BEIJING: Scientists and their families gathered Wednesday at an old rocket research site in Beijing’s Huairou district to commemorate the 60th anniversary of China’s first atomic bomb test and reflect on the historic “Two Bombs and One Satellite” program.
The milestone marked China’s rise as the fifth nation to possess nuclear weapons, following the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and France.
Hou Jianguo, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the development of the Two Bombs and One Satellite program — encompassing China’s first atomic bomb, hydrogen bomb and satellite — was a monumental effort that required national unity and resilience.
“The success was a great feat achieved through the concerted efforts of the entire country,” Hou said. “Many outstanding scientists answered the call of the Communist Party and the State, working in remote, harsh conditions to forge the spirit of the program.”
Hou Xun, a CAS academician and researcher at the Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics in Shaanxi province, recalled the early challenges workers faced in setting up the program. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
