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Main Goals of the Economic Readjustment CONTENTS [] This article explains in detail the campaign to improve the economic environment and rectify the economic order, its main goals, the time required for its implementation and the EVENTS/TRENDS 4-9 'key issues affecting its success (p. 20). Economic Plan for 1990 Outlined Finance: Improved, but Still Grim China Recognizes Republic of Listen to the People Namibia [] To maintain close ties with the people and develop demo- Largest Coalfield Under cratic supervision, the Party and government make use of Construction public affairs divisions to handle correspondence and receive Shanghai Builds Its First Subway visitors. In the past ten years, there has been an increase in Nation to Build High-Speed both mail and personal visits. Legitimate demands are being Railway heeded, positive suggestions accepted and major issues handled China Drafts Plan to Combat according to relevant laws, regulations and policies, much to AIDS the satisfaction of the general public (p. 24). INTERNATIONAL Tough Challenges for Aquino 10 North China Facing a Water Crisis Mauritius in Rapid Economic Development 12 [] The shortage of water is already a reality for 180 million Chinese in north China. In their struggle to overcome the CHINA natural adversity, the people liave tried every means at their Meeting the Press: NPC disposal to conserve water and tap new resources (p. 27). Spokesman, Minister of Agriculture Talk About Current Issues 14 China Recognizes Republic of Namlbia NPC: The Voice of the People 16 Main Goals of Economic [] Chinese President Yang Shangkun, Premier Li Peng and the CPC Central Committee sent congratulatory messages to Na- Rectification Programme 20 mibian leaders on their country's independence on March 21. Listening to the People 24 The Chinese government also officially recognized the Republ- Water Crisis in North China and ic of Namibia. Counter-Measures 27 On March 22, the People's Rebpublic of China and the Republic of Namibia established diplomatic relations at the BUSINESS/TRADE 30-31 ambassadorial level (p. 6). CULTURE/SCIENCE 32-34

COVER. The Panjiakou key water con- Philippine Government Faces Tough Challenges trol project diverts water from the Luanhe River to Tianjin, Tangshan and [] After achieving initial progress in domestic stability since other areas. coming to power, President Corazon Aquino now faces several Photo by Han Xuezhaag tough issues in the Philippines, including her relations with the military and the United States (p. 10).

Unless written by Beijing Review correspondents, the opinions expressed in signed articles do not necessarily reflect the view of the Beijing Review editorial board.

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percent, according to the plan. The output of coal will be 1.06 billion tons, up 20 million tons over last year's; crude oil, 138 Economic Plan for 1990 Outlined million tons, up 350,000 tons; electricity, 605 billion kilowatt his year China plans to hours, up 23 billion kilowatt- maintain a moderate eco- hour; steel, 60 million to 61 mil- T nomic growth and further lion tons; cotton yarn, 23 million reduce the rate of inflation bales; chemical fibres, 1.47 mil- and give priority to agricultur- lion tons; and the volume of rail- al production as a prerequisite to way freight, 1.47 billion tons. a stable economy, said Zou Jia- "To ensure a steady growth of hua, state councillor and minis- energy and transport capacity, ter in charge of the State Plan- we shall appropriately raise the ning Commission. prices of crude oil, railway In his Report on Implementa- freight and water cargo trans- tion of the 1989 Plan for Nation- port this year," Zou announced. al Economic and Social Devel- More loans will be provided opment and the Draft 1990 Plan, for industrial production, com- Zou told the Third Session of the Zou Jiahua. merce, foreign trade and the Seventh National People's Con- purchase of materials, in order gress (NPC) that the central fin- Meat output is expected to to reinvigorate sluggish market ancial authorities will invest an have a 400,000-ton increase to sales and a low industrial growth additional 1 billion yuan in agri- top 25.5 million tons this year. rate, he said. Interest rates for culture. The money will be used While improving the contract savings and loans will also be mainly for harnessing major riv- responsibility system, as part of readjusted to help the economy. ers, expanding irrigated areas Last year's inflation rate was and building production bases the Party's agricultural policy, "optimum scale operations and 17.8 percent, slightly lower than for grain, cotton and other essen- 1988's rate of 18.5 percent. This tial commodities. new collective economies should be steadily developed, provided year it will become even lower. The draft plan projects a grain This year's retail commodity farmers participate in these ac- output of 412.5 million tons, an sales are expected to hit 930 bil- tivities voluntarily," Zou said. increase of 5.05 million tons over lion yuan, an increase of 14.8 The growth rate for 1990 in- last year; cotton, 4.4 million percent over 1989. tons, an increase of 610,000 tons. dustrial output value will be 6 Zou stressed that the national Deputies from Fujian Province to the NPC discussing the government's report made economy is proceeding under the by Premier Li Peng. CHEN ZONGLIE circumstances of "consolidating and expanding a political envi- ronment of stability and unity." He also emphasized that open- ing China to the outside world and expanding its trade and economic and technological ex- changes with foreign countries are both "long-term, consistent strategic policies for advancing China's modernization drive and important measures for over- coming the current economic difficulties." On the whole, China's 1989 plan for economic and social de- velopment was carried out fairly well, the meeting was told, and the national economy developed

