if Soviet technicians could come and guide us, but I don't think it would be easy to do so in a short period of time. However, there is a place that is likely to have such talent, but it would require Soviet support."

"You mean the Soviet prisoner-of-war camps?"

Chapter 727 Talent Competition

Wu Hao immediately thought of where Wei Hongjun was talking about.

China is a poor and weak country.

Who would volunteer to come to China? Unless they were international Chinese Communists like Norman Bethune. So when Wei Hongjun mentioned European, American, and Soviet technicians, Wu Hao immediately thought of Soviet prisoner-of-war camps.

"Yes."

Wei Hongjun nodded.

"Most of the prisoners in the Soviet POW camps are undoubtedly military personnel. But among these military personnel, there must be a number of talented individuals in various fields. Those high-end technicians are definitely controlled by the Soviet Union and we cannot obtain them. Moreover, those high-end technicians would have no room to display their talents in our country. What we need now is a large number of ordinary technicians. Therefore, we can select some technicians from the soldiers in the Soviet POW camps and bring them to our country. Germany has a high level of industry and is a true world-class industrial power. Their technical personnel are certainly very capable. More importantly, they are prisoners of war. As long as we reach a cooperation with the Soviet Union, they will have no choice. They are all Nazis, and not putting them on trial is already lenient. Allowing them to participate in our country's industrial development to offset their crimes is a good thing for them. In addition to Germans, there are also many vassal troops in the POW camps. These vassal troops are soldiers from European countries and may also have a lot of industrial talents.

Wei Hongjun was the one who developed the cadres of the Eighth Column.

I understand the importance of talent better than anyone else.

Wei Hongjun was always good at scouting for talent. Soviet POW camps were filled with German and vassal POWs, a diverse mix of individuals. High-end scientists were under Soviet control, and China couldn't use them.

What Wei Hongjun was interested in was whether there would be many technical personnel such as engineers among them.

Just one engineer with certain abilities can support an entire factory in China.

As for how to get these people to China, that was the job of Wu Hao and his delegation visiting the Soviet Union. Wu Hao's expression was serious. Rescuing people from the Soviet prisoner-of-war camps required a lot of coordination.

If the formal process was to be adopted, Stalin's approval would have to be obtained. If the work was done privately, Beria or the Soviet military would have to be consulted. However, given the Soviet situation, it was impossible to bypass Stalin.

But Wu Hao still needs to think about how to convince Stalin.

The chairman said: "The competition for talent is necessary."

"Chairman, our revolution has indeed reached the point where we must compete for talent."

If the revolution is to succeed, talent becomes extremely important.

Wei Hongjun said, "Chairman, judging from the current global environment, the contradictions between the imperialist camp headed by the United States and the socialist camp headed by the Soviet Union are growing, and this situation will only continue to worsen. Our relations with Europe and the United States will not improve in the short term. Currently, there are still a large number of Chinese students studying in Europe and the United States. I believe we should now urge these students to return home as soon as possible. We should also provide various assistance to help them return home. They are likely to be the cutting-edge technical talents most needed for my country's future development. If they do not return home now, once our relations with these imperialist countries deteriorate in the future, it will affect their future path to return home."

Marshal Nie nodded beside him.

"Chairman, I have the same idea. We are not the only ones trying to win over the scientists studying in Europe and America. Chiang Kai-shek's side will not give up either. Judging from their backgrounds, the scientists currently studying in Europe and America should be closer to Chiang Kai-shek's side."

If we act slowly and Chiang Kai-shek takes the lead, it will be very disadvantageous to us."

"The central government has also discussed this matter."

Comrade Xiuyang said: "The Central Committee is ready to call these overseas students through various channels.

In many ways, the first generation of leaders was truly a team of geniuses.

Just like a cheater.

Despite Yan'an's remote location, the Central Committee not only had national ambitions but also global vision. After the Seventh National Congress, the Central Committee established a research institute in Yan'an to study the development of the international situation.

When the central government moved to North China, it had already begun to consider the issues of these international students.

Although Wei Hongjun held considerable power within the North China Bureau, he was still a junior figure in terms of central policymaking. To participate in policymaking at the central level, one must at least become a member of the Central Committee. Of course, this was only the first step; true central policymaking still depended on the level of Politburo members. Currently, Wei Hongjun wasn't even an alternate member of the Central Committee, so his role was largely limited to making recommendations.

Since the central government has already considered the issue of international students in Europe and the United States, Wei Hongjun did not continue to dwell on this topic.

"Chairman, in addition to technical personnel, the POW camps also have many talents we need. Our PLA's ground forces have already established a certain foundation and strength, but we still lack a lot in other areas. Especially in the air force and navy, our foundation is zero, and the gap is not even a little bit. If we want to build a navy and air force in a short period of time, we need not only the weapons and equipment required by the navy and air force, but also aircraft and warships, as well as sufficient cadres. My suggestion is to quickly establish our own air force and naval schools in North China and Northeast China. The instructors we need can be selected from the POW camps."

