Qian Xuesen at Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Qian Xuesen (1911-2009) was a dynamicist and a member of both Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering. Joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in October 1958, Qian was the director of the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the director of the Fifth Research Institute of the Ministry of National Defense, and the chairman of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology. He was the laureate of Two Bombs and One Satellite Medal and one of the fathers of the Chinese Aerospace.

In 1955, Qian finally returned to his beloved homeland, thanks to the efforts by the Chinese government and Premier Zhou Enlai. After he came back, he witnessed so many things, in particular the great achievements made since the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC). He was especially touched by the vitality and optimism of the Chinese people. For Qian, all of these were testaments to the strong cohesion and leadership of the CPC. He was convinced that only socialism could save China and only the CPC's leadership could completely eradicate the poverty and backwardness confronting China. Qian was increasingly keen to join the Party.

At one night in early 1958, Qian visited Zhang Jinfu, the then Secretary of the Leading Party Member's Group of Chinese Academy of Sciences. He briefed Zhang his sincere aspiration to join the Party for the first time. Qian's move was greatly praised and encouraged by Zhang, who told Qian that an applicant could only be admitted in the Party based on the recommendations of at least two Party members as required by the Party Charter. Then Qian asked Du Runsheng and Yang Gangyi, the then General Secretary of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Party Secretary of Institute of Mechanics respectively, to recommend him for Party membership. Both Du and Yang agreed delightedly. They asked Qian to write a report to explain why he decided to apply for the Party membership. On April 6, Qian submitted his seven-page "personal report" to the Party Branch of Institute of Mechanics, in which he introduced his past experiences in great detail. As was formally required by the application procedure, an applicant must submit "personal report" to the Party, in which he or she must faithfully report such important issues like personal experiences, the reasons for Party membership application and problems in his or her thinking and work, among other things. Qian named his personal report an "ideological inspection," demonstrating how in-depth and faithful his personal report was and how sincere he was with his Party membership application.