Deng on Need for Political Restructuring
BeijingR-ir HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
VOL. ^1). \(). sF-;n. :i. m~
CONTENTS Deng Stresses Need for Political Restructuring
• In recent years, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping has often NOTES FROM THE EDITORS stressed the need for political restructuring, a main topic for Trend of Popuhir Will discussion at the forthcoming 13th Party Congress. The article Irresistible explains why this is so and in what way it is related to the economic reform and the success of the socialist cause (p. 14). EVENTS/TRENDS S-9 NFC Standing Committee Meeting l-ruitfuf Popular Will an Irresistible Force Chinese Leaders lo Become Younger Nuclear Talks I"ocus on • Taiwan authorities recently indicated their intention to Safety relax controls over those Taiwanese wishing to visit their Aniaibao Coal Mine Ciocs relatives on the mainland, but many restrictions still apply. It is Into Action hoped that they will consider popular will and the tide of Weekly CJironiclc historical development as any further moves to promote links (September 7-13) between people over the straits and the peaceful reunification of the country will be welcome (p. 4). INTERNATIONAL 10-13 GDR: First Visit by Top Leader to Bonn The Honecker — Kohl Talks linited States: What's Behind The Huge Trade Dcflcii? • GDR leader Erich Honecker's visit to the Federal Republic Bolivia: inHation Hri)iighi of Germany marks a historical breakthrough in the relations Under Confroi between the two Germanics (p. 10). Denmark; Ncv\i Formed Talks on Afghan Issue Prove Fruitless VWhy Deng Stresses Political Restructuring 14 Remarriage Sttli Causes • Because of Soviet unwillingness to withdraw their troops, Controversy 16 the new round of indirect talks between the Soviet-backed Chlna^s Burgeoning Contracting Kabul regime and the Pakistan government which took place in 19 Geneva September 7-10 ended without any solution to the Chinese Journaifsts Look at Afghan problem (p. 22). Soviet Reforms 20 IndirectlFalks on Afghanistan 22 Remarriage Among the Elderly Still a Problem iVIore GMnese Touring at Home 24 • Since China's new Marriage Law was introduced in 1981, FROflHTNE CHINESE PRESS 26-27 more and more elderly widows and widowers are seeking BUSmetS/TRADE 28-29 remarriage but they are still coming up against die-hard CULIURE/SCIENCE 30-32 feudalist notions and pressure from children and relatives (p. 3334 16). COWR: \d uorkci ^ings an ana fromsa Beijing opera in the park. Wang Donghai
Published e»ery Mo-dci, hv General Editorial Office Tel: 893860 Sobscrifjtlon prices (I y««r}! USA US$23.00 Engliih Oepoftment Tel, 890951-546 BEIJING REVIEW Av«lnilia A.$22.0O Canodo Can.$21.l» Distributed by China International Book 24 Botwonihuang Rood, Beijing Trading Corpenirion (GUOJI SHUDIAN) New Zealand I4Z.$30.W The People'* Republic of China P.O. Box 399, Betjino. CWno UK £ia.00 m NOTES FROM THE EDITORS Trend of Popular Will Irresistible by An Zhiguo
noteworthy change has Day in 1979 presented a policy for sentiment, reason and law, and so Arecently taken place in the peaceful reunification of the it must be changed." Another Taiwan Straits situation. Follow• country, open mail, trade and air senior Kuomintang adviser and ing their decision to allow Taiwan and shipping services, rights for celebrated political commentator citizens to visit Hong Kong as visiting relatives and friends, raised a "three must's" proposal their first stop to meet with tourism, academic, cultural and (must try, must contact and must relatives from the mainland, the sports exchanges. Because the compromise) to counter the "three Taiwan authorities are planning to Taiwan authorities rejected and no's" policy. allow non-political books and boycotted these proposals, realiz• In recent years, there has been a video tapes depicting mainland ation of a peaceful reunification of growing plea from the Taiwan scenery and with non-mainland the motherland has been delayed. people to break down barriers, lift copyright be made available for The rigid attitude of Taiwan prohibitions and allow visits publication and screening in authorities against popular will from both sides of the straits. Taiwan. Another move under and the historical tide has Various types of popular move• consideration is to relax control naturally aroused the resentment ments for returning to hometowns over people who want to visit their of the masses and has been to visit relatives have been relatives in the mainland as well as criticized by people of various organized almost everywhere on making it possible for athletes strata. Many far-sighted people, the island. Many people, after from either side of the straits to noted scholars and some legisla• overcoming numerous difficulties, take part in international sports tive committee members within have secretly returned to the competitions on the opposite side. the Kuomintang have demanded mainland to reunite with their The new moves, though far that Taiwan . authorities adopt relatives. Taiwan newspapers have from satisfying the powerful "reasonable and flexible policies" admitted that transit trade and popular demand for exchanges of towards the mainland. During a transit mail and cultural ex• mail, trade and air and shipping Legislative Yuan meeting held in changes do occur between people services, will more or less help March and April this year, more on both sides of the straits. eliminate the estrangement be• than 20 legislative committee Reports show that since 1980 the tween both sides of the straits, members of different party number of people from both promote exchanges and improve affiliations addressed inquiries Taiwan and the mainland visiting relations between them. The about relations across the straits, Hong Kong to reunite with their measures are without doubt calling on the Taiwan authorities relatives increases each year. welcome. However, they do not to examine their "three no's" Taiwanese travelling to Hong mean that the Taiwan authorities policy and proposing that al• Kong to meet relatives in the last have changed their basic attitude lowances be made for mail, trade, three years have probably ex• towards the mainland or aban• air and shipping services. Many ceeded 20,000. According to doned their "three no's" policy noted people have pointed out statistics published by a tourist (no negotiation, no contact and no that the flesh-and-blood relations company in Hong Kong, it has compromise). Rather, they are between Taiwan and the mainland helped more than 100,000 Tai• tactical, emergency measures, are inseparable, that the "three wanese visit their relatives in their taken under tremendous popular no's" policy would lead Taiwan to mainland hometowns since 1979. pressure and to cope with the an impasse and isolate it from the Cultural, academic and sports present internal and external international community. They exchanges and contacts between situation. Their aim is to change proposed that pending the reunif• people on both sides of the straits the rigid, conservative image ication of the country, exchanges have never been interrupted created by their handling of between people over the straits overseas. Now the call for direct relations over the straits, and ease should be allowed as a first step to cultural and academic exchanges the severe criticism from inside end the separation of kinfolk. between the island and the and outside the island. A scholar of Chinese origin mainland is rising like a tidal wave It is well known that the residing in the United States who in Taiwan. Noted writers, scholars Message to Compatriots in frequently offers advice to the and professors have pointed out Taiwan published by the Standing Taiwan authorities wrote, "The that Taiwan's culture is rooted in Committee of the PRC National 'three no's' policy has shown its the mainland, Taiwan has long People's Congress on New Year's unreasonable aspects, is against been influenced by foreign culture
4 BEIJING REVIEW, NO. 38 EVENTSARENPS
NPC Standing Committee IVIeeting Fruitful
he 22nd meeting of the Sixth still has a long way to go to catch TNational People's Congress up with the country's other coastal (NPC) Standing Committee areas. reached agreement on a proposal Separating the island from by Premier Zhao Ziyang to make Guangdong Province, Cui said, Hainan Island an independent will help centralize nationwide province of China. The proposal support aimed at speeding up will be submitted to the first Hainan's development. The move session of the Seventh NPC. will also help the island open and barriers to cultural exchanges further to the outside world. And The island, China's second- with the mainland will lead to a it will help the government to largest after Taiwan, is now a "historical fault" in Taiwan's streamline administration, dele• special administrative district of culture. Some scholars stressed gate more power to lower levels Guangdong Province. It covers an that contacts over the Taiwan and increase its efficiency. area of more than 34,000 square Straits serve as "an umbilical Members of the NPC Standing kilometres. Its coastline is 1,500 cord" linking the sentiments and Committee are enthusiastic about kilometres long, and its popul• culture of both sides. Only when the proposal. Some members have ation is 6.05 million, about one- contacts are strengthened, will suggested that the new province "the strongly cemented feelings sixth of whom belong to minority include other Chinese islands in not be diluted by political nationalities. the Nanhai Sea such as Nansha, factors." Despite prohibition by Hainan is the only part of China Xisha and Zhongsha. the authorities, some Taiwan with a tropical climate. It is rich in The NPC Standing Committee publishers have turned out many natural resources, with more than treatises by mainland writers and meeting, which took place August 50 kiTids of mineral resources 28-September 5, also ratified laws scholars and sold them publicly on including iron, manganese, wolf• the market. Works by renowned on air pollution and archives. ram, oil and natural gas. The contemporary painters from the The air pollufion law is China's island also boasts tropical crops, mainland were also well received. fourth of its kind adopted in recent marine products and tourist years. The other three consist of a The new move to allow some attractions. trial environmental protection people to visit relatives on the Cui Naifu, minister of Civil law. a law on marine environ• mainland indicates that the Affairs, said that making Hainan mental protection and regulations Taiwan authorities are compelled a province will promote the for the prevention and control of to admit that these visits are a inhabitants" material and cultural water pollution. long-established reality. Now they life, strengthen the unity of the The new 41-article law, which will be possible as overt actions. nationalities, facilitate national will become effective next June I, However, while the Taiwan defence and promote the unific• contains detailed rules on the authorities relax control in this ation of the country. monitoring and control of soot, area, they still impose many Since 1950, the economy and dust and sewage, as well as restrictions. culture of Hainan have greatly penalties for polluters. The law The open exchanges of mail, improved. Especially since the says the State Council and local trade, air and shipping services Third Plenary Session of the 1 Ith governments at all levels must and the reunification of the Central Committee of the include air pollufion prevention country represent popular Communist Party of China in and treatment measures in their feeling and constitute a historical 1978, the State Council and trend. They are fundamental plans for economic and social Guangdong Province have taken to the interests of development, arrange their in• measures to give Hainan more the entire Chinese people. It is dustrial layout accordingly, and decision-making power. During hoped that the Taiwan authorities take immediate steps and continue the Sixth Five-Year Plan (1981- will set aside their prejudices, research in this area. 85). the island's social output consider the present political and Any pollution-producing pro• social climate, and conform to value increased by 92.9 percent, jects now in the planning stages popular will and the tide of net income by 87.2 percent and cannot start construction unless historical development. Any con• revenue by 166.4 percent. they meet state-set pollution crete steps to promote the peaceful But because of some restric• standards,while those in operation reunification of the country and tions, most of which were caused before the law was enacted links between people over the by the present organizational I must solve their problems straits will be welcome. • structure, Hainan's possibilities within specified time, or be have not been given full play. It fined or closed down.