"Didn't we leave behind quite a few Japanese officers in this area?"

Ye Jianying spoke.

Wei Hongjun shook his head.

"We did retain quite a few officers from the Japanese army in this area. However, in terms of industrial strength, Japanese industry cannot compare to European industry. Furthermore, the war between us and Japan had just ended, and many of our officers and civilians were quite hostile to them. If it were Germany and their vassal armies selecting some officers, this wouldn't be a problem."

"I support this idea."

Xu Xiangqian, who had just taken up the post of Chief of the General Staff of the Central Military Commission, expressed his support.

The revolution was victorious.

The army is about to become regular.

The People's Liberation Army also needs to have its own air force and navy.

In the past, North China and Northeast China both had the conditions to establish their own air force and naval schools. In fact, both North China and Northeast China currently have small-scale aviation schools, but they have not yet fully become air force universities.

The main instructors were Japanese officers.

However, for officers and soldiers who had fought in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression for so many years, learning from Japanese instructors was always a little uncomfortable. Many of them even rejected Japanese officers from the bottom of their hearts and did not trust Japanese instructors.

Wu Hao couldn't help but smile as he listened.

Wei Hongjun hadn't expected so much. Wu Hao and his team went to the Soviet Union, firstly, to show the Soviets that the CCP was part of the socialist camp. Secondly, they hoped to gain Soviet support to complete China's revolution.

As for the rest, they are just details.

But Wei Hongjun's details were too detailed and too many.

But Wu Hao takes it very seriously.

Because compared to the central government's consideration of grand strategies, local cadres like Wei Hongjun are more concerned with practical issues. Look at the problems Wei Hongjun mentioned, they are all things that the North China Bureau urgently needs.

If what Wei Hongjun wants can be achieved, it will be of great benefit to the development of North China.

Wei Hongjun continued, "Then there's the issue of military supplies. World War II had just ended, and Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and even Japan had produced a large amount of military supplies. These supplies included weapons and ammunition, as well as a large number of logistical supplies such as cars, tires, oil drums, and military uniforms. These were all necessary for the war, but after the war, most of these things were no longer needed. I heard that the US military even had a large number of transport planes being sold at low prices, simply because too many transport planes were produced during the war. This was the case in the United States, and I imagine it would be the same for the Soviet Union. Moreover, the Soviet Union defeated Nazi Germany and its vassal armies and seized a large amount of military supplies. To the Soviet Union, these things were garbage. Could we negotiate with the Soviet Union to take these military supplies back at a low price and use them in our military construction?"

"Our Ministry of Foreign Trade fully agrees with Comrade Wei Hongjun's remarks on the issue of military supplies.

Zhou Bin added.

He said: "Since the establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, we have established trading companies in Dalian, Yantai, Hong Kong, Macau and other places. Our main work is to purchase military supplies produced by countries such as Britain and Japan during World War II from Japan and Southeast Asia. The prices of these military supplies are very low, and some military supplies are even only one-tenth of the normal price. The British military in Southeast Asia even treats some military supplies as garbage. And Japan, due to the serious shortage of food in the country, treats the machinery and equipment in its hands as scrap metal. Over the past year or so, we have purchased a lot of military supplies and machinery and equipment. I think the situation in the Soviet Union is not much better than that in Britain and Japan. The military supplies in their warehouses are not a small number. We can fully take advantage of the current opportunity to purchase those military supplies at a low price.

Zhou Bin was most deeply touched.

Britain, the United States, and Japan produce too much military supplies.

The supplies piled up into mountains.

The military had no interest in these matters, simply wanting to get rid of them quickly. The Ministry of Foreign Trade established several trading companies dedicated to this business. Machinery and equipment useful to China were sent to Dalian, Yantai, and Weihai. The remaining military supplies were then resold for profit.

"We have a large number of troops now. As long as we complete the decisive battle in Jiangbei and annihilate the Kuomintang's elite, it will only be a matter of time before we liberate all of China. When the revolution is victorious and the new China is established, national construction will outweigh military struggle. By then, we will not be able to maintain a large military force. How can we digest the large amount of military supplies we purchase now?"

Comrade Xiuyang spoke.

Now any negotiation or cooperation with the Soviet Union will require China to pay a price.

Including sending students abroad, all of this would require China's own expenditures. However, China currently lacks the necessary foreign exchange; much of the funds needed would require loans from the Soviet Union. Comrade Xiuyang might agree to such loans if they were for national construction. However, at this time, the Liberation War in China is significantly ahead. In the upcoming decisive battle north of the Yangtze River, the People's Liberation Army holds the advantage in every aspect.

The advantage in military strength is particularly obvious.

Comrade Xiuyang did not agree with spending a large amount of money to purchase some military supplies at this time.

Ren Peiguo and Wu Hao also looked at Wei Hongjun.