4 BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 EVENTS / TRENDS in the right direction thanks ter admitted. Although all localities and de- to economic revamping and re- All this has added to the diffi- partments did a great deM of form. culty of fulfilling the nation's work last year in increasing re- However, Zou said, cash flow 1990 plan for economic and so- venues and cutting back expendi- exceeding national income and cial development. However, ac- tures, Wang noted that the scope total demand exceeding total cording to the minister, the plan of China's construction and de- supply are chronic problems yet will be fulfilled in an all-round mand for funds was still beyond to be fundamentally solved. way so long as the Party and the country's financial ability. Since the last quarter of 1989, government unswervingly carry According to the draft state market sales have been slack, out the basic line of adhering to budget for 1990 proposed by the funds short and products over- the four cardinal principles and minister, total state revenue will stocked. reform and opening to the out- be 323.653 billion yuan, an in- More enterprises have entirely side world with economic con- crease of 10.9 percent over the or partially suspended produc- struction as the central task, and estimated figure of last year, and tion, the number of unemployed resolutely rely on and closely total expenditure will be 332.545 people in towns and cities has rally with the people of all na- billion yuan, an increase of 10.3 increased, and some urban resi- tionalities in building socialism percent. This leaves a deficit of dents have begun to experience in the spirit of self-reliance and 8.892 billion yuan. financial difficulties, the minis- hard work. • If the domestic and foreign debt, totalling 33.443 billion yuan, was regarded as part of the deficit, the total deficit would be Finance: Improved, but Still Grim 42.335 billion yuan, he added. "We must fully recognize the danger of running a deficit, start c hina's revenue exceeded the thinking in terms of a balanced target set in the 1989 budg- budget, and strive for its reali- et, basically guaranteeing zation in our day-to-day work," the financing of construction Wang said. and reform, said Finance Minis- However, today's fiscal prob- ter Wang Bingqian on March 21 lems did not come about over- in a report to the Third Session night and they likewise cannot of the Seventh National People's be solved quickly, he said. The Congress on the implementation deficit will not be promptly re- of the state budget for 1989 and duced. the draft state budget for 1990. The condition of the state Current statistics indicate that budget for 1990 is grim, he ad- total state revenues in 1989 came ded, as 12.4 billion yuan have to 291.92 billion yuan, or 102.2 to be put aside for amortizing percent of the budgeted amount Wang Bingqian. CHEN ZONGLIE domestic debt, and 7 billion yuan and the expenditures amounted for servicing foreign loans. to 301.455 billion yuan, or 102.9 The minister attributed this si- However, last year saw an in- percent of the budgeted figure, tuation to several factors: crease in China's foreign ex- leaving a deficit of 9.535 billion -- Last year's upheaval and change reserve, which enabled yuan, he said. counter-revolutionary rebellion it to repay foreign debt, Wang Total state revenue, he noted, in June caused serious losses to stressed. included foreign loans amount- the national economy; To promote the development ing to 13.42 billion yuan and -- Measures in the state budg- of agriculture, education, science domestic debts to the tune of et designed to increase revenues and technology and to further 14.01 billion yuan. were either postponed, reduced strengthen national defence and In implementing the 1989 state in scale or not practised at all make up for the inadequacy of budget, the finance minister because of the changing situa- military expenditure caused by conceded that there was an out- tion; inflation, this year's budget con- standing contradiction in the -- Local authorities increased tains increased allocations in supply and demand of funds, their expenditures for agricul- these fields, he said. and the state deficits exceeded ture, education, science and tech- Appropriations for rural prod- the budgeted amount. nology and disaster relief. uction and other operating ex-

BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 5 EVENTS / TRENDS penses for agriculture is 21.481 over last year's figure. veloped, the message added. billion yuan this year, 7.9 per- The minister called for efforts The Chinese People's Institute cent more than last year's. to improve economic perform- of Foreign Affairs also spon- The total expense on education ance and increase revenues, cut sored a forum the same day to in the 1990 budget will come to back and exercise tight control celebrate the independence of 48.406 billion yuan, an increase Namibia. Zambian Ambassador of 4.348 billion yuan over last over expenditures, continue to Peter Lesa Kasanda was invited year. deepen ttie reform and improve to report c~n the independence The expenditure for national the financial legal system and of Namibia and the situation in defence this year is budgeted at rectify finance and taxation pro- South Africa. 28.97 billion yuan, 15.2 percent cedures. • Kasanda described Namibia's victory as a "new development" in the struggle against South Af- rican minority white rule and China Recognizes Republic of Namibia apartheid. Namibian independ- ence should be regarded as an excellent lesson to the South Af- hinese Premier Li Peng Nujoma. rican government and serve to sent a message to his Na- "The birth of the Republic of enlighten white ultra-rightists c mibian counterpart Hage Namibia represents a great victo- that they should not have any Geingob on March 20, congratu- ry for the heroic Namibian peo- fear of a black government, he lating him on the independence ple following a long and arduous said. of Namibia and extending the struggle, and also a great victory He quoted Nelson Mandela, Chinese government's official re- for Africa and the international after the apartheid fighter was cognition to the Republic of Na- community," Yang said. released from prison, as saying mibia. "The Chinese and Namibian that the stand of the African Na- In his message Li said: "On people have fostered a profound tional Congress (ANC) was not the occasion of the declaration friendship in their common to implement black rule but to of Namibia's independence and struggle in which they have ex- establish a just and fair society your assuming premiership of tended mutual support and sym- where all races enjoy equal polit- the Republic of Namibia, I pathy," he added. "I firmly ical and economic rights. would like, on behalf of the believe that the traditional Sino- South African President F.W. Chinese go,,ernment and people, Namibian friendship will be con- de Klerk has made efforts to- to offer warm congratulations to tinuously consolidated and enh- wards dialogue and negotiation the Namibian government and anced and that their ties of with the ANC, Kasanda said, but pgeople. I hereby officially inform friendly co-operation will bear he started late and has not esta- our Excellency that the govern- rich fruit on the basis of the Five blished sufficient reliable foun- ment of the People's Republic of Principles of Peaceful Coex- dations for negotiations because China has decided to recognize istence." apartheid and the state of emer- the Republic of Namibia. In its congratulatory message gency in South Africa still exist. "The Chinese government and to the Central Committee of the Many political prisoners are still people have always resolutely South West Africa People's Or- suffering behind prison walls, supported the Namibian people's ganization (SWAPO), the the ambassador added. just struggle and feel heartfelt Chinese Communist Party Kasanda called for sanctions rejoice at Namibia's great histo- praised the organization's efforts against Pretoria to continue un- ric victory in winning independ- and achievements in leading the til the situation in South Afri- ence." Namibian people in the struggle ca takes a favourable turn. He Li also expressed his convic- against South African colonial urged de Klerk to do more to tion that the Namibian govern- rule and establishing national in- build a climate for equal negotia- ment and people will "achieve dependence. tions between the ANC and the one victory after another" in up- The friendship and co- South African government. holding their national independ- operation between the two par- This, the ambassador said, ence and building a new Nami- ties and two countries have been means meeting the ANC's min- bia. forged during their struggle imum conditions -- lifting the Chinese President Yang against imperialism, colonialism state of emergency, releasing the Shangkun also sent a message to and racism, and will be further remaining political prisoners and Namibian President-elect Sam strengthened and smoothly de- the safe return of all exiles to