SEPTEMBER 21, 1987 5 m EVENTSARENDS
No pollution-producing industrial . who make outstanding contri• central and provincial leaders projects can be built in scenic butions to the collection, manage• were in their 30s and 40s. Among spots, natural reserves or other ment or use of archives can be the principal leaders, Mao Zedong regions that need special protec• rewarded and those who alter, was 56, both Zhou Enlai and Liu tion. Boilers, cars and buses that forge, damage, lose, burn, give Shaoqi were 51 and Deng was 45. fail to meet dust and exhaust away or sell them can be punished. When the Party's Eighth emission standards must not be . The NPC Standing Committee Congress was held in 1956, the manufactured, sold or imported. meeting also approved decisions central leaders were still in the Those violating the law will face on the distribution of deputies prime of life. fines and other panalties, and from ethnic minority groups to the In 1964, Deng, then 60 years old those responsible for severe Seventh NPC and on the election and the Party's secretary-general, pollution resulting in deaths or through consultafion of deputies raised the question of lowering the great economic losses will be represendng Taiwan. A proposal average age of Party leaders at a prosecuted. Officials who neglect stating China should ratify People's Liberation Army confer• their duty will also be dealt with Convention 159 of the Intern• ence on political work. Recalling according to law. ational Labour Organization his speech 17 years later, Deng concerning vocational rehabilit• said, "Although the question was The archive law, China's first, ation and employment of the not very urgent then, it had provides that state archives will disabled was accepted at the already surfaced." Mao was 71 generally be open to the public meeting. • years old. after 30 years. Those concerning economy, science, technology and The "cultural revoludon" culture will be available in less Chinese Leaders (1966-76) toppled many experien• than 30 years. ced central and local officials. As a The law, which will come into To Become Younger result, the Party and government force next January 1, consists of 26 organizations were thrown into articles in six chapters. It he 13th Congress of the confusion. stipulates that archives related to TChinese Communist Party to After the chaotic years, long• state security or other major be convened next month will time officials again came to the national interests, as well as those further promote the rejuvenation fore, but many of them had unsuitable for the public, can of the Party's core leadership. become old for their jobs. This remain confidential after 30 years. This is a process that the situation soon attracted the To improve the management, Chinese public regards as highly attention of top policy makers. collection and sorting of archives important. It is also attracting In an interview with Italian so as to effectively preserve and worldwide attention. journalist Oriana Fallaci in 1980, use them, the law requires that all Many top Chinese leaders have Deng said China faced the state departments, armed forces, recently dealt with this issue, problem of gradually reducing the political parties, social groups, which Deng Xiaoping once average age of leaders at all levels. enterprises and citizens safeguard described as of "strategic There is de facto life tenure in archival material.. importance." leading posts, he said. "This does The archives described in the Some aged leaders, including not facilitate the renewal of law refer to valuable historical 83-year-old Deng, have expressed leadership or the promotion of records — whether written, or in the intention of giving up their younger people. It is an insti• the form of photographs, ili- seats on the Political Bureau or its tutional defect." ustrations.films or tapes — of past Standing Committee. Later, several top Chinese and present state departments, People in China are concerned leaders commented on the pro• social organizations and indiv• with the question because they blem. In 1981 Chen Yun, a iduals. They may relate to wish the present popular policies member of the Political Bureau political, military. economic, regarding reform and opening the Standing Committee, wrote in an scientific, technological, cultural, country to the rest of the world to article circulated among Party religious or other activities. continue as older leaders are officials that "it is an urgent task China currently has about 79.57 replaced by younger ones. They to promote and train young and million volumes of archives want the replacements to take over middle-aged cadres." He pro• housed in 2,865 storage vaults and while the principal policy makers posed that the majority of those, 261 collections of archives held by are still living and in good health promoted should be in their 40s. departments or enterprises. The so that the country can remain on In the same year, Deng said at a archive law requires those con• a steady political course. There forum of provincial party leaders cerned to set up a scientific was no problems of ageing leaders that he agreed with Chen's managerial system with advanced when the People's Republic of proposal. "We have become more technology. Under the law, those China was founded in 1949. Most and more aware of the urgency of
6 BEIJING REVIEW, NO. 38 the matter," he said, adding that Committee — will be reduced Netherlands, Yugoslavia, Swit• long-time officials should have an considerably. Members of the zerland and Italy, have a de facto enlightened attitude and take the Political Bureau will also be moratorium on building -new lead in solving the big problem of younger. plants. In Sweden a decision to reducing the average age of cadres. A realistic prediction or hope is phase out nuclear power by the His call was enthusiastically that the backbone of the Party year 2010 was taken in the wake of received by many veteran revolut• Central Committee will consist of the Three Mile Island accident in ionaries. The 12th Party Congress people in their 50s. The committee the United States in 1979, but in 1982 established the Party will still contain people over 60 there is now discussion about Central Advisory Commission, who are experienced and healthy starting the phase-out in the mid- which resulted in large numbers of enough to work. To select people 1990s. In the Philippines, a older officials retiring so that around 40 for central leading completed nuclear power plant is younger and more professional positions will be more difficult as being mothballed, and in Austria, cadres could be promoted to the "cultural revolution" delayed a mothballed plant is to be leadmg posts. a whole generation politically and dismantled, he said. At and after the congress, professionally. But this is a goal "It is true that the Chernobyl experienced leaders such as that must gradually be achieved. accident has had a strong impact marshals Ye Jianying and Liu • on public opinion in many Bocheng quit their posts of their countries, and that it led some own accord. governments to postpone orders The congress also put forward Nuclear Talks for new plants for the present. But for the first time the criteria for Focus on Safety while it has also led some political nurturing leaders of political parties which are in opposition to integrity who are younger, better espite the shadow of last year's add nuclear power to the list of educated and professionally com• D Chernobyl nuclear power petent. Since the congress, a things they oppose, it has largely accident in the Soviet Union, most nationwide retirement pro• failed to persuade political parties participants at the Sixth Pacific gramme for Party and government in office to abandon their support Basin Nuclear Conference were officals has been carried out. for nuclear power." Only a few optimistic about nuclear develop• days after the Chernobyl accident, Nearly 1 million young and ment in the future. Everyone he said, the heads of state and middle-aged people have been expressed the desire to do their government of the biggest market promoted to leading posts over the best to ensure the safety of nuclear economy countries, meeting in past few years, including 1.000 at applications. Tokyo, voiced their conviction the provincial level, 20,000 at the About 500 representatives from that "nuclear power, properly perfectural level and 140,000 at the 21 countries and regions attended managed, will continue to produce county level. Several middle-aged the conference, held in Beijing an increasing share of the world's people were selected as central September 7-11. The theme of the electricity." And Soviet leader leaders. meeting was the outlook for Mikhail Gorbachev declared that The rejuvenation process has nuclear technology development he could not imagine a future yet to be speeded up. But more in the 1990s. world economy without nuclear and more people have come to Hans Blix, director general of power. realize that the process is the International Atomic Energy In China, although some people inevitable if the Party's executive Agency, said at the opening have expressed fear of nuclear organs and the country's political ceremony that the current picture power, the Chernobyl tragedy did system are to be invigorated and for nuclear power in the world is not cause a panic or change the ossified attitudes avoided. very mixed. "There are those — in country's economic plans. On the This awareness has ensured that various countries — who oppose occasion of the meeting, Chinese the problem will be solved in an nuclear power with a religious leaders reiterated their confidence orderly way. The world sees fervour, who claim that nuclear in nuclear energy. Premier Zhao China's transfer of leadership as power is on its way out. And there Ziyang told Blix that China is having been arranged without are journalists who like to make optimistic about using nuclear friction. At the same time, headlines out of every nuclear technology in industry, agricul• experienced veteran officials who problem, however small." He said ture and medicine. "China will are in good heath can still play some European countries that make sure there will be no risk at their roles in different ways. have no nuclear power plants, all in the nuclear industry," he It can be safely predicted that at such as Ireland, Denmark and said. the 13th Party Congress, the Austria, actively oppose plants Zhao said people should draw a average age of the members of the even in other countries. Some lesson from the Chernobyl Political Bureau Standing countries, including Finland, the accident and pay more attention
SEPTEMBER 21, 1987 7 m EVENTS/TRENDS
to. the safety of nuclear plants. a highly competitive industrial world," said Juan Eibenschutz, "Any energy development can world. "the future of nuclear power and bring about tragic accidents if Japan is another country that particularly of the existing nuclear special attention is not paid. A has a good record on nuclear industry looks uncertain." He said dam that is not well constructed power. The country plans to the Three Mile Island and can also bring disaster to tens of expand its nuclear programme Chernobyl accidents have created thousands of people," he said. despite the Chernobyl accident. A social fear of nuclear power. Even "The key to the development of representative from Japan said the nuclear community has been nuclear power lies in safety nuclear energy accounted for 27 badly shaken and its confidence in measures, and present-day science percent of the country's total its own profession has been and technology can guarantee power supply in 1986, and the severely affected, the Mexican them." figure will rise to 49 percent in the representative said. Blix also said it is not wise to year 2010 and 58 percent in 2030. "In spite of the accidents," he abandon the construction of Some countries, however, are conceded, "it has to be recognized nuclear power plants just because less optimistic about the outlook that the nuclear power industry is of the Chernobyl accident. for development. "For Mexico a demonstration that technology Among nfore than 400 nuclear and for the rest of the world, or at can be put to the service of power plants in operation in the least for the rest of the Western mankind." by Li Halbo world, only one major fatal accident has taken place — Chernobyl — and the other plants Antaibao Coal IVIine goes Into Action all have good safety records, he said. t the ribbon-cutting ceremony policy will not change, because it Afor the Antaibao Coal Mine, has brought real benefits to the Indeed, there are many well- Chmese Vice-Premier Li Peng and Chinese people," Li said. operating and safe plants. In his US businessman Armand Ham• Hammer attributed the success speech, Blix referred to France, mer each thanked the other side of the joint venture to the which has the biggest nuclear for its hard work on the joint "extraordinary efforts of all energy programme in Europe. venture. parties and great attention and Nuclear power is already provid• The ceremony took place on support from the Chinese govern• ing more than 70 percent of the September 10 at the mine site in ment." country's electricity, and a Shanxi Province. With a designed annual capac• reduced rate of ordering new Li said the successful venture is ity of 15.33 million tons and total plants had already begun before the outcome of China's open investment of US$649 million, the Chernobyl. "The large installed policy. He urged foreign business• Antaibao mine is the largest capacity has enabled France not men to follow Hammer's example China-US joint venture. The only to keep electricity prices low, and invest in China. "The open open-cast mine is being jointly but also to become a major electricity exporter — last year to Chinese Vice-Premier U Peng (foreground) and Occidentai's chairman Armand the tune of more than 5 billion Hammer (middle) at the opening ceremony for the Antaibao surface coal mine. francs (about USS830 million)," bv QIAO WENTAO he said. People in Canada are celebrat• ing the 100th anniversary of the engineering profession in the country. As part of the celebr• ations, said D. S. Lawson, head of CANDU operations for Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, the 10 most significant engineering achievements of the past century were selected. One of those was CANDU, Canada's unique and successful nuclear power system. Lawson said he believed the significance of nuclear power will increase as the developing world strives to improve the quality of life and the developed countries compete to maintain their place in
8 BEIJING REVIEW, NO. 38 developed and operated by Weekly Chronicle ! Parties and forums are held to Pingshuo First Coal Ltd. (PSF) (September 7-13) congratulate teachers around the and Island Creek of China Coal country, and Chinese leaders visit Ltd. (ICCC). PSF, which is owned POLITICAL schools and teachers. by China National Coal Develop• ment Corp., China International September 7 September 11 Trust and Investment Corp. and • Premier Zhao Ziyang had a • Radio Beijing, China's only the Shanxi provincial government, discussion in Beijing on Septem• radio station transmitting pro• contributed 47.51 percent of the ber 6 with a group of 10 farmer- grammes worldwide, marks the investment, or US$308 million. entrepreneurs from Jiangsu, 40th anniversary of its birthday. ICCC, which is owned by Zhejiang, Liaoning and Shaanxi The station, which inaugurated its Occidental Petroleum Corp. and provinces. Rinmin Rihao ('People's English-language service on Sep• Bank of China Trust and Daily) reports. Zhao siad rural tember 11,1947, now broadcasts Consultancy Co.., put in 52.49 prosperity can be achieved only by every day in 38 foreign languages percent, or US$341 million. developing commodity produc• including French, Japanese, Rus• Hammer is the chairman of tion on a large scale, which sian, Spanish, German and Occidental. requires large numbers of man• Arabic. The project originated in 1979 agerial personnel. FOREIGN RELATIONS when China's then Vice-Premier September 8 Kang Shien visited the United September 11 • The ambassador of the States and offered to co-operate • The Chinese government has Democratic People's Republic of with US businesses in developing selected 14 rural areas as testing Korea (DPRK) to China, Sin In the surface mine. Several US grounds to gather information for Ha, hosts a film reception in companies, including Occidental, the making of policies and Beijing to celebrate the 39th showed interest in the project and accumulate experience in promot• anniversary of the founding of sent their representatives to ing further reforms, Xinhua DPRK. Chinese Vice-Premier Antaibao to investigate and reports. Wan Li and Foreign Minister Wu conduct feasibility studies. After Xueqian attend the event. Chinese fierce competition, China selected ECONOMIC leaders Zhao Ziyang, Li Xiannian Occidental as its partner in March and Peng Zhen send a message of 1982. September 12 congratulations to DPRK leaders The two sides spent three years • China's gross national pro• Kim II Sung and Li Gun Mo. negotiating a 30-year contract that duct is now double the 1978 figure was signed on June 29, 1985. and the eighth highest in the world September 11 Construction began two days as a result of eight years of • Chinese senior leader Deng later. continuous economic reforms, Xiaoping tells a delegation from After 26 months of digging and Xinhua says. the Japanese Democratic Socialist building, the infrastructure was Party visiting China that Sino- completed. In this time, 61.85 CULTURAL Japanese relations should be million cubic metres of overbur• considered from the long-term den were removed to expose coal; September 8 point of view. He said there are a coal preparation plant, which is • The Encyclopaedia of some troubles between China and one of the largest in the world, was China's Nationalities, the largest Japan which should be solved. constructed; and a special 51.5- of its kind, is put on the market. "They are not difficult to W- kilometre railway was built to More than 70 experts from the solved, so long as future interesl^ transport the coal. The mine Beijing Institute for Nationalities are taken into consideration," he began production on schedule. and the Institute of Nationalities added. Located on the border of of the Chinese Academy of Social Shanxi's Pinglu and Shuoxian Sciences spent the past eight years September 13 counties, the Antaibao mining compiling the encyclopaedia. • China sincerely hopes that area covers a total of 383 square • The International Training third world countries will be freed kilometres, with a predicted Centre for Desertification Control from armed conflicts among deposit of 12.7 billion tons of coal. and • Research announces its themselves, Chinese President Li According to the contract, the establishment in Lanzhou, capital Xiannian says, while meeting a mining area for the joint venture is of China's Gansu Province. delegation of the Iraqi National 18.7 square kilometres, with coal Assembly. The third world needs reserve of approximately 450 September 10 peace and development, yet war million tons. • The annual national consumes manpower, materials by Ma Baolin Teachers' Day is celebrated. and time. Li adds.