Chapter 728 Loan Issues

Wei Hongjun said: "Dear leaders, our country's Liberation War is closely related to the world situation. The two major powers, the United States and the Soviet Union, are paying attention to our country's Liberation War. Similarly, our decision-making must always pay attention to changes in the world situation. Currently, the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union in Europe is becoming increasingly fierce, and each side wants to overwhelm the other. The advantage of the United States and the Soviet Union in Europe is that it is a European country and is close to countries such as Britain, France, and Germany. However, the Soviet Union is not as strong as the United States in terms of industrial base and industrial strength. World War II showed how powerful the industrial strength of the United States is. In addition, Britain and France in the imperialist camp are old colonial imperialist countries with deep cultural heritage. Although they suffered heavy losses in World War II, their industrial base and industrial technology are still there. As long as there is sufficient financial support, they will soon become an industrial power again. Therefore, in the competition in Europe, it will not be easy for the Soviet Union to gain the upper hand."

Although Wei Hongjun does not participate in the formulation of central policies, he now has enough capital to provide his own ideas to the central decision-making.

"If the US and the Soviet Union confront each other in Europe and the Soviet Union falls behind, what will the Soviet Union do? The Soviet Union will definitely need to open up a new battlefield to reduce the pressure on itself in Europe. Currently, there are two new battlefields that the Soviet Union can seek: one is the Middle East and the other is Asia. It is easiest for the Soviet Union to take action in Asia because Asia has the Chinese Communist Party, as well as North Korea and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, which have certain strength and have established national regimes. If the Soviet Union supports North Korea and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in their war of unification, what will the United States do then?"

"The United States absolutely cannot sit idly by. Because once China, the Korean Peninsula, and Vietnam all become socialist countries, then the entire East and Southeast Asia may turn red. This is something the United States will never accept. At that time, the United States will inevitably divert some of its energy to Asia. If a war breaks out on the Korean Peninsula or in Vietnam, what will we do then? The United States cannot watch East Asia and Southeast Asia become red. Can we just watch the Korean Peninsula and Vietnam be controlled by the United States? Therefore, I believe that even if the revolution succeeds, we must maintain a certain size of troops, and maintain elite troops. Military construction is still the top priority. Now is actually the best opportunity. World War II has just ended, and not only the Soviet Union, but also European and American countries have a large amount of military supplies. How to deal with so much military supplies is a difficult task for all countries. We should make good use of this good opportunity to obtain a batch of weapons for our army and increase our troops' combat effectiveness."

After hearing Wei Hongjun's words, everyone fell silent.

Because this is not just a simple matter of purchasing military supplies.

Wei Hongjun even analyzed the development of the world situation from a higher perspective.

Even the issues of the Korean Peninsula and Vietnam began to be considered.

What will China do if war breaks out on the Korean Peninsula and Vietnam?

What should the Chinese army do?

This is a question that no one has thought about.

But what Wei Hongjun said is logically consistent.

After a while, the Chairman put down his cigarette and said, "The US and the Soviet Union attach great importance to Europe, but they cannot completely ignore the problems in Asia. Moreover, there are variables in Asia, and that is the outcome of the Liberation War. The outcome of the Liberation War will directly affect the changes in the strength of the US and the Soviet Union in Asia and the changes in their Asian policies.

The Chairman sees it very clearly.

China is a big country.

China's choices in Asia directly impact the influence of the US and the Soviet Union in Asia. Whichever China supports will gain the upper hand in Asia. This is China's only source of confidence in its current negotiations with the Soviet Union.

Wei Hongjun immediately said, "Yes. In Asia, the Soviet Union can gain an advantage with our help. And we want to make the Soviet Union understand that we can help the Soviet Union and the socialist camp to stabilize the situation in Asia. We can contain the United States at the Asian level, or even suppress the United States, thereby reducing the pressure on the Soviet Union and the socialist camp. However, our country has a poor industrial base and weak military strength. If we want to contain the United States at the Asian level, the Soviet Union must support us in all aspects."

Once the Liberation War is won, China will be a country led by the Communist Party of China.

Naturally, he is a member of the socialist camp.

Become a younger brother of the Soviet Union.

As the big brother of the Soviet Union, if China wanted to take up the banner of Asia and help relieve the pressure on the Soviet Union, then the Soviet Union must also give more support to its younger brother.

This is actually an exchange.

The Soviet Union needed China to contain the United States in Asia and needed China's participation to expand the influence of the socialist camp. Similarly, China needed the Soviet Union to help China with its industrial development.

The Chairman highly appreciated Wei Hongjun’s report today.

Because Wei Hongjun's gaze was already on the world, he had already suggested domestic policy adjustments based on the development of the world situation. Therefore, the Chairman said, "The North China Bureau's report is quite reasonable. I suggest that the North China Bureau prepare a detailed report for the visiting Soviet delegation so that they can be adequately prepared. This way, the delegation can each carry out their respective work in the Soviet Union. This is done for the North China Bureau. When the delegation moves to the Northeast Bureau, they can listen to the opinions of the Northeast Bureau comrades. They have had more contact with Soviet comrades and may have more thoughts."