6 BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 EVENTS / TRENDS

Zambian Ambassador Peter Lesa Kasanda (leD) reports on the independence of Nambia and the situation in Southern Africa at a forum sponsored by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs. On the right is the institute's president, Han Nianlong. YANG L1MING

South Africa without fear of sovereignty and territorial in- sole legal government represent- being prosecuted for political tegrity, and the government of ing all the Chinese people and offences. the Republic of Namibia recog- that Taiwan is an inalienable A new South African govern- nizes the government of the Peo- part of the territory of the Peo- ment should be based on the will ple's Republic of China as the ple's Republic of China. • of all the people in the country, he added. On March 22, the govern- ments of the People's Republic~ Largest Coalfield Under Construction of China and the Republic of Namibia issued a joint commu- he first phase of construc- jects in the 1989 state plan. A nique in Windhoek, capital of tion.of China's largest coal- total of 4.1 billion yuan has been Namibia, declaring the establish- T mmmg project, the Jungar invested in the Jungar Coal ment of diplomatic relations at Coal Mine, is in full swing in the Mine. the ambassadorial level between southwest of the Inner Mongolia The project, designed by the two countries. Autonomous Region. Chinese engineers, involves an The communique said that the The largest coal project since open-cut coal mine at Heidai- People's Republic of China reso- the founding of the People's Re- gou, which has a designed an- lutely supports the government public of China, the construction nual production capacity of 12 of the Republic of Namibia in its of the Jungar Coal Mine was giv- million tons, and a nearby ther- just cause for the maintenance of en top priority out of 27 energy- mal power plant with a generat- the national independence, state related capital construction pro- ing capacity of 200,000 kilowatts.

BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 7 EVENTS / TRENDS

It also involves a 215-kilometre- long one-track electric railway, Shanghai Builds Its First Subway which will link with the Beijing-Baotou and the Datong- A subway is no longer an un- Construction began March 14 Qinhuangdao railways. The pro- fulfilled dream to Shang- on the No.1 Subway Line. Shi ject is expected to be completed hai residents or to the engi- Lian, chief of the Shanghai Sub- in three years. neers and technicians who have way Project Headquarters, said The mine area takes up more been dedicated to the under- the line will cover 14.57 kil- than 1,300 square kilometres ground railway programme for ometres from Xinlonghua at the with a verified total reserve of more than 30 years. With the southern end of the city to the 26.2 billion tons of high-grade agreement of the State Council, Shanghai Railway Station in the coal. The first stage of construc- the State Planning Commission north. Twelve stops will be built tion at Heidaigou covers 43 recently approved the construc- at intervals of 1.21 kilometres. square kilometres. tion of the metropolis' first sub- Except for the Xinlonghua Ter- Inner Mongolia boasts rich na- way line. minal, all the stations will be tural resources with a verified total coal deposit of 217 billion Workers disgin 8 the foundation for the No.1 Subway Line, the first stage of the tons. During the period of im- Shanghai Subway Project. Construction begins on March 14. YANG PUTAO proving the national economy and straightening out the econo- mic environment, the state has decided to invest a total of 30 billion yuan on'the development of energy resources and transpor- tation in the region for the next 10 years, beginning this year. The Huolinhe Coal Mine, the second of four major open-cut coal mines in the region, has an annual production capacity of 3 million tons, which is expected to increase to 10 million tons in four years. Expansion plans are in the works for the other two open-cut mines. The region's to- tal coal output is expected to reach 80 million tons by the turn of the century. Preparations for the construc- tion of the Dalatu thermal power plant, the largest of its kind in Asia, are also under way in the region, a local official an- nounced on March 7. The de- signed generating capacity of the plant is 5 million kilowatts. A number of medium-sized and small power stations with a combined generating capacity of 500,000 kilowatts are scheduled to go into operation in the area this year. By the end of last year, Inner Mongolia had an annual coal production capacity of 43 mil- lion tons and a power generat- ing capacity totalling 3.25 mil- lion kilowatts. •