SEPTEMBER 21, 1987 9 INTERNATIONAL
GDR proposed in 1980 mainly because of international factors. First Visit by Top Leader to Bonn At last Honecker visited West Germany from September 5-11. He held three rounds of talks with German Democratic Republic leader Erich Honecker's visit FRG Chancellor Helmut Kohl to the Federal Republic of Germany marks a historical and met President Richard von Weizsacker, Bundestag (parlia• breakthrough in relations between the two countries. ment) President Philipp Jenninger and other parliamentary leaders, as well as leaders of Social The recent visit by Erich I 1972, a treaty on the basis of Democratic Party, the govern• Honccker, chairman of the relations between the two coun• ments of several states and the State Council of German Democ• tries was signed. They recognized business community. ratic Republic (GDR), to the each other as sovereign states, Federal Republic of Germany both with representation at the Three bilateral co-operation (FRG) achieved positive results. United Nations. These were major pacts were signed during the The visit came as the steps towards normalizing visit — on environmental protec• superpowers — despite Soviet ob• relations. tion, protection against nuclear radiation, and science and jections to Federal German Now almost 10 million people technology. missiles — approach a deal to travel between the Germanys each A jomt communique issued on remove intermediate-range nu• year. Trade between them has September 8 said the two leaders clear weapons from Europe. more than tripled since the 1970s. exchanged views on the state and Previous meetings between Ger• But most importantly, both sides prospects of bilateral relations and man leaders in recent years have have dropped their antagonistic current issues of international been incidental. They have met propaganda, which has helped four times in the past five years at relations in a frank and business• reduce the storms and strains in like atmosphere. funeral services for three Soviet their relations. leaders -Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri The communique notes as Andropov and Kostantin Still, there have been ups and positive the development of Chernenko — and assassinated downs. Honecker's visit, for economic ties between the coun• Swedish Prime Minister Olaf example, had been repeatedly tries, which it calls a "stabilizing Palme. These casual meeings postponed since it was first factor" in developing all-round rellected a desire for more contacts to promote bilateral Honecker (second from the right) reviews the guard of honour in the company of Kohl. relations, but they also highlighted the barriers to a formal visit. After World War II, Germany was slashed into two nations with contending ideologies, different social systems and membership in opposing military blocs. The FRG claimed to represent "all Ger• many" and derided the legitimacy of the GDR. The GDR accused the FRG of "militarism" and "revanchism." However, reality has gradually taught Germans on both sides of the Elbe River that their interests lie in more understanding and contacts rather llian being hostile to each other. The US-Soviet detente of the 1970s brought hope for progress. Federal German leader Willy Brandt visited Erfurt in the GDR in 1970. Later the same year, Willi Stoph, chairman of GDR's Council of Ministers, went to Kassel, Federal Germany. In
10 BEIJING REVIEW, NO. 38 relations. The two nations ex• control and disarmament and on with some developed countries pressed the hope for closer East-West relations in general, soared. Japan, for example, economic relations and greater co• and this opportunity must be enjoyed a US$517.6 billion trade operation in the markets of third seized. surplus with the United States countries. They agreed to discuss Kohl and Honecker support during the period from 1981 to the creation of a bilateral "the objective of the Geneva 1986. economic commission. negotiations agreed between the Entering the 1970s, US ex• On international issues both United States and the Soviet porters adopted the strategy of sides reaffirmed that the two Union on July 8, 1985 — a halt to exploring more markets in Germanys share a common the arms race in space and developing countries. Official US responsibility for peace and that terminating it on earth, and statistics show that trade with war should not be allowed to limiting and reducing nuclear developing countries accounted break out on German soil. arms and strengthening strategic for 41.1 percent of total US Honecker and Kohl expressed stability." exports in 1981. However, a their determination to work The joint communique said in sluggish world economy has within their alliances for policies conclusion that leaders of both caused a drop in the price of raw aimed at reducing tension and sides see "their exchange of views materials and primary products, safeguarding peace and for the as necessary and conducive to the and this has decreased the ability continuation of dialogue and further development of their of third world countries to buy long-term co-operation. They relations," and such exchanges goods they badly need. Latin attached particular importance to will continue. America, traditionally one of the an intermediate nuclear force Kohl has accepted an invitation largest markets for US manu• (INF) agreement and said that the by Honecker to visit the GDR. facturers, is heavily in debt and global elimination of US and Honecker's successful visit — a has cut its imports from the Soviet INF missiles with a range of landmark in the history of United States by US$11 billion in over 500 km will lead to relations between the two the past five years. considerably increased stability Germanys — is the result of East- For a long time, US policy and security in Europe and Asia. West detente. The visit shows the makers did not consider exports a The leaders shared the convic• common desire of the European priority and failed to provide tion that the conclusion of such an people for peace and enough stimulus to exporters as agreement will have a positive development. the Japanese and West European impact on other areas of arms by Chang Qing governments were doing. As a superpower, the United States formulated its trade policy to promote its political, military and UNITED STATES ideological goals. In 1978, the United States withdrew export What's Behind the Huge Trade Deficit? contracts worth billions of dollars from countries that were alleged to have violated human rights. Some of the major factors contributing to the US trade deficit Besides prohibitions on sales to seem to he deeply rooted in the country's political and enemy or unfriendly countries, economic policies. temporary embargoes and sanc• tions resulting from political events also have affected US trade. hen US President Ronald has alleviated the trade imbalance, Domestically, the US govern• W Reagan came to the White but the currency adjustment is ment encourages high consump• House in 1981, he inherited from only a partial solution. tion at the expense of a huge his predecessor the country's After the end of World War II, budget deficit. To finance the horrendous trade deficit. the United States dominated deficit,the government sells Reagan's time in office has been a world trade. But in the past 20 bonds. And foreign buyers acquire perpetual struggle against the years, booming countries such as US dollars to buy bonds by deficit,which is seen as a problem Federal Germany and Japan exporting more products to the of top national importance. began to demand an equal or United States, thus increasing the In 1971 the US trade deficit greater share of the global market. US trade imbalance. reached US$2 billion; in 1986 it hit By 1985, the US proportion of Fuelled by economic expansion, a record US$169.8 billion. The world trade had dropped to 14.5 imports have increased since 1983, continuing slide of the US dollar percent from 33 percent. At the while export growth has been against leading foreign currencies same time, the US trade deficit relatively slow because most US
SEPTEMBER 21. 1987 11 •1 INTERNATIONAL trading partners are reluctant to In the past 10 years, the growth of currency, the boliviano, was expand their markets for US of the industrial labour force in the introduced. One boliviano is goods. Since the United States United States has been faster than worth 1 million pesos. The depends largely on imported oil, it in most other Western countries. exchange rate has now basically was badly hurt by the world oil As a result, more money has been stabilized at about two bolivianos crisis in the early 1970s and by the spent on wages than on new to the dollar. Organization of Petroleum Ex• equipment and technology. US Other measures were taken to porting Countries' continuing workers in the manufacturing increase state income and reduce efforts to obtain high prices. sector enjoy higher pay than public spending. Every sector was similar workers in Japan, Federal Perhaps the vital factor con• required to make cuts. A Germany, France and Britain. tributing to the US trade deficit is reorganization plan for state- This contributes to higher produc• the lack of US products that can owned companies was carried out tion costs and makes US products penetrate the world market the and some companies that suffered less competitive in both the way goods from Japan and from long-term losses were closed. Federal Germany have done. domestic and world markets. Some mines belonging to Having suffered from a trade President Reagan has called many COMIBOL, the state mining deficit in manufactured goods times for strengthening the corporation, were put under since 1971,the United States was competitiveness of US goods. private management and hit in 1986 for the first fime by a Since this will take various efforts COMIBOL's staff was reduced deficit in high-technology pro• to accomplish, it could take a long from 27,000 down to 7,000. The ducts, which used to sell well on time. government also rationalized and the world market. by Gang Lide streamlined the tax system. Tax revenue rose 40 percent last year comparetl with 1985. Thanks to BOLIVIA these measures, financial deficits slid from 28 percent of the Inflation Brought Under Control country's gross domestic product in 1984 to 4 percent in 1986.
The Bolivian government's austerity programme has scored Price control was abolished for most commodifies and services an enormous success in curbing runaway inflation. Now the and prices were allowed to reflect programme is entering a new phase. the relation between supply and demand. The government stopped subsidizing state-produced com• faced massive unemployment, a igh inflation has been the modities and began to sell them at shortage of resources, constant Hworst sustained problem in market prices. As a result of these labour-capital disputes and a Bolivia in recent years. In August measures, prices began to fall and grave social crisis. 1985, when President Victor Paz become stable. The inflation rate Confronted with this dim Estenssoro took office, the annual plummeted from 11,749 percent in infiation rate topped 20,000 economic picture, Estenssoro 1985 to 66 percent last year. The percent. People needed a big bag promptly launched an austerity official estimate for the inflation full of bank notes just to go drive. Soon after his inauguration, rate this year is 10 percent. This shopping. The state's revenue he issued a decree announcing an would be a record low for Bolivia. equalled only 15 percent of its economic programme that in• expenditure, and paper money cluded wide-ranging readjust• According to the government's was printed to cover most state ments in-financial policy, steps to decree, all commodities can be spending. The cost of printing cut public-sector deficits, adop• exported and imported freely often surpassed the value of the tion of a conservative money except those that are harmful to money itself. policy and measures to promote public health or national security. The black market exchange rate foreign trade. The programme has Because of the big slide in the tin of the Bolivian peso against US achieved good results. In two price last year, revenue from tin dollar was 20 times higher than the years, the annual inflation rate has exports dropped by 25 percent official rate. Foreign exchange shrunk from five digits to two. from 1985, but total export reserves were only US$63 million Specifically, the austerity pro• revenue increased by 17 percent. and the country's debts totalled gramme included a massive The foreign currency gained from US$5,000 million. The economy currency devaluation. The peso exports by both the public and had deteriorated for several years was devalued by 90 percent and private sectors was all sold to the running, and Bolivia, a small allowed to float against the US state except for the amount needed country of 6.4 million people, i dollar. Last December, a new unit for spending. The state's foreign
12 BEIJING REVIEW, NO. 38 exchange reserves rose from and steadily developing the complete support of these two US$63 million to US$293 million economy. The government plans parties to gain 90 votes in in April this year. to establish a special fund for parliament — the bare minimum Estenssoro's economic policy economic recovery. It will also try for a majority. But the parties has the support of the main to attract foreign investment and have said they will not support all opposition political party, as well loans, reduce interest rates, government proposals, leaving the as extensive support from the diversify mining production and coalition in an extremely business community and the cut the cost of transportation and vulnerable position. public. But government officials energy. It will facilitate exports. At The results of the election were admit that a great social price has the same time, it intends to reform an unpleasant surprise to Schluter, been paid for the austerity state organizations, increase who called the election four programme. Production has wages of the workers and create months ahead of schedule in the dropped sharply. The unemploy• more employment opportunities. expectation that an early vote ment rate is as high as 18 percent. Although there are still many would favour the Conservative And wages of the employed are difficulties in reviving and devel• coalition. Pre-election polls low. But there are also signs of oping the economy, the vicious showed that 47 percent of the economic recovery. The govern• circle has been broken, thus voters favoured the ruling parties, paving the way for a further ment thinks the economy will turn 1 percent more than the oppo• economic development. In short, around this year. sition parties. Bolivia's economic programme Bolivia can hope for a better economy in the coming years. Schluter's decision to call an entered its second phase in July. early election was primarily The phase aims at resuscitating by Guan Yanzhong motivated by the worry that economic statistics due in the late autumn will indicate the start of a DENMARK recession. Denmark's economy has improved since the coalition took over from a Social Democra• New Government Formed tic government in 1984. The coalition implemented a tight fiscal policy, reducing the budget A new Danish government has been formed with Poul Schluter deficit from 54 billion kroner (about USS7.5 billion) in 1983 to remaining as prime minister. But the results of the election an estimated 4 billion kroner in came as a surprise to the ruling Conservative Party coalition. 1987. The unemployment rate has Instead of making big gains it expected, it actually lost also dropped to 9 percent from 11 ground. percent in 1983. The Schluter government seemed to be well prepared for the election. The day the election was fter a day's consultation, a new to win a majority in Parliament. In A Danish government was the election, the ruling Conserva• announced, the government put formed on September 10 by the tives and their allies obtained only forward a tax reduction proposal four members of the previous 70 of the 179 seats in Parliament, to save enterprises on the verge of ruling coalition — the Conserva• seven fewer than in the last bankruptcy in an apparent tive, Liberal, Centre Democratic election in 1984 and far from the attempt to win electoral support. and Christian People's parties. number required to form a One day earlier, the government Most of the ministers in the last government. The opposition introduced its 1988 draft finance government retained their posts. Social Democratic Party and its bill, in which it claimed success in Poul Schluter continues to act as partner, the Socialist People's managing Denmark's economy. prime minister, Uffe Ellemann- Party, obtained a total of 84 seats. by Xu Furiii Jensen as minister of foreign As both the ruling and opposition affairs and Palle Simonsen as parties failed to win a majority in minister of finance. Nine of the 16 Parliament, a new government parties that took part in the had to be formed through campaign received enough votes consultation. to enter Parliament. Of them, six The Radical Liberals won 11 parties supported Schluter's bid to seats, one more than in the last organize a new cabinet. election, and the Progress Parly The former government resign• won nine, for a gain of three. The ed on September 9 after it failed new government must rely on the
SEPTEMBER 21, 1987 13 m ARTICLES
Why Deng Stresses Political Restructuring
Deng stresses the need for comprehensively reforming the political structure to provide a guarantee for the successful development of the socialist cause and for the long-term stability and peace of China. He also sees the urgent need for political restructuring in the interest of developing the socialist economy.
by Huang Chi
s the date for the 13th National ing be worked out at the 13th power of the Central Committee ACongress of the Communist National Party Congress. was, on the whole, the political Party of China (CPC) approaches, Why has Deng paid so much system that began from the the issue of reforms in the political attention to the issue of political revolutionary period and con• structure to be discussed at the restructuring? A brief analysis of tinued through to the present. It meeting has attracted much China's political structure over the suited the armed struggle and concern and attention. past 30 years will give us a clearer mass movement, but cannot Economic reform which began understanding of the reasons. satisfy the requirements for over eight years ago in China's economic, political and cultural countryside later spread to the growth and diversity of social life. cities. The reform, especially the Defects In a period of struggle with the rural production contract res• enemy for political power, it was ponsibility system, yielded signifi• After the founding of the necessary to stress the system of cant results. People's Republic in 1949, China centralized leadership. After the instituted the socialist political socialist construction began, how• As the main initiator and leader system. Experience proves that ever, tasks and problems faced by of the reform, Deng Xiaoping this basic system is sound. The the people became more com• pointed out at a meeting in country had, in only 30 years, plicated. Total Party control was December 1978, "If we do not achieved progress that could not not effective in solving problems, carry out reform now, our cause of have been made in centuries and but rather weakened the organs of modernization and socialisriti will even millenniums in the old China. political power and social organiz• be ruined." Deng has since made it This progress has greatly nar• ation. An over-concentration of clear that this not only refers to rowed the gap between China and power in the Party committee economic restructuring but also developed capitalist countries in usually developed into increased includes political restructuring. At economic development. power for the first Party secretary, an enlarged meeting of the and Party leadership therefore Political Bureau of the CPC But there are still many problems in major areas such as gradually changed into individual Central Committee in 1980, Deng leadership and inner-Party presented a special report entitled the system of Party and state leadership and the cadre system. democracy was replaced by a "On the Reform of the System of patriarchal system and arbitrary Party and State Leadership" The main problems are an over- concentration of power, the con• personal decision making. These (Beijing Review covered the main defects, reflecting feudal influence, sections of this report in issue No. fusion of responsibility between the Party and government, the were important factors leading to 32, 1986). It expounded the issue the "cultural revolution." of political restructuring. In the usurpation of government func• past two years, Deng has tions by the Party, the existence of Following the decade-long repeatedly made more concrete a patriarchal system and life-long turmoil, much thought was given and comprehensive statements on tenure of office by leading cadres. to ensuring that such a political the issue and proposed that a basic The leadership system charac• tragedy as the "cultural revo• blueprint for political restructur• terized by the highly centralized lution" would not be repeated.
