Daqing Oilfield, the cradle of China's so-called "Iron Man
Spirit,"? which inspired Chinese people to work beyond their
physical limits for the socialist construction of the 1960s, has
again been put front and center in a nationwide campaign for
harmonious and sustainable growth.
"The development of Daqing is crucial to China's energy
security, the stamina of the national economy and rejuvenation of
the old industrial base of northeast China," Premier Wen Jiabao said Thursday while inspecting the
46-year-old oil field in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.
To eliminate a nationwide oil shortage in 1960 China mobilized
40,000 workers and seconded 70,000 tons of equipment from 30
factories and mines to start up the Daqing Oilfield. Three years
later, with an annual oil output of 60 million tons, Daqing had
made China self-sufficient in oil.
"Daqing workers" combined with the "Iron Man Spirit" have become
a special term referring to those who demonstrated exceptional
physical strength and moral character. The slogan "Learning from
Daqing" quickly swept China.
Over the decades more than 40 percent of the country's total oil
output of 1.87 billion tons has come from Daqing, which is China's
largest oil production base.?
Sources close to Wen's visit said the purpose of the trip was to
conduct research on the challenges Daqing may face in its future
development. They said the premier has presided over a forum at
which he and experts discussed the oilfield's future. No details of
the talks were released.
Wen also climbed a drilling platform and spoke with workers.
"You've done a first-class job and made first-class achievements,"
he said. "China's oil industry is growing vigorously. We need more
wells on Earth and in the ocean. We need more outstanding drilling
workers like you."?
Hearing that 50 percent of Daqing Oilfield has already been
exploited (10 percent higher than the world's average), a smiling
Wen urged the Daqing workers to double their efforts in research
and development, and "use up-to-date technology to fully explore
the potential of the old oilfield."
He also urged Daqing management to seek out technical innovation
to retrieve more oil and gas and create job opportunities for local
people.
During the first leg of his three-day trip to Heilongjiang,
which began August 10, Wen also visited the homes of several
farmers in Changsheng and Xinmin villages, where he stressed the
importance of protecting farmland.
(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2006)