8 BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 EVENTS / TRENDS built underground. during the period of the Eighth ficiency syndrome is a fatal in- The No.1 Subway Line is the Five-Year Plan (1991-1995) to fectious disease which attacks the first of seven planned for Shan- raise the speed of passenger body's immune system. ghai's underground network. trains first to 160 kilometres per Dai also told the session that Rough estimates put construction hour and later to more than 200 about 50 laboratories in 29 prov- costs of the No. 1 Subway Line at kilometres an hour, according to inces, municipalities and auton- 25.43 billion yuan (US$5.8 bil- Vice-Minister of Railways Tu omous regions in China have be- lion) and it's to be completed by Yourui. gun testing for the AIDS virus. the end of 1994. Because both passenger and These, together with two test- Shi said building began at the freight transport is in great de- result verifying labs in Beijing southern end and would work to- mand in China, it is essential and Shanghai, have formed a na- wards the northern end, and dur- to raise the speed of passenger tionwide AIDS monitoring and ing the five years of construction trains and to have separate lines reporting network. the line would be opened for ser- for passenger and freight trains, So far, a total of 191 AIDS vice section by section. The ma- Tu said. virus carriers and three patients jor goal for this year is the The vice-minister also revealed have been reported from Yun- section between the Xinlonghua that a feasibility study on raising nan, Henan, Zhejiang, Guang- Terminal and Xujiahui Station the speed of passenger trains on dong, Hubei, Hebei and Fujian in the south. the Beijing-Shanghai line to 140 provinces, Beijing and Shanghai Shanghai had researched the kilometres an hour had passed a municipalities, and the Guangxi feasibility of building the subway state examination in 1987. Zhuang Autonomous Region. network in the early 1990s. And Experts pointed out that high- It is essential for China to work the State Council approved the speed railway lines would first be out a middle-term plan to prev- proposal for Shanghai No. 1 Sub- built in the area of Beijing and ent and control AIDS, Dai said. way Line Project in 1986. It ap- Tianjin in East China, and from He singled out drug abuse and proved the feasibility report on Guangzhou to Shenzhen in South the re-emergence of venereal di- the entire project in February, China. • sease as the most devastating fac- 1988. tors in the spreading of AIDS in All the underground stations China. Venereal disease is grad- along the line are of a double- China Drafts Plan To Combat AIDS ually moving into the country- floored structure: the higher side from large and medium- floor is the station hall and the he Chinese government and sized cities. The incidence of lower one, the platform. The dia- venereal disease in some places meter of the tunnel will be 5.5 the World Health Organi- has reached 336 per i00 thou- metres. T zation are working out the sand. An AIDS virus carrier dis- The subway cars will be im- country's first national plan to covered in Beijing also had ported from abroad. prevent and control AIDS over The maximum speed of the the next three years. venereal disease. subway train will approach 80 The plan, to be completed dur- Sterilization of medical appar- kilometres an hour and it will ing a week-long session that be- atus and instruments in many take only 25 minutes to cover the gan February 28, includes long- hospitals and clinics is not as entire distance. Peak hour pas- and medium-term objectives, strict as it should be, leaving senger capacity going one way strategies, professional training, another dangerous loophole for will be 40,000 people. surveillance of the disease and AIDS infection, Dai said. Operation of the subway will research. He also pointed out that there be controlled by a computerized Nine experts from the World is a serious shortage of funds and system. Health Organization were invited equipment for work in AIDS by Dai Gang to Beijing to help draft the plan. prevention and control. Com- During the session Dai Zhi- pared with other countries, the cheng, director of epidemic prev- work to monitor AIDS effective- Nation to Build ention of the Public Health Min- ly in China is very short-staffed. High-Speed Railway istry, announced that a nation- "AIDS is already a global al AIDS committee headed by problem that defies national hina will start construction Public Health Vice-Minister He boundaries and ethnic groups," of its pilot high-speed rail- Jiesheng had been set up in the Dai said."Thus worldwide effort c way in 1991. latest bid to control the spread should be made to combat this Arrangements will be made of AIDS. Acquired immune de- deadly disease." •

BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 9 INTERNATIONAL

Tough Challenges for Aquino by Zhang Sheng

The abortive coup attempt in the Philippines on December 1 last year was the sixth in just over three years against President Corazon Aquino, and caused repercussions throughout the country. Aquino's government, on top of all its other troubles, must survive until the presidential election in 1992.