14 BEIJING REVIEW, NO. 38 and to providing a guarantee of a close bearing on whether our General Goal long-term stability and peace in Party and state will change China. political colour and should Deng's voluminous expositions Deng offered a profound therefore command the attention on political restructuring can be statement on this issue. He of the entire Party." summed up in three basic points: pointed out: These words of Deng as a 1. The socialst system is "It is true that the errors we Marxist statesman sum up his successful in China; reform aims made in the past were partly basic views on the need for at consolidating and improving attributable to the way of thinking comprehensively reforming the this system. and style of work of some leaders. political structure to provide a 2. Productive forces must be But they were even more guarantee for the successful fully developed so as to realize attributable to the problems in our development of the socialist cause socialist modernization in China organizational and working sy- and for the long-term stability and as quickly as possible. tems. If these systems are sound, peace of China. 3. Socialist democracy must be they can place restraints on the However, Deng also sees the promoted so as to encourage actions of bad people; if they are urgent need for political re• people's enthusiasm for working unsound, they may hamper the structuring in the interest of towards socialist construction. efforts of good people or indeed, developing the socialist economy. This is the general goal Deng in certain cases, may push them in has set down for political the wrong direction. Even so great restructuring. The establishing of a man as Comrade Mao Zedong a democratic socialist political was influenced to a serious degree Political Restructuring system which is compatible with by certain unsound systems and the socialist commodity economy. institutions, which resulted in Marxists maintain that the grave misfortune for the Party, the During a meeting with an superstructure and the relations of state and himself. If even now we overseas friend in September 1986, production must suit the develop• still don't improve the way our Deng pointed out: "As economic ment of productive forces; conver• system functions, people will ask reform progresses, we deeply feel sely, advanced relations of why it cannot solve some the necessity for changes in the production can promote the problems which the capitalist political structure. The absence of development of productive forces. system can. Such comparisons such changes will hamper the The development of China's may be one-sided, but we must not development of productive forces productive forces in recent years just dismiss them on that account. and the success of the four calls for a change in the various Stalin gravely damaged socialist modernizations." socialist structures so that they legality, doing things which In the past while China's highly will suit the development of Comrade Mao Zedong once said centralized mandatory planned productive forces. would have been impossible in economy was practised, the That is an objective law Western countries like Britain, socialist commodity economy was governing social development. France and the United States. Yet neglected for a long time and Why has Deng paid so much although Comrade Mao was therefore could not be fully attention to political restructur• aware of this, he did not in practice developed. Today with the ing? The answer to this question solve the problems in our system introduction of economic reform, lies in the need for China's of leadership. socialist modernization is the economic development today and Together with other factors, this major goal. This inevitably in the basic principle of historical led to the decade of catastrophe requires the vigorous development materialism. • known as the 'cultural revolution.' of a planned commodity economy There is a most profound lesson to and a change in the basic be learnt from this. management methods from man• datory planning to guidance I do not mean that the planning and indirect control. To individuals concerned should not realize this aim, it is necessary to bear their share of responsibility, reform government management but rather that the problems in the systems and functions. leadership and organizational As Deng Xiaoping has pointed systems are more fundamental, out, "Without political restructur• widespread and long-lasting, and ing, it is impossible to protect the that they have a greater effect on fruit of reforms in the economic the overall interests of our structure and to continue its country. This is a question that has progress."
SEPTEMBER 21. 1987 15 ARTICLES
Remarriage Still Causes Controversy by Our Correspondents Lu Panqing and Li Ning
Since the new marriage law was promulgated in 1981, many marriage bureaux, devoted exclusively to people over 50 have been established. However, due to die hard feudalist ideas, only a few of those who would like to remarry manage to do so.
have felt lonely and sad since died, the spouse had the rest of the to live with their married children, • the death of my wife," said one family for emotional and physical down 21.2 percent from 1983. client at the Hujialou Match- support. The loneliness of old people Making • • iService in Beijing's Since the end of the 1970s, with who have lost their spouses has Chaoyang District. "I hope to find the rise in living standards and the aroused sympathy in society. a new mate, have a happy family increasing employment rate, Since 1984, match-making ser• life to release me from my young people have become more vices exclusively for older people depression." The widower, a independent. Meanwhile the "one have been set up in 13 Chinese doctor over 50, shares the feelings couple, one child" policy and the cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, of many older people. housing building boom have Xian and Chengdu. These services Over the past two years, Beijing helped keep families small and act as the traditional Chinese go- has set up four match-making facilitated young people's moving between and have promoted centres for the elderly and more away. The mutual dependence remarriage. than 3,000 people have registered. between parents and grown-up children has weakened, and more New Happy Families and more elderly people wish to live separately from their married Reasons to Remarry One widowed engineer of 73 in sons and daughters. Nanjing saw his four children who The traditional concept in An official survey conducted were all working outside the city China is that neither partner of a last year among 1,000 households only at festival times, and the old deeply loving couple would ever in Tianjin revealed that only 40 man felt lonely and despondent. remarry so as to show his or her percent of old people were willing He did not feel like going home loyalty to the dead. But this tended to be particularly required Huang Boping, a 67-year-old retired worker in Shanghai, recently married 66-year-oid of women. An old Chinese saying Saida Kimiko from Fukuoka, Japan. They fell in love in 1936 and then separated for goes: "A virtuous woman never 50 years. remarries." ' by XIA DAOLING Not until the 1980s have there been more reports of widows and widowers remarrying. In 1981, over 7,700 such couples in Beijing remarried, 11 times as many as in the previous year. The figure remains at an average of 8,000 couples annually, 7 percent of all the marriages in the city. Most of these, however, are young and middle-aged people, while the number of elderly couples is about 1,000 a year. The major reason behind these marriages later in life lies in a shift towards small nuclear families. Traditionally, Chinese people lived in extented families, with three or more generations living under the same roof. If a parent
16 BEIJING REVIEW, NO. 38 during the day, and cried every time he saw a picture of his deceased wife. A match-making service in the city introduced him to a 58-year-old retired worker, a widow for many years, who herself was unhappy and taking it out on her unfilial children. The two decided to marry after courting for less than a month. A year later, the match-making service went to see them, the couple, living very happily together, thanked the service over and over again. Dai Guowen, an army veteran of about 70, married Chen Ruling, a 53-year-old statistician in a factory. Chen came to Hve in Dai's house with his daughter, son, daughter-in-law and grandchild. Chen soon began contributing to — An inability to decide the need for companionship have the housework. She rose first to criteria for a suitable partner. driven her to the match-making clean the room, made breakfast — Many people who are in poor service in Heping District, Tianjin. for the whole family and prepared health feel completely unattractive Through them she met a retired her husband's lunch before she and unloveable fear being given a government employer who used to went to work. As soon as she cold-shoulder after remarriage. work in the Tianjin Post Office. returned she would cook supper. — Older women are very fearful Both felt they wanted to marry. Chen took much of the weight off of how they will be viewed if they Sun's daughters who helped her the family's burden and endeared remarry, particularly by their throughout the registering process herself to the family. The children- were happy. However, the son still daughter-in-law says; "Dai has — Some worry that they may held outdated beliefs that if a found a good mother for us." find someone who does not want parent remarries it is a humiliation Dai's children agree and maintain them for themselves but for some to the family. Sun could not but friendly relations with Chen's own other material benefit they may give up her plan for remarriage. two children. have to suffer. Often the instinctive love and Traditional Chinese concepts, loyalty children feel for their dead Psychological Barriers such as marriage at the same social parent is given greater force by the status, still exerts great influence old beliefs that remarriage is Most of the time, however, on the marriage of young people, immoral. They may be studiedly these match-making efforts are and even more so for older people. rude to their future step parents, not successful. Some old people who think they refusing them entrance and Since opening in August 1984, would like to marry break off the picking quarrels with them. Some the match-making service in Xian, plans when they decide that it is even intimidate them into brea• Shaanxi Province, has received contrary to custom. Still others king of relations. 4,000 clients. Only 20 percent of find children's opposition Many children worry that their them have succeeded in tying the insuperable. inheritance will diminish as a knot. For the two match-making result of a second marriage of their services in Beijing's Hujialou and parents. One son baldly told his Changan Avenue the rate is only 8 Children's Obstruction father that he could remarry but percent. would have first to give the son The primary reason for this is Sun Xueqi is a retired worker 5,000 yuan. The father did not that older people are getting from a Tianjin department store. have that kind of money and physically weaker and find it Her husband died when she was broke off the engagement. harder to make such a major young, leaving her two daughters Children have been bribed into decision. There are other pro• and a son, who is working in approving the remarriage by being blems too: Baoding, Hebei Province. All her promised extra room, a distri• — A belief that the second three children are married. Sun bution of the parents' property partnership would not be as has led a lonely life since her before the wedding on the loving. retirement. Loneliness and the agreement to live away from the
SEPTEMBER 21. 1987 17 children. Many remarried parents are female singles. Nearly 100 men "These people usually have agree that their children may had registered with the match• relatives in Tianjin and hope to continue to call their spouse uncle making services, while only a find company to spend their or aunt, on whatever address they dozen women had visited the remaining years here." used before rather than father or services. The service has served a go- mother. Specialists believe the problem between for over 800 clients. Only Many young people are worried is that women are still encumbered 38 remarriages have resulted, two about the shame their parent's by feudal thinking — whether of them divorced soon after. remarriage will bring upon them. their own or their children's. About 30 couples are courting One woman asked her mother Furthermore, single women are now. who was planning to remarry: more capable of taking care for The low rate of remarriage "What do you want with a boy themselves, and are often wel• among the registrants is partly due friend at your age?" Some other comed by their married children as to the stiff requirements put said: "You've always loved us. housekeeper and nanny. The forward by the females, which You should be more considerate pressures to find a new spouse are often include a high income, of us now. You know, your lacking. Meanwhile old men are a spacious housing, good health, remarriage will cause difficulties burden around the house. They ideal height and appearance, no for us in our relationships." are eager to set up a new family so siblings, or at least living Some old people talk at this: that they will be taken care of. separately. Often the women "People used to oppose parents compare the men they meet with arranging marriages for children. their previous husbands. Now things are upside down and Stiff Requirements A 52-year-old retired worker children decide on parent's Women usually set higher with primary school education marriages." standards for their men than the wants her new match to be Children's rudeness can some• men do for the women. According childless, have high pay and good times produce worse conse• to Geng Zhongling, director of the housing conditions. She has quences. A woman in Fujian match-making service in Heping already passed up a numbers of Province had to watch her District, Tianjin, in the two years otherwise ideal men. husband being persecuted to death since the service opened, a total of Geng believes that these during the "cultural revolution" 1,349 older people have registered marriage bureaux are breaking and bring up her four children on there. Most of them came from the down yet another part of the her own. Later she met a retired city and the outskirts. "We also feudal thinking structure and are worker and told her children she have some registrants from other bound to become more and more was going to remarry. The parts of the country;' said Geng. popular. • infuriated children then forbade their mother to leave the house >o^ oo .oo oo-oo <:>o < and would not allow the man \o Beijing ReviewSu^ict^ ^ou*' Subscription Rates come and see her. They kept up a Country 1 year 2 years 3 years watch on their mother, who Please enter my subscription to Beijing reacted by committing suicide. USA (USS) 22 37 52 I enclose in payment thereof. England (£) 12 22 30 Rest of Imbalance Between Sexes \ 1 lame Europe (US$) 16 27 37 Australia (AS) 22 37 52 More men than women enlist New the help of the marriage agencies. Job title Zealand (NZ$) 30 52 72 In Beijing, the ratio of male to Canada (CS) 21 36 50 Address female registrants is 7:1 and the Switzer• figure is 10:1 in the city's Fusuijini; land (SF) 45 77 108 Malch-Making Service. In Tian• W. jin, the male-lemale ratio for Germany (DM) 50 90 125 people over 70 is 14:1; 13:1 for those in the 60-70 age bracket, and Austria (Sch) 330 560 780 6:1 for people in their 50s. Country Italy (Lire) 29,00049,000 68,000
A recent survey conducted by Please mail this form, together with your payment, to your local dealer or either of the following the Senior Citizens' Committee of addresses: • China International Book Trading Corporation (Guoji Shudian) P.O. Box 399 the Xicheng District in Beijing Beijing, China; •Management Department, Beijing Review. 24 Baiwanzhuang Road, Beijing, shows that, of the i ,773 old people 100037 China. Readers in China may subscribe to Beijing Review at local postal offices surveyed, 134 are male singles, 460 "oo oo oo oo oo oo < >oo oooo oooo oo oo oooo oooo oooo <
18 BEIJING REVIEW, NO. 38 China's Burgeoning Contracting Business
"Outlook Weekly" (Overseas Edition) February 9 issue carried an article based on an interview with Lu Xuejian, vice-minister of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade, in which Lu talks about China's contracting business abroad, its problems and prospects. Following are excerpts.
ontracting construction pro• on practical results, diversity in East European countries under Cjects and providing labour form and common progress. In the which young Chinese workers are services abroad actually helps last few years many third world being sent there for training. In raise capital for domestic con• countries have come to appreciate total, China has dealt with 88 struction. Although part of our these principles and are willing to countries and regions in this purpose is simple business, develop co-operation with China, business. primarily it is to develop co• based on them. Modest charges are another operation and friendship with feature of China's contracting other countries. To date, our main business. Confronted with keen clients are third world countries Initial Success competition, Chinese contracting and our efforts are a component of companies have improved their South-South co-operation. When China took up this management and worked to China began its contracting business in 1979 it faced serious reduce costs and thus have met business abroad after it intro• competition. Sticking to its with success. duced the open policy in 1978. principle of mutual benefit, China The China Highway and Bridge Before that, China promoted its achieved rapid successes. By the Engineering Co. sought little economic co-operation with other end of 1986 it had contracted profits and won the contract for a third world countries by assisting 3,600 projects abroad valued at construction project in Rwanda. in their construction projects. US$6.4 billion. Of this, US$3.3 The company finished the work in Over the last three decades China billion worth of contracts have time and its work was acclaimed has made great progress in this already been fulfilled. Some by the Rwanda state leaders, thus field and has aided about 100 200,000 workers have been sent establishing China in the Rwanda countries in 1,000 projects. abroad and China has 67 market. The China Construction Chinese assistance has helped companies, as well as a large Engineering Corp. won the develop the economies of these number of specialists, engaged in contract for constructing the countries, improved the living this work. Herma Centre in Algeria even standards of local people and though some world-famous com• strengthened bilateral friendship. Iraq has been one of China's panies also bid. The corporation But this single form of co• major clients. There are about built 1,000 apartments in the operation could not keep up with 20,000 Chinese working in Iraq at October 6th City in Egypt. For its developments in the various the moment on 143 projects. Of speed, high quality and low cost. countries nor allow for an the contracts signed over the last Egyptian President Hosni expansion of economic co• few years, 23 are each worth Mubarak made a special trip to operation between China and US$10 million or more and three the worksite ..and wrote an other countries. Since it adopted of them are valued at over US$ 100 inscription for the project. The the open policy in 1978, China has million. China Harbour Construction explored other forms of co• The market for China's con• Engineering Corp. won one operation. Contracting in which tracts has expanded. In addition contract^after another for projects the client countries raise the funds to Middle Eastern countries, in Kuwait. The Sichuan and while the Chinese side does the China has developed co-operative Jiangsu International Economic building is part of this. This has relations with countries in North and Technological Co-operation become a major form of South- Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, in Corporations won acclaim from South co-operation. West, South and Southeast Asia, the Somalian president and In contracting abroad, China in the South Pacific and in Latin officials from the World Bank for applies the principles of equality America. Some Chinese com• their work in that country. Six and mutual benefit. As Premier panies have entered the North Chinese contracting companies Zhao Ziyang said during his tour American, European and Japa• have won international prizes. The of 11 African countries in late 1982 nese markets. China has also China Construction Engineering and early 1983, China lays stress undertaken contracts with some Corp. was listed as one of the 30
SEPTEMBER 21. 1987 19 ARTICLES
biggest contracting companies in foreign contracting businesses, companies and labour. the world in 1984 by the US firms and governments have In 1986, however, the economy International Building Weekly. sought to co-operate with China. of the developed countries ex• Apart from buildings and panded at a rate of 2.5 percent, highways, China also provides and is expected to do the same this services such as factory manage^ Major Progress Expected year. Last year the international ment and labour, ranging from contract business picked up a little folk artists, gardeners, nurses, Contracting projects and labour after three lean years. China's cooks and sailors. abroad are comparatively new to contract business with African In the last few years, the China. Although it has raised only countries in 1985 was four times construction projects China has limited funds for the state, in the that of 1984, with Latin American contracted have been smaller in long term, it is important for countries 22 percent more. At size and more dispersed, involving China's exports of equipment, present there are many projects to little risk. technology and labour. be built in the Gulf which need The methods of contracting and But China is still confronted foreign labour, especially payment are flexible. Some with many difficulties. The slump technicians. payment is made partly in goods in the world economy, the drop in China has great potential to or in local currencies for which oil and primary product prices, the develop its contract business Chinese companies are now drain of resources into the Iran- abroad. China has a huge labour seeking outlets. Iraq war, the prolonged drought force and good co-operative To sum up, Lu Xuejian said in Africa, the enormous debts of relations with other third world China has seen rapid growth in its the Latin American countries — countries. Its people are experien• contracting business abroad rec• all these hamper the developing ced in overseas contracting and ently and won a good reputation countries' economies and bring because correct policies provide worldwide. Chinese engineers and down the international contract excellent quality services, it enjoys skilled people have been trained business. In 1985 the international good reputation. for work abroad. China has built contract business value decreased Vice-Minister Lu concluded up a wealth of knowledge on how to US$81.6 billion from US$130 that to realize that potential to win international bids. Chinese billion in 1981. Contract terms growth, China should sum up its workers respect local habits and were harsher and the profits experiences, improve manage• customs and are welcomed by the smaller. Some countries set about ment and workers' quality and local people, and more and more controlling the inflow of foreign bring its advantages to the full. •
Chinese Journalists Look at Soviet Reforms
by Ding Yongning*
t the invitation of the USSR are spreading to the whole country resolve and persistence in tackling AUnion of Journalists, a and have already brought some the problems in our economic delegation of Chinese journalists positive changes to the social and system." Another official, the first recently paid a two-week visit to economic life of the country. vice-chairman of the Council of the Soviet Union. Wide-ranging Lev Tolkunov, chairman of the Ministers of the Georgian Union talks with Soviet officials and Soviet of the Union, one of the Republic, said, "Dogmatism has leaders of the Soviet press and houses of parliament, said, "Since caused us great losses. One major visits to cities and villages left the the October Revolution in 1917, mistake we made is the overcen- delegation with the impression the Soviet Union has made tralization of power. Everything is that the Soviet Union is firmly remarkable progress in a variety of decided by a superior. As a result, committed to reforms. Reforms fields. But since the mid-1970s, cadres' initiative cannot be tapped economic development has been and a great many people do not stagnating. Although some mea• use their brains. Life led us to the sures have been taken,the results conclusion that an overall reform * The author is deputy director of the International Liaison Department of All- have been limited. This is is necessary." Victor Afanasyev, China Journalists Association, and senior essentially because of a lack of chairman of the Union of editor of Xinhua News Agency. fundamental reforms and of Journalists, spoke of the urgency
20 BEIJING REVIEW, NO 38 of reforms. He said, "We have no they contracted the farm, their ing 47.5 percent for its own use. other choice: either ascend to the total income increased to 110,000 The factory uses economic advanced level of the world or roubles over the past two years, accounting, which links workers' descend to a second- or third-rate thus greatly improving their living wages to their performance. Last country." standard. They showed off their year, the government gave the new car and spoke of preparations factory the right to retain and use In the Soviet Union, people are to build a new house. part of the foreign currency it not only talking about reforms; The Georgian official said the earns. they are implementing them. In family-contract system was first With the expansion of decision• Georgia, the Chinese delegation adopted in Georgia. The republic making power and the right to use visited a state-run cattle farm in consists of 69 administrative part of its profits, the plant can the Mogis district which intro• divisions, one third of which are in update its own technology. To duced the collective contract mountainous areas. In 1983 the increase the competitiveness of its system in 1985. The farm's 30 Council of Ministers of the products on the international workers raise 14,000 head of beef Republic decided to introduce the market, the factory plans to cattle every year, providing 3,200 family-contract system in the update all its equipment within 15 tons of meat to the state. All mountainous areas as a trial. Each years, which means one produc• production procedures have been herdsman was allocated a certain tion line every five years. It now mechanized. area of grassland. The results two takes the plant five years to turn The contract system has years later showed that the out a new type of car, instead of 15 brought good results to the farm. herdsmen's output rose by 50 years it did previously. The new In 1986, beef production increased percent and their average annual system has heightened the by 400 tons over the previous year income increased from 1,500 workers" sense of responsibility and the farm's income rose by 3 roubles to 3,400 roubles. The for their output because their million roubles (US$4.7 million). system also improved people's personal interests are directly Three quarters of the income was attitude towards their work. associated with producfion. retained as production fund and Cattle are now healthier and better The biggest problem the plant one quarter was used for the wages cared for. and welfare of the workers and has encountered in the course of Still, it is not easy to spread the the experiment is the inconsistent staff. The workers' income, family-contract practice in the currently 400 roubles a month, is co-operation between the factory countryside. Accustomed to the and its parts suppliers. Some 2,000 much higher than before the old practice, many people have contract system was introduced plants, which still operate under doubts about whether the system the old system, provide 50 percent (The average monthly salary for a is in conformity with socialist Soviet worker is 195 roubles.). The of the parts for the assembly of principles. But the Central cars at the Volga works, but they income of the leader of the farm is Committee of the Communist linked to the farm's performance. fail, sometimes, to supply the Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) components as required. How• has decided to promote the family- The delegation also visited a ever, the problem of co-operation and collective-contract system vineyard contracted to a family in should soon be solved. According throughout Georgia this year and the same district. The Gemay- to a law approved in June by the next. telashivilis, a family of six, signed Supreme Soviet, the highest organ a contract with a state-run farm in The delegation also visited the of state power of the Soviet Union, 1983 to be responsible for the 36- Volga Automobile Manufactur• all state-owned enterprises are to hectare vineyard. According to the ing Works in Togliatti, which is move towards self-responsibility contract, the farm allocated two experimenting with self-funding and self-funding. tractors, other materials and funds and self-responsibility for profits Soviet comrades spoke of the to the family. The annual grape and losses. The factory, which can difficulties and obstacles facing yield has increased several times, produce 720,000 Lada cars a year, the reforms. They think it will be a from 4 tons when the vineyard was has 100,000 workers. Exports to long and complicated road to run by the state to 14 tons last both Eastern and Western mar• surmount the conservatism, year. This year the yield* is still kets account for 40 percent of the inertia and egalitarianism that expected to reach 15 tons despite total output. have accumulated over the years adverse weather conditions. In A factory official said that in the minds of cadres and the 1985 and 1986, the state farm under the experiment, instead of masses. They are interested in the i^eceived 159,000 roubles in net handing all its profits over to the question of simultaneous political income from the contractor. The state, the plant gives 47.5 percent and economic reform since Gemaytelashivilis used to earn 150 to the state, 5 percent to the political reform is seen as being roubles a month each for working Ministry of the Automobile conducive to economic reform. on the state-run farm. But after Industry, and retains the remain• Soviet leader Mikhail Gorba-
SEPTEMBER 21. 1987 21 ARTICLES chev first mentioned the principle ation must be based on law. "Real the cadres of the Moscow City of glasnost (openness) at a plenary democracy does not exist beyond Soviet (council) have been sacked session of the CPSU Central law and above law," Gorbachev from their posts largely because of Committee in April 1985. Today said at a plenary session of the their attitude towards reform. At the Soviet Union considers CPSU Central Committee in the same time, efforts are being glasnost an important part of January. He added, "Socialist made to strengthen the training of socialist democratization. Tol- democracy has nothing in com• cadres so that they can adapt kunov said glasnost is the essence mon with absolute freedom, themselves to the new working of socialism and was first put irresponsibility, and anarchy." requirements. forward by Lenin. But for a long Soviet newspapers also noted that In June, another plenary session time it was ignored, giving rise to democracy requires, rather than of the CPSU Central Committee bureaucracy,which has brought negates, personal responsibility adopted some fundamental prin• tremendous losses to the people. It and discipline. ciples and measures to radically is against bureaucracy that the The plenary session in January reform the economic system. And principle of glasnost is now clearly stated that cadres' attitude the Supreme Soviet approved the reaffirmed. The people must feel towards reform and what they law on state-owned enterprises, that they are really the master of actually do for the reform are the which aims at reforming the basic the state if they are to join in the important criteria for appraising unit of the Soviet national cause of reform, he said. cadres. According to reports, economy. The Chinese journalists' In promoting glamosi, the more than 60 cadres at the delegation got the impression that CPSU Central Committee pays ministerial level, 35-40 percent of the tide of reform in the Soviet particular attention to the prin• the cadres at the republic and Union is rolling ahead over all ciple that glasnost and democratiz• provincial level, and one third of obstacles. •
Indirect Talks On Afghanistan Fruitless by Zhang Zhinian