orazon Aquino has made forces is widening. After the last They persist in establishing some political and econo- coup attempt, the influence of a military government or a C mic achievements since the "Reform the Armed Forces civilian-military committee with she came to power in 1986. In Movement" (RAM) has in- the military as its main body. politics, she has carried out suc- creased among lower- and Though Vice-president Salvador cessful reform and, to some ex- middle-ranking officers. In order Laurel and former defence min- tent, made government officials to oppose Aquino and National ister Juan Ponce Enrile have behave within the law. People no Defence Minister General Fidel denied their links with the coup longer feel a sense of insecurity, Ramos, a radical group of young attempt, they support the coup indicative of the reign of Ferdi- officers has joined forces with officers' demand that Aquino re- nand Marcos. During her first officers loyal to Marcos to whom sign. This has created a greater year as. president, Aquino turned they were previously hostile. split in the army. the country's negative economic Thus, two opposing groups have Strong provincial leaders have growth rate around, and has in- been formed from several fac- taken advantage of the difficul- creased it year by year. Last tions in the army -- the anti- ties facing the Aquino govern- year, foreign investment poured government force with the "re- ment to seek their independence. into the Philippines. Foreign formist" young officers at its Some governors rejected central debt pressure was somewhat re- heart and the group headed by government orders to be trans- duced after the signing in July of Ramos that wants to maintain ferred. For example, Rodolfo an aid agreement by the Unit- the civilian Aquino government. Aquinalso, governor of Cagayan, ed States, Japan and some oth- Although the coup was put was suspended from his post for er countries. Since August 198~/, down, hostilities between the two openly supporting the December tourism has flourished under a groups are intensifying. The gov- coup attempt. But, with the help secure and stable social order. ernment has realized that pre- of his private armed forces, he Earlier, Aquino expressed her in- vious displays of leniency to- refused to leave his office until tention of making the Phi- wards the rebels have proved the government airlifted anti- lippines a newly-industrialized useless and has demanded the riot troops from Manila. The is- country following Thailand. leader of the coup attempt be sue has not been completely re- But the coup attempt in De- severely punished. It has in- solved. He continues to wait it cember has left the Philippines creased the reward to 5 million out in a hotel about 50 metres in a serious and turbulent si- pesos (US$222,000) from 1 mil- from his office. tuation. Aquino's leadership has lion pesos for the capture of fug- The separatists in some remote also been weakened consider- itive Colonel Gregorio Honasan. provinces have taken a stronger ably. And symptoms unfavour- Officers who took part in the attitude towards the central gov- able to national unity and soli- coup attempt have claimed they ernment and have disagreed With darity have appeared. will launch another to bring Aquino's limited autonomy plan. The rift within the armed down the Aquino government. Some local authorities have even

10 BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 INTERNATIONAL demanded a confederation and States hopes to extend the lease, internal and external, to call want to control their own taxa- while the Philippines wants to presidential elections before tion and finance. If the trend raise rents, wants more economic I992. She has stated that she towards local independence assistance from the United States would stay in power until her spreads further, the solidarity and is seeking a new term of term expires in May 1992. After and unity of the multi-ethnic usage. that she will not seek re-election ¢~ountry with more than 7,000 is- The talks on the future of as president. lands will be threatened. the US military bases, original- Political leaders of various The coup attempt severely ly scheduled for December, were Philippine factions, including hurt the Philippine economy. Se- postponed until March or April noted figures from the Marcos cretary of Finance Vicente because of the coup attempt. era, have been vying for the pres- Jayme estimated the coup at- There is little time left and both idency. The secret return from tempt directly caused the econo- sides hold different positions. abroad of her estranged cousin mic growth rate to slow to 5 per- The current situation is unfa- and Marcos' crony, Eduardo Co- cent in 1989. The inflation rate vourable to the Aquino govern- juangco, and the second coup at- reached 13 percent. The coup at- ment. On the one hand, the left tempt led by "reformist" Hona- tempt caused unprecedented de- and right, out of different mo- san were, in a sense, a prelude to valuation of the peso to the US tives, have criticized the pres- forcing her to step down before dollar. Foreign firms have hesi- ident for asking military help her term expires. Right-wing pol- tated to implement their invest- from the United States in De- iticians and young army officers ment programmes, and some cember. They charged that Aqui- were united in attacking Aquino plan to transfer their funds to no had humiliated the nation for her weakness, nepotism and other Southeast Asian countries. and forfeited its sovereignty. tolerance of corruption at offi- Tourism income was also sharply On the other hand, she is un- cial levels. They demanded she reduced. der pressure from the United resign immediately and hold the An official with the national States and at home for. demand- elections. The United States also data co-ordinating agency said ing an increase in rents and eco- reportedly demanded early elec- that although the coup was frus- nomic aid. In adopting this year's tions and threw accusations at trated, its influence on the econ- US$360 million economic assist- the Aquino government that omy will become more apparent ance to the Philippines, the US were identical to those of the op- in the first few months of this Congress cut US$96 million. position, a situation almost the year. He predicted that this This violated the agreement same as that before the toppling year's economic growth rate signed in 1988 by then US Secre- of Marcos. would slow down even further. tary of State George Shultz and The relationship between the Western countries also have Raul Manglapus, Philippine se- government and the armed no confidence in the multilateral cretary of foreign affairs. High- forces remains a headache. After aid programme towards the Phi- ranking officials of both sides the fifth coup attempt in August lippines because of the turbul- have exchanged fiery words over 1987, Aquino made major con- ence. The United States abs- this recently. cessions to meet some of the de- tained for a second time from In February, Aquino took an mands of the military with the voting in favour of the Philip- unprecedented attitude by refus- view of improving relations. For pines' appeal for a loan from the ing to meet visiting US Secretary example, she agreed to be tough World Bank. The latest coup at- of Defence Richard Cheney. Be- on the New People's Army under tempt has hurt the economy of fore the visit, Cheney had stat- the Philippine Communist Par- the Philippines more seriously ed that the United States would ty and withdrew charges made than the previous five. abandon its bases in the Philip- against some soldiers who violat- The Aquino government is in pines if the bases failed to benefit ed public interests. At the same an unfavourable position in talks both sides. time, with the assistance of Ra- with the United States on the Under the present circumst- mos, she removed some high- future of US military bases on ances it would be difficult for ranking officers and promoted Philippine territory. The lease Aquino to reach a new agree- others. concerning the US military bases ment to extend the lease that These measures, however, will expire in September 1991. would satisfy both sides. failed to improve fundamentally Both sides earlier agreed that one The Aquino government faces relations with the armed forces. side should inform the other a several pressing issues. First, it is The personnel changes streng- year in advance over whether still a question whether Aquino thened the government's control to extend the lease. The United can withstand the pressure, both over the military, but at the same

BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 11 INTERNATIONAL

Mauritius in Rapid Economic Development

by Yang Guilan

hile most African mic development. zones are the main reasons countries face gloomy Mauritius has no indigen- behind Mauritius' economic w economic situations, ous inhabitants. All ancestors prosperity. the economy of Mauritius were immigrants from Africa, Although Mauritius is keeps growing. The country's Asia and Europe. Of Mauri- 2,200 kilometres away from national income per capita tius' current population, 68.4 the African continent, it is of has increased for several years percent are of Indian and Pak- strategic importance because running. In 1986, it was istani descent, 27 percent are a of its location as a sea route as US$1,200. It grew to mixture of European and Af- well as a key air link be- US$1,490 in 1987, and has rican, 2.9 percent are of tween Europe, Asia, Africa now climbed to US$2,000, an Chinese descent, and 1.7 per- and Oceania. It has 12 in- amount much higher than the cent are French descendants. ternational airways flying all average national per capita in- In this particular society, all over the world. Port Louis, the come of the entire African ethnic groups co-exist peace- country's capital, holds an im~ continent. As a bright econo- fully, different cultures res- portant position in ocean tran- mic star in the Indian Ocean, pect each other, and there is sportation. Such advanced sea Mauritius ~ow ranks as a no discrimination against for- and air transportation has middle-income nation. eign investors and labourers. provided necessary conditions Several factors have contri- This has contributed signifi- for Mauritius to develop its buted to Mauritius' rapid eco- cantly to Mauritius' rapid eco- duty-free zones that have been nomic growth. nomic growth. set up for export-oriented pro- First, a stable society and Second, the policy of open- cessing industries. stable political situation has ing to the outside world, ef- Moreover, products from created a favourable environ- forts to attract foreign invest- Mauritius are allowed to enter ment for the country's econo- ments and establish duty-free the European Economic Com-