he new round of indirect talks The United Nations' secretary- brunt of the festering Afghan war Tbetween the Soviet-backed - general's personal representative which was triggered by the Soviet Kabul regime and the Pakistan on Afghanistan, Diego Cordovez, armed invasion of Afghanistan in government ended short of an said in Geneva that he decided to December 1979. Pakistan pro• agreement on seeking a political adjourn the talks after "very vides humanistarian assistance to settlement of the Afghan war. difficult" negotiations that failed more than 3 million Afghan During the four days of talks, to bridge the gap. refugees who have taken shelter on which ended on September 10, The time frame of the Soviet its soil. Early this year alone, a Afghanistan proposed to shorten withdrawal is not only a "problem series of Afghan air raids on the Soviet pullout to 16 months of figures," the UN mediator said. Pakistan's western border areas while Pakistan extended its "It involves political consi• claimed some 100 lives and maximum offer to eight months. derations." wounded 400 civilians. At the last round of talks ending Observers in Geneva said the Islamabad maintains that March 9, Kabul offered an talks show that the Soviet-backed Soviet withdrawal is the key to a 18-month timetable and Pakistan Kabul regime is insincere about comprehensive solution to the insisted on seven months. settling the Afghan issue. Afghan problem. Cordovez said After the talks, Pakistan The indirect talks in Geneva, the other three elements of an Foreign Minister Sahabzada which have been sponsored by the overall agreement have been Yaqub Khan said Kabul's latest UN since 1982, are aimed at settled, that is, non-interference proposal was "unacceptable" and negotiating a mutually acceptable and intervention, return of he was "deeply disappointed" timetable for the pullout of an refugees and international because he had expected an estimated 120,000 Soviet troops guarantees. initiative from Kabul, which from the central Asian state of Before the latest round of talks would be substantial, serious and Afghanistan. opened, there was a flurry of intended to overcome the remain• Pakistan, Afghanistan's south• activity in the capitals involved in ing obstacles to an agreement. ern neighbour, has so far borne the the Afghan conflict. A Soviet
22 BEIJING REVIEW, NO. 38 spokesman said a new timetable base near Kandahar, Afghanis• Even "moderate" guerrilla was in the offing and a US official tan's second-largest city. leader Sayed Gailani recently said Washington might accept a demanded that the Afghan people By advocating a sharing of 12-month timetable. These state• be given the right to choose their power, Kabul is attempting to ments led Pakistani officials to own government. He said the dissolve the Islamic Alliance of expect a dramatic breakthrough principal issue is the dismantling Afghan Mujahideen (Holy War or at least tangible progress after of the Kabul regime. Fighters) that seven major re• five years of negotiations. sistance organizations formed in In view of the widely divergent Moscow withdrew six regiments May 1985. In mid-July, Kabul positions of the parties involved in of their occupation troops from offered to share power in a the Afghan problem, including Afghanistan last October, sup• coalition government with what it Kabul and the ves'.sVAT.ce, fwces, a posedly to demonstrate its willing• termed "moderate" resistance lengthy political stalemate can be ness for a settlement. But though factions when they lay down their expected over the composition of a much publicity was given to the arms. The scheme was rejected by new government. The time is not move, it was not followed by a the leaders involved, as well as by yet ripe for turning the concept of further pullout. It turned out to be ex-King Mohammad Zahir Shah. a new government into reality in merely a troop rotation, as some During his visit to Moscow last war-torn Afghanistan. had predicted. month, Najibullah announced The latest round of indirect As the 42nd UN General after meeting Soviet leader talks was the first to be held at Assembly session drew near, the Mikhail Gorbachev that Kabul Kabul's initiative. The talks, Soviet-installed Kabul authorities would give the opposition the vice- which lasted one day longer than launched a so-called peace premiership and 11 ministerial scheduled, were proposed in offensive in Afghanistan and posts (excluding foreign affairs August. Diplomats and the media abroad in a bid to hoodwink world and defence) in the proposed questioned the motives behind the opinion and split the Afghan coalition government. He said proposal. resistance forces. Kabul might even give up the Some analysts said Moscow's The Kabul regime, headed by premiership. real aim is simply to weaken support for a resolution on Czar Najibullah, recently decided Analysts said the announce• Afghanistan due to come up at the to extend what it calls a unilateral ment was unlikely to draw any 42nd UN General Assembly ceasefire by another six months; positive response since the key session in New York, which began publicize its "successful" national posts and real power would September 15. The international reconciliation; propose power remain in the hands of the present body has so far passed eight sharing with the opposition; and regime, which would continue to resolutions by overwhelming draft a new constitution for the be propped up by the Soviet majorides calling for immediate, country. occupation troops. unconditional and total with• All these moves ignore the The New York Times reported drawal of Soviet troops from question of Soviet troop on September 5 that Afghan Afghanistan. withdrawal, — the crux of any emissaries were sent to more than An informed source revealed political solution to the protracted 60 third world and non-aligned recently that the Soviet Union still Afghan conflict. countries in recent weeks to insists on an end to "outside The "ceasefire" was first muster support in connection with interference" by other countries as proposed by Kabul on January 15 the Geneva talks. a prerequisite for its troop and was immediately turned down But New York-based analysts withdrawal. This appears to make by the resistance leaders. They said the move may have stemmed any shortened timetable meaning• said that accepting the offer would from certain internal and external less since the Soviet Union could be tantamount to surrender to Soviet needs. It does not mean the delay its pullout whenever "out• Soviet aggression. Soviet Union is willing to give up side interference" is alleged to During the six-month "cease• its vested interest in Afghanistan. exist. fire," Soviet-Kabul troops The Pakistani foreign minister, Although UN officials were not stepped up their attacks on the on leaving for the Geneva talks, surprised at the fruitlessness of the guerrillas. In May, 2,500 Soviet called for setting up a neutral recent talks, they still hope that special forces and 4,000 Afghan government in Afghanistan to some day the Soviet Union and soldiers conducted a violent facilitate a Soviet pullout. Such an Kabul will show genuine sincerity mopping-up operation against the interim government, he said, and the Afghan issue will be resistance base in the Jaji district should be "strictly neutral and peacefully resolved. • of eastern Paktia Province. In acceptable to all the parties June, more than 6,000 Soviet and including the Afghan Mujahideen. CORRtiCnON: In ihc article on Pakistan Kabul troops unleashed a large- ...to aviod bloodshed that might in issue No. 33. p. 10. "rialional scale onslaught against a guerrilla otherwise occur." referendum" should read general election.
SEPTEMBER 21. 1987 23 •i ARTICLES
More Chinese Touring at Home by Our Correspondent Han Guojian
ver since the beginning of the opens up one's field of vision and during the best seasons. The tours E 1980s, newspapers have enriches one's knowledge. are usually one day visits to sites in featured frequent stories on In the past few years, the their own provinces or neibouring people travelling at home. In number of domestic tourists has provinces. Sometimes two to three Fengyang county, Anhui Prov• rapidly increased. According to days trips with expenses averaging ince, where the contracted re• statistics from the State General five to ten yuan a day per person. sponsibility system was first Administration for Travel and Trips to more distant places are introduced, farmers now have Tourism, the number of Chinese organized as a form of reward for enough to eat and wear, tourists climbed at an average rate outstanding or retired workers. and to build new houses, some of of 15 to 20 percent a year between Another reason for the rapid them can afford visits to Nanjing 1980 and 1986, and the figure is increase of domestic tourists is to enjoy the sights of this ancient expected to reach 300 million this that many leaders from different capital. In well-known Dazhai, year. trades and professions try to Shanxi Province, recent rural College students are particular• organize meetings and business economic reform has brought ly fond of travelling. A survey activities in tourist cities or scenic about great changes in people's conducted last year among five areas, taking the opportunity to lives. Many farmers set out in universities in Shanghai revealed enjoy the sights there. This groups for a tour of Beijing. Those that 87 percent of the students practice was very popular in recent who prospered earlier than others travelled during their vacations. In years but has reduced markedly even travel by air. better-off villages, touring has this year due to strong opposition become common. Last year, by the government and public nearly 7,000 farmers in the opinion. suburbs of the city of Luoyang, More Chinese Travellers Henan Province, visited Beijing and Xian. Benefit From Tourism On a business trip to Hunan and It is true that ordinary people Henan, I met' many Chinese are still poorly paid and only a According to statistics from the tourists. A young worker with small proportion can afford long• Wuhan Universal Machine Works State General Administration for distance trips in the country. Most Travel and Tourism, 204 million told me that he toured Hangzhou Chinese tourists, particularly the and Suzhou for his honeymoon Chinese travelled the country in young people, set a low store on 1985, and the income from last year, and was now travell• board and lodging. They would ing to Beijing with his wife. tourism amounted to 8 billion rather spend their money on more yuan. Last year, Chinese tourists With recent increases in output photographs than pay over five and profits, his factory totalled 270 million which boosted yuan to rent a room. The well- the income to upwards of 10.6 awarded its workers who furnished guest houses or hotels had accomplished their tasks a billion yuan. The large increase are frequented by aged professors not only benefits the tourist trade one-month holiday. So nearly 400 and entrepreneurs with good of the 1,000 or so workers left on in major cities such as Beijing, incomes, or retired cadres and Shanghai, Xian and Guilin. In travels outside the city. "We will workers who have some savings. A always remember our pleasant areas with beautiful landscapes, Shanghai travelling agency once but backward economies, the visit to these beautiful scenes and sponsored a "deluxe trip" by historical sites," said the young returns are more obvious. These aircraft or soft seats on the train. scenic areas, still unknown to man. Liu Jiang, a teacher in Though the cost of the nine-day Beijing's Fengtai District, visited urban residents, will attract large trip was high—1,000 yuan, over numbers of visitors when dis• the scenic areas of Zhangjiajie, the 100 people applied only a few days Huangshan Mountain and Jiu- covered. And the need for after the news was announced. accommodation and other facil• zhaigou with her husband during More and more Chinese the past three summer vacations. ities would in turn promote the enterprises and government insti• development of local tourism. Liu believed that travelling to tutions are using their welfare these famous tourist spots is not funds and monetary rewards to The Zhangjiajie State Forest only an enjoyable exercise, but it organize tours for their workers Park in Hunan Province encom-
24 BEIJING REVIEW, NO. 38 passses the two villages Zhang- nology tour" and "special train Shanghai was up 15 percent in jiajie and Yuanjiajie. The Tujia tour." All were eagerly welcomed 1986 from the 1985 figure, in nationality villages subsisted on by the visitors. Liaoning, the figure was 25 an annual per-capita income of The Wuhan Tourist Agency, percent and in Tianjin, 15 percent. only 122 yuan and for 29 of the 34 which has won a high reputation At present, more and more people years before 1983 relied heavily on for its good service, has prepared a are touring the country through state relief. With the rapid customers' book documenting the tour agencies. They can be found development of tourism there, views of the tourists. The practice in Heilongjiang Province in the farmers started up tourist services acts as an effective supervision north, in Hainan Island in the and within three years the average over the work of its staff and tour south and even in Xinjiang and annual per-capita income in• guides. A newly married couple Tibet. creased to 515 yuan. Some families who took part in the agency's Experts predict that with the earned up to 10,000 yuan* "March 8 Newlyweds Touring current economic reforms, living Delegation" very much appre• standards will continue to im• ciated the work of two tour guides prove and people will demand a More Tourist Agencies saying: "They made us feel the richer and more colourful cultural warmth of living in a big family." life. On the other hand with little In the 1970s, there were only a Despite various difficulties, opportunity to invest and a few agencies engaged in full-time China's domestic tourist agencies shortage of high-grade commod• or seasonal tourist services. Now have received an increasing ities, people will have more money there are 550 agencies serving number of travellers each year. in hand. It is estimated, therefore, about 5 percent of the total tourist According to a sample survey that more and more people will numbers. They are mostly retired conducted by the State General look to travel in the future and workers, veteran cadres, teachers, Administration for Travel and that the service available to them newlyweds and farmers who Tourism, the number of tourists in will be gradually improved. • would rather spend more money than bother with buying tickets or Travellers viewing an iron statue from t 1 Song Dynasty (960-1279) in Zhongyue finding houses. Temple in Songshan County, Henan Pro\
Travelling agencies attracting few clients were forced to improve services and provide colourful • tour programmes. Meanwhile competition also intensified. Among the various tour-related businesses, domestic tour agencies were the most unstable. It became commdn to see tour companies go bankrupt, and some others open only during peak seasons. The Luoyang Global Tourist Company is one agency to successfully withstand the pres• sure of competition. In 1985, its first year of operation, the company opened a special route from Luoyang to Beijing, Qing- dao, Shanghai and Guilin, attracting 17,000 visitors and earned an income of 165,000 yuan. Last year Luoyang hosted 43,000 tourists and netted an income of 460,000 yuan. To meet the needs of holiday makers, travel agencies in Shanghai arranged various colourful tours such as the "delicious meals tour," "a tour of English dialogue," "old mandarin duck tour," "science and tech• FROM THE CHINESE PRESS
show that most young workers worry about patients who forget Young Workers hope that there will be an to take it. People who take the salt Voice Concerns environment that enables them to medicine are unaware of its give full play to their professional wonderful effect. knowledge and skills. Keshan disease is a local (May 24, 1987) myocardium disease (affecting the "BEUING WANBAO" heart wall) which seriously (Beijing Evening News) threatens the health of people in Sichuan. In 1982 the Wutongqiao Salt Works, at the request of the ith the development of Local Ails Cured by Disease Prevention Office of economic structural reform W Sichuan Province, produced a in China's urban areas, great Salt IVIediclne selenium salt using special equip• changes have taken place in young ment, staff and testing procedures. workers' outlook on occupations. The salt produced notable results What are their concerns? A recent RENMIN RIBAO (People's Daily, Overseas Edition) in the prevention of Keshan survey of 210 people in different disease and a disease of big joints. fields indicates: ome local diseases that are The Wutongqiao and Shawan • About 51 percent of the common in China's south• S areas of Leshan City had a high young people surveyed hope to western Sichuan Province have a rate of filariasis (a disease accomplish something in their high rate of occurrence. After resulting from parasitic worms). careers. They identify closely with years of unsuccessful state efforts In the past, the disease was treated the successes and failures of their to stop these diseases, the with medicines. In 1985 it was enterprises and work hard. Wutongqiao Salt Works added eliminated after special salt was • Close to 40 percent of those medicine tosalt. The salt is both a produced by the Wutongqiao Salt working in service trades and the fine condiment and a good Works and sold in the area medical and educational fields medicine. After it was sold at the starting in February of that year. hope to gain the understanding standard salt price in the disease- Half a year later experts and and support of the public, because struck areas, patients were cured professors went to the area and some people still look down on and other people were prevented tested a sample of 7,113 people for their jobs. from catching the diseases. The filariasis. Not a single case was • Half of those surveyed are salt has no side effects and there is found. worried that their knowledge or no need for the state to distribute (June 9, 1987) skills do not meet the needs of the medicine or for the doctors to their jobs. To deepen their professional know-how, blaze new trails and produce excellent results at work, nearly one-quarter of them hope to have an opportunity Cilina Faces a New Baby Boom to take a more advanced course of study or training. • About 50 percent worry about poor results at their "RENMIN RIBAO" I the growth rate may be reduced; if not, it will be higher. enterprises. Changes in produc• (People's Daily) tion and management, whether for Women between 21 and 29 are better or worse, have a direct ccording to calculations by a most likely to have their child, so bearing on workers' immediate Agovernment department con• they have a great infiuence on the interests and future. So people pay cerned, China's population population growth rate. Since a lot of attention to their growth rate will increase again this 1982, babies born to women enterprises. year as more young couples between 21 and 29 have accounted • About two-thirds of the become ehgible to have a baby. for 75 to 80 percent of each year's young workers surveyed fear that An estimate shows that about total of newborns. Women the leaders at their enterprises will 7.3 million more women will be of between 21 and 29 now number not appreciate their efforts or will child-bearing age this year than in 86.4 milhon, up 3.2 million from consider their accomplishments 1986. If the birth rate continues at last year. insignificant. They hope the last year's pace, 23 million babies The present situation is rooted leaders and society as a whole will will be born this year, making the in a population explosion that pass fair judgement on their natural population growth rate began in 1963. People born since achievements. reach 14.95 per thousand. If we do 1963 have begun to marry and The results of the survey clearly our best to control the population. China's population has entered a
26 BEUING REVIEW, NO. 38 new high tide of child-bearing. and third births. difficulties in driving, riding, This is the basis of today's To control the growth of parking and walking. Traffic has population growth. In addition, China's population, the late become a social problem that is the marriageable and child- marriage, late childbirth and one- hurting the national economy and bearing ages have been lowered, child policies must continue people's livelihood. and the numbers of second and during the period of the Seventh third births have increased owing Five-Year Plan (1986-90). If we But the situation can not be to slackening control over the fail to strictly control population changed in the near future, Yu population increase in some areas. growth, it will be impossible for said. From 1982 to 1986. the According to available statistics, China to achieve a substantial number of civilian automobiles 3.12 million more'babies were improvement in the standard of increased by an average of 17.8 born in 1986 than in 1985, and living. percent a year. It is predicted that two-thirds of them were second (June 12. 1987) there will be 13.67 million civilian automobiles in China by the end of this century, 4.8 times more than in 1986. But road building will not keep pace with the Traffic Accidents on tiie Rise increase in vehicles and traffic volume. Traffic departments cal• culate that there will be 1.1 million The slow pace causes people many kilometres of roads by the year "RENMIN RIBAO" 2000, a 14.6 percent increase from (People's Daily) difficulties in their work and daily lives and has greatly impeded the the current 960,000 kilometres. In other words, the gap between the oad accidents in China country's economic construction. demands of automobiles and road :laimed 42,000 lives in 1986, The public is strongly urging the R capacity will widen. 15.6 times the number that died as departments concerned to find a result of fires, Yu Lei, vice- ways immediately to solve the (June 8. 1987) minister of Public Security, said recently. In 1949 China had only 51,000 motor-driven vehicles and about 80,000 kilometres of roads. In Bridge Construction Fiourisiies 1986 there were 3.6 million civilian automobiles, or 71.6 times more I way bridge in the Guangxi than the 1949 figure. The length of "RENMIN RIBAO" (People's Daily, Overseas Edition) Zhuang Autonomous Region, the country's roads, however, completed in July 1981, is the first increased by only 12 times in the such bridge in China and the same period. Moreover, with the y the end of 1985, China had fourth in the world. It is 398 development of construction and Babout 176,000 rail and road metres long and the longest arch is free markets in recent years, many bridges with a total length of 5,700 96 metres. roads are used for setting up stalls, kilometres. Of these, 21 are over — China's first fibreglass road piling materials and parking the Changjiang (Yangtze) River bridge was built in Beijing's various kinds of vehicles. As a and 61 over the Huanghe (Yellow) Miyun County in February 1983. result, roads are often jammed River. with traffic, and road accidents in Bridge construction in China — The 10.5-kilometre Chang- both urban and rural areas have developed by leaps and bounds dong Huanghe (Yellow) River increased every year. About between 1976 and 1985. More Rail Bridge, the longest of its kind 222,000 traffic accidents occurred than 33,000 rail and road bridges in China, was completed in in 1986, resulting in immediate totalling 1,680 kilometres in October 1985. Construction took economic losses and compens• length were completed. Many of only 20 months. ation for injuries and deaths of the bridges are world class or close — In November 1985, the 1.24 billion yuan. to that level. Haimen Bridge, China's largest Inadequate roads have led to China is among the most lift bridge, was completed. The slower traffic, Yu said. The advanced countries in bridge 903-metre-long bridge over the average speed of motor vehicles in construction thgory and bridge Haihe River in Tianjin can rise 24 big cities has dropped from 25 design, using computers to help metres from the water level and kilometres an hour in the 1960s to with these tasks. Some examples ships of less than 5,000 tons can 20 kilometres in the 1970s and of recent achievements include: easily pass under it. only about 15 kilometres today. — A prestressed-concrete rail- (July 15. 1987)
SEPTEMBER 21, 1987 27 m BUSINESSARAPE
exchanges. This gives Bell tele• phones the advantage in mainten• 90 Firms Come to Telecom Show ance, parts supply, expansion of orders and personnel training. When Shanghai-Bell went into production, Japanese businesses Led by J.F. Beselor, director of akers of telecommunications adopted underselling tactics to the EEC Foreign Relations M equipment fromaround the compete for the Chinese market. Bureau, 49 manufacturers from world have been vying with each As a result, in 1986, the first year eight countries for the first time other form the Chinese market. of Shanghai-Bell's operation, its displayed communication and From September 8-13, some 90 losses came to US$10 million. electronic products in the EEC's manufacturers from 13 countries The Chinese government wel• name. A total of 17 manufacturers and regions gathered in Beijing to comes the transfer of advanced organized by the Hong Kong display their latest products at the production technology from Trade Development Council also China International Office Auto• overseas companies, and has participated in the exhibition. mation and Commercial Tele• taken measures in favour of communications Equipment Shanghai-Bell. New measures to Exhibition. Since 1979, Chinese postal and telecommunications departments protect the joint venture are The competitor had strong reported to be in the works. support from their governments. have introduced advanced tech• The 19 participants from Japan nology and equipment from Chinese enterprises have al• had the assistance and support of abroad. Initially, China's orders ready joined the competition for the Ministry of Posts and were almost monopolized by the communications market. On Telecommunications, Ministry of Japanese businesses, but a deter• September 4-8, PTIC displayed International Trade and Industry, mined challenge is rising from Chinese-made postal and tele• and the Science and Technology European business quarters. communications equipment. The Bureau of Japan. They took up One of the largest joint ventures Chinese products were priced at half the 3,071-metre exhibition in China, the Shanghai-Bell one-third or one-fourth the price area, and the European Economic Telephone Equipment Manu• for equivalent foreign products. Community (EEC), 42 percent of facturing Co., jointly set up by the During the Seventh Five-Year the total area. Bell Telephone Manufacturing Plan period (1986-90), the Chinese The Japanese delegation in• Co. in Belgium and China's Posts government will allocate 10 billion cluded well-recognized names and Telecommunications Indus• yuan to further develop the such as Matsushita, Hitachi, try Corp. (PTIC), produces S- telecommunications industry in Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Toshiba 1240 and SSU-12 digital pro• China. and Fujitsu. gramme controlled telephone PTIC's products include 480- channel digital microwave and 480-channel optical fibre digital system equipment. The optical Part of the China International Office Automation and Commercial equipment won an international Telecommunications Equipment Exhibition held in Beijing from September 8 to 13. bid for a defence base tele• communications project in Tianjin. On display at the exhibition were all kinds of telecommunic• ations devices, computers, data processors and office automation equipment. For instance, there were digital telephone exchanges, optical fibre communications systems, TV conference systems, and satellite telecommunications networks as well as computers. The exhibition hosted 31 technological exchange meetings. The show was co-sponsored by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd. of Hong Kong. •
28 BEIJING REVIEW, NO. 38 China Cuts Imports channel) and digital microwave communication systems Beijing Softens Of Telecom Devices (34Mb/s480-channel) will also be Investment Policies restricted. On July 24, China's first domestically built digital micro• eijing, which does not enjoy eports claim that China plans wave communication circuit Bthe preferential treatment R to limit imports of postal and began operation. Completed in given to the 14 coastal open cities, telecommunications equipment only 6 months, the project's 480- has softened its foreign investment and production lines which can be channel circuit with three micro• policies in order to promote domestically produced. wave stations extends 98 kilo• economic and technical co• Responsibility for the examin• metres from Foshan via Shunde to operation with foreign countries, ation and approval of these Zhongshan in Guangdong announced Han Boping, deputy imports has been shifted from the Province. mayor of the city, in late August. Ministry of Post and Tele• Zhang Qingzhong, assistant The main preferential policies communications and Ministry of general manager of China's Post are as follows: Foreign Economic Relations and and Telecommunications Indus• — Beijing municipality can now Trade to the State Economic try Corp. in charge of the project, approve projects each involving a Commission. Und'er the supervi• said the equipment is up to the total investment of US$30 million sion of Vice-Premier Li Peng and early 1980 s international stan• rather than US$10 million if the State Councillor Zhang Jinfu, the dards. But Chinese products are foreign investment is used to office will handle all import orders one-third the price of comparable update technology or build new for telecommunications foreign products. factories and if the export of the equipment. Imports of other telecommunic• projects' products does not ations equipment, including car• impinge state export quota and Imported programme con• rier communication equipment they can balance their foreign trolled telephone exchange sy• under 4,380-channel, satellite exchanges; stems will be replaced by the S- receiving systems and vertical- — Enterprises in the city can 1240 system produced by the horizontal system telephone ex• enjoy preferential treatment ac• Shanghai-Bell Telephone Equip• changes below 10,000 channels cording to the state provisions for ment Manufacturing Co., a Sino- will also be cut back. China began use of foreign investment and are Belgian joint venture. In future, imposing limitations on imports exempt from customs duties and China will no longer import of machinery and equipment in industrial and commercial conso• similar equipment with foreign 1985. The new restrictions are an lidated tax on equipment and capital. important extension of this materials which are in short Imports of optical fibre com• programme. supply in China and are imported munication systems (34Mb/s480- by Yue Haitao with foreign exchanges provided by the Bank of China and the
All-plastic telephone cable production line at the Chengdu Cable Factory, WANG LI China International Trust and Investment Corporation; — Technology-intensive enter• prises using foreign capital, or projects each involving a foreign investment of up to US$30 million with an expected long-term investment recovery, when ap• proved, are required only to pay a 15 percent income tax; — Foreign investment enter• prises are exempt from customs duties and industrial and commer• cial consolidated tax on imports of a reasonable quantity of office supplies and furniture and trans• port for overseas technicians if these are brought in with money not exceeding the invested amount. All these new policies were put into effect in August this year. •
SEPTEMBER 21, 1987 29 CULTURE/SCIENCE
Samples of Rare Ancient Porcelain
hina has always been known as means porcelain. The town of example of early celadon por• Cthe land of porcelain. Indeed, Jingdezhen is famous as the celain. A total of 73 pieces of in English the word "china" porcelain centre of China. It is celadon porcelain were discovered located on the lower reaches of the at the same time, including a Changjiang (Yangtze) River, near model cow, horse, pigsty, dog• Kaolin Mountain, which is rich in house, chicken coop and duck porcelain clay (also called kaolin). coop. Since the 3rd century AD, (Picture 1) The rough pottery porcelain articles have gradually jar was unearthed in Wannian replaced lacquerware, those made County, Jiangxi Province, in 1962. of pottery, wood, bamboo and The New Stone Age jar is the metal. From then on most funeral earliest piece of pottery discovered objects found in the tombs in so far in China. Jiangxi are porcelain. (Picture 2) The piece of pottery (Picture 5) One of the 73 is an imitation of an ancient celadon pieces found in Ruichang bronze of the Spring and Autumn County, the model granary with and Warring States period (770- sculptures of buildings, figurines, 221 BC). It was found in Guixi animals on the upper part portrays County, south of Jingdezhen. The the life of the owner of the piece. piece has a cloud design and an (Picture 6) The celadon hoof- animal head spout. shaped inkslab with double pots of (Picture 3) The celadon (grey- the Tang Dynasty (618-907) was green glazed) bowl with a circular unearthed at the Hongzhou kiln in stem unearthed at a historical site Fengcheng County, Jiangxi Pro• of the Shang Dynasty (C. 16th- vince. The kiln, first discovered in llth century BC) in Wucheng 1977, is one of the six famous Qinjiang County, Jiangxi Pro• ancient celadon kilns. The por• vince, is one of the several "proto- celains found there piled up porcelain" pieces discovered in mountain-high, including bowls, 1974. Pro to-porcelain, made of cups, and studio articles. The kaolin, looks similar to glazed decorations which are rich and pottery, which is more advanced varied, include lotus petal, rose, than pottery. This kind of plum blossom and cypress porcelain has been found in only a designs. few places in China. (Picture 4) The celadon frog- shaped water dropper of the 3rd century AD — unearthed in Ruichang County, Jiangxi Pro• vince, in 1972 — is an elegant
3 4 5
30 BEIJING REVIEW, NO. 38 (Picture 7) The blue-and-white of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) great academic and historical porcelain horse and groom, was found in a tomb. Hot water value. unearthed in the suburb of was poured into the bowl to warm by Zhang Yihua Jingdezhen city, is smooth and wine in the ewer. This kind of briUiant. The piece portrays an porcelain ewer and bowl were Arab merchant in China. popular during the period. Historical records show that (Picture 9) The blue-and-white people in China began to make covered jar with lotus leaf and pottery during the Han Dynasty dragon designs of the Yuan (206 BC-220 AD) in present-day Dynasty (1271-1368) was un• Jingdezhen. Porcelain production earthed in 1980 at Gaoan County started there in the 6th century AD west of the provincial capital and it gained an immediate Nanchang. The invention of blue- reputation throughout the coun• and-white porcelain ended the try. During the Tang Dynasty, history of single-glaze porcelain in porcelain from the locality was China and was the beginning of called "imitation jade," and the era of painted porcelain which served as a tribute to the royal formed a unique Chinese style. court. Cobalt oxide was used to draw The kilns got their name pictures on white porcelain. The Jingdezhen in the early years of the piece was then covered with a 11 th century when the Song court transparent glaze and fired in the set up a special organization to kiln. In China today there are only supervise the porcelain produc• about 200 pieces of blue-and- tion and instructed the workers to white porcelain from the Yuan put the word "Jingde" (title Dynasty which have been well of reign) on all of their porcelain preserved. as a tribute to the imperial (Picture 10) One of the best- court. By that time the preserved Yuan Dynasty por• production was already in a very celains, the underglazed red model large scale, and all of the porcelain granary was coloured with copper pieces were beautifully shaped and oxide. As this technique is very decorated with varied colours and difficult to handle, only a few designs. The local workers underglazed red porcelains have assimilated the experience of other survived. The blue-and-white provinces and invented a new kind inscription on the memorial tablet of porcelain — blue-and-white about the owner of the tomb is of porcelain. This kind of fine chinaware is very smooth and translucent, and is imbued with different shades of blue. The lines of the porcelain are easy and polished, and the designs are delicate. (Picture 8) The blue-and-white glazed porcelain ewer and a bowl
Bhotos by ZHOU KEMING 6 7
SEPTEMBER 21, 1987 31 CULTURE/SCIENCE
frequently perform with young foreign friends from all over the An Art Festival For the Young world and they have made visits to Japan, the United States and the ore than 1,000 youngsters Oklahoma, the only US group at Democratic People's Republic of Mfrom the United States, the festival, impressed the au• Korea. Japan and local schools and dience with its American West The earnest and hearty perfor• children's societies in Shanghai style and flavour. The group of 28 mance given by the handicapped gathered and became friends youngsters, aged from 6 to 17, children was so touching that the during the four days of Shanghai gave two performances of a eyes of many in the audience were International Children's Music musical "epic" entitled the Spirit wet. Other groups also performed and Dance Performance. From of Oklahoma. The rich collection well and won the hearts of their August 26 to 29, they delighted the of folk songs and dances depicted audience. city of Shanghai, particularly its the history of their home state On August 29, more than 1,000 young citizens, with excellent from the time of Cherokee Indians Chinese children and their guests performances that included ballet, until today. from the United States and Japan classical music and folk songs and Mary Ella Weidner, the group's shared a pleasent Saturday dances. art director, said, "It's my idea to evening in Shanghai's Children's The event was jointly initiated put everything in. The Chinese Palace, one of the places in the and sponsored by the Shanghai people and the Oklahoma people metropolis that provides after- People's Association for Friend• are working together very closely school education in various ship With Foreign Countries, the on many projects. There is a subjects for children. The Chinese China Welfare Insitute and the friendship there. I know there is and foreign children, hand in Shanghai Soong Ching Ling great fascination with the Indians hand, visited the different parts of Foundation. Peace, friendship and cowboys. So I want to show the palace and watched specially and health were the themes of the you what our state is all about." prepared performances. On the festival, which also received the The Homura-Tomoi Ballet spacious lawn outside, they support of the Beijing Office of the School Group from Japan is an chatted with one another in United Nations Children's Fund outstanding after-school troupe. English orcommunicatedwith the (UNICEF) and the Shanghai It was the group's first China visit, help of Chinese and Japanese municipal government. UNICEF and the children hope to have characters, which are of the same offered 60,000 yuan in aid to the more opportunities to join in c3rigin. The flash of cameras, the event. similar events and make contacts whispers, laughter and smiling The sponsors and supporters with their counterparts in Shang• faces of that evening will live for shared the hope that the cultural hai, said Makio Homura, the ever in the hearts of many. The exchange programme would con• master of the ballet school and children, who came together in tribute to international co• head of the group. Another friendship and innocence, found it operation to promote the health, Japanese group, the Osaka Girls' hard to say good-bye. welfare and development of Folk Dance Troupe, gave a by Dai Gang children, and would help develop colourful display of Japanese folk friendly ties between Chinese songs and dances. children and others. These aims The local Chinese groups — the were clearly realized. Shanghai Little Companions, At the opening ceremony, Shanghai Little Screen Stars, Manzoor Ahmed, UNICEF's Shanghai Handicapped Child• representative in China, and Liu ren's Performing Group and Zhenyuan, vice-mayor of Shang• Shanghai Children's United Per• hai, spoke highly of the effortsto forming Group — demonstrated hold the festival in Shanghai. Liu the talent and creativity of Chinese called the children present "little children. ambassadors of peace and friend• The China Welfare Institute's ship." The young artists got a Little Companions Art Troupe warm reception from the local was founded under the auspices of government. the late Chinese honorary presi• The four main performances dent Soong Ching Ling in 1955. Its were given jointly by local Chinese regular members are generally 6- children and performers from the 16 years old. They are trained in United States and Japan. Chinese and European music and The Best of America Kids from dance. The Little Companions
32 BEIJING REVIEW, NO. 38 m BOOKS
Deng on China's Present-Day Issues
<.^l)^ Xiaoping guides today. But owing to the limitation of historical conditions, and especially the problems in the Party's guiding principle, it failed to fulfil its prime task, and what is more, made serious mistakes. Since the convocation of the 3rd Plenary Session of the Party's 11th Central Committee in 1978, the Party, through summarizing the historical experiences after the founding of the People's Republic and studing the practice in recent years, finally found a way for building socialism with Chinese characteristics. The present vol• ume Fundamental Issues in Present-Day China is the guiding document for attaining socialist modernization in China. This Fundamental Issues in Present- collection of 47 talks and speeches collection lays emphasis on two Day China (in English, Russian, (about 100,000 Chinese charac• points in the central task of Japanese, French, Spanish and ters) made by Deng Xiaoping economic construction: to uphold Arabic) between September 1982 and June the four cardinal principles*and to Written by: Deng Xiaoping 1987. It may be regarded as a adhere to the general policy and Edited by: Department for Re• continuation of The Selected principle of reform and opening to search on Party Literature, Works of Deng Xiaoping (1975-82) the outside world. Central Committee of the published in 1982. Communist Party of China In his opening speech at the 12th Reading through the articles in Translated by: Bureau for the National Congress of the Chinese this collection, it is easy to get Compilation and Translation of Communist Party held in Septem• Deng Xiaoping's steadfast stand. Works of Marx, Engels. Lenin ber 1982, Deng Xiaoping pointed He emphasizes the importance of and Stalin under the Central out that we must integrate the developing the productive forces, Committee of the Communist universal truth of Marxism with and sees economic construction as Party of China the concrete realities of China, the key link. Published by: Foreign Languages blaze a path of our own and build This central task can not be Press, Beijing socialism with Chinese character• moved unless world war breaks Distributed by: China Intern• istics. Since then, Deng Xiaoping out. Deng said, "What is socialism ational Book Trading Corpor• has shed light on many issues and what is Marxism? We were ation. P.O. Box 399, Beijing, relating to this statement, includ• not quite clear about this before. China ing political, economic, ideolog• Marxism attaches utmost im• ical, scientific and technological, portance to developing the cultural and educational issues, as productive forces.... The funda• well as foreign policies and army mental task for socialism is to building. he English, Russian and TJapanese editions of Deng After the founding of New Xiaoping's Fundamental I.s.sues in China, the Chinese Communist Present-Day China have recently Party set out to build socialism * The four cardinal principles are: relevant to actual conditions in upholding the socialist road, the people's been published, and French, democratic dictatorship, the leadership of Spanish and Arabic editions are China. The Party put forward the Communist Party of China and expected to follow. some important ideological Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong The present volume is a theories which are still useful Thought.
SEPTEMBER 21, 1987 33 develop the productive forces." one. Any changes will lead to still guests, including state or govern• He recently added: "We will go on wider opening to the outside ment leaders, friendly individuals, building socialism, there's no world. China's open policies have guests from third world and doubt about that. But if it is to be proved sound and have brought developed countries, and leaders superior to capitalism, it must major benefits to the country. from socialist and capitalist enable us to eliminate poverty." Without it, the goal of an average countries. The reason Deng How to best develop the well-to-do living standard for the expounds is convincing. Only by productive forces? Keeping the one billion Chinese people will building socialism with Chinese door shut, locking up the country, never be achieved. characteristics under the leader• ship of the Communist Party of or embarking on "the big leap The author points out emphati• China can we ensure lasting forward" have proved unsuccess• cally that China's reforms must stability and unity and fulfil the ful; and the "cultural revolution" proceed from its realities. Reform long-term tasks of economic was simply historical deterior• of the economic and political construction. In the final analysis, ation. The talks and speeches structures cannot completely fol• upholding the four cardinal made by Deng in this book proved low the experiences of foreign principles is for the effective that the policies and reform, countries. To successfully imple• implementation of the general opening to the outside world and ment reforms in China means to policies of reform and opening to invigorating the domestic free ourselves from the mode of the outside world, which centre economy are suited to China's the Soviet Union. The mindless around economic construction, realities. Only by continuing to imitation of the Soviet Union's and for the continued develop• uphold them can the socialist experience proved unsuccessful in ment of the productive forces. system prove its superiority to the past. But the experiences of In short, building socialism in capitalism. Western capitalist countries such a large and economically The book makes it clear that should neither be copied indis• backward oriental country is a China's reforms embrace both the criminately. Only useful elements new concern in the history of the economic and political structures; which suit China's special con• development of Marxism. Deng's and opening to the outside world ditions should be absorbed from book Fundamental Issues in is meant to include all countries, foreign countries. Present-Day China throws light on whether they be developed or In terms of upholding the four the issue of building socialism with developing nations. cardinal principles, the book Chinese characteristics. It is explains that this is a basic and The reforms and opening to the significant that the book is firm stand of the Communist outside world are long-term poli• published in foreign languages, as Party of China. Upholding cies. Deng said, "Invigorating it can help foster an understanding socialism and the leadership of the our domestic economy and of the fundamental issues in Communist Party are the most opening to the outside world are present-day China for overseas important principles among the our long-term, not short-term, readers interested in the country four. policies which will remain unchan• and its development. ged for at least 50 or 70 years." Deng repeatedly makes this by Zhou Shu Deng continued to explain: clear during his talks with foreign Quadrupling the GNP, which will take 20 years, is only our first step come off the press, with the names and will be followed by a second, Book News of 4,800 places in the province. attaining the level of moderate • China's first national gazetteer • The Science Press recently developed countries, which will is being published by the published Selections From the take 30 or 50, let's say 50 years. Commercial Press in Beijing. Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of The two steps together will take 50 It has been jointly compiled by Sciences (1986) in English. or 70 years. By then opportunities specialists in geography, history, The Bulletin is a quarterly for changing the policies will be linguistics and ethnology, based journal of the Chinese Academy of even more limited. If anything, we on the results of the first national Sciences. Ye Duzheng, an eminent shall open up still more. Our general survey of place names, scientist, is its chief editor. It people would not allow anything beginning in 1978. explains policies for developing else. The gazetteer will appear in 32 China's science and technology The slightest sign of disturbance volumes and include 100,000 place and introduces the institutions, in China comes worry among names in China's 30 provinces, scientists and research results of some people abroad as to whether autonomous regions and municip• the Chinese Academy of Sciences. China will consistently abide by alities directly under the central The de luxe 570-page book was the open policy. This shows a government and in the Hong compiled by the Institute of Policy failure to understand that the Kong and Macao regions. and Management under the policy is a fundamental, long-term The volume for Jangsu has Chinese Academy of Sciences.
34 BEIJING REVIEW. NO. 38 T
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