time intensified the infighting ing the political stability in closer. The United States, al- among the military's various the country. though renouncing its coloni- factions. Relations with the Unit- al rule over the Philippines, The "Reform the Armed ed States constitute another shows an overly enthusiastic Forces Movement" has a pow- problem. Having been ruled concern for the internal af- erful influence over middle- for a long time by the United fairs of the Philippines. While and lower-ranking officers, of States, the Philippines has not dealing with the legitimate which the high-ranking offi- yet eradicated colonial ves- government in Manila, Wash- cers are often not aware. tiges in its relations with the ington keeps multi-channel In general, the Aquino gov- United States even after its links with the armed forces ernment does not enjoy consti- independence in 1946. The and the opposition. Some US tutional respect from the mil- United States keeps military activities in fact constitute in- itary and therefore cannot bases in the Philippines. Econ- terference in the Philippines' command the armed forces. omically, the links between internal affairs and are likely This is a major factor affect- the two countries are even to provoke anti-US sentiments

12 BEIJ1NG REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 INTERNATIONAL

munity freely. Labour is The soil is volcanic lava, thus Each year, groups of travell- cheap and most workers can unfavourable for planting. ers from all over the world understand both English and However, Mauritius has man- spend their holidays in Maur- French. In Mauritius, prefer- aged to develop nearly itius. ential treatment is given 100,000 hectares of sugarcane. The Mauritius government to foreign investments, and This is more than 92 percent lost no time in developing its export-oriented processing en- of the country's total cul- tourism. In 1970, the country terprises are allowed to be ex- tivated land. One-third of the had only 16 tourist hotels that empt from duty for 10 to 20 country's labourers are en- received 27,000 visitors. In years. Since 1971, business- gaged in sugarcane planting. 1986, there were 48 tourist ho- men and entrepreneurs have With 19 large and more than tels catering to 135,000 guests. come thick and fast from all 30,000 small sugarcane fields, In 1988, the number of trav- over the world to Mauritius to as well as 19 modern sugar ellers reached 245,000, giv- invest and build factories. The refineries, Mauritius is able to ing Mauritius an income of number of export-oriented produce 650,000 tons of sugar 2.3736 billion Rupees (in processing enterprises has now annually, most of which is ex- 1987, one US dollar was equal risen to 900 from nine in ported. Mauritius' sugar ex- to 12.61 Rupees), an amount port per capita ranks second 1971, and the number of accounting for 15 percent in the world, only behind Cu- workers has now increased to of Mauritius' gross national more than 80,000 from 644 in ba's. product. Tourism has become the beginning. The export val- The Mauritius government the third biggest source of ue of the export-oriented pro- has also made efforts to prom- Mauritius' foreign exchange cessing zones was 40 percent ote the production of tobacco, and 13.6 percent respectively tea, cotton, coffee, cocoa, ve- revenues. The export-oriented of the country's foreign sales getables and grain. processing industry, sugar in- and gross national product, Coral reefs surrounding dustry and tourism are the exceeding that of the tradi- Mauritius keep sharks dozens three economic pillars of tional sugar industry. Sugar's of miles away from the coast. Mauritius. export value was 37 percent Therefore, the snow white and With an annuai economic and 13 percent respectively of clean beaches along the coast growth of 7 percent, Mauri- foreign sales and gross nation- can claim to be the world's tius also has some economic al product. safest for swimming. Its pleas- troubles. The government is Third, Mauritius is also de- ant weather, picturesque land- exploring ways to overcome a voted to diversifying its econ- scapes, convenient transporta- labour shortage problem, ris- omy. tion and hospitable residents ing prices for petroleum prod- Mauritius is a small country have won Mauritius the repu- ucts, loss of control on prices and poor in natural resources. tation of a "holiday paradise." and a soaring inflation rate. •

there. In dealing with Wash- Big plantation owners, who to resolve the problem. The ington, the Aquino govern- constitute only 1 percent of farmers receive little edu- ment must resolve smoothly the population, own 11 per- cation and do not know a the military bases and econo- cent of the country's land. The thing about family planning, mic issues without letting it majority of landless farmers, and Aquino, a devoUt Chris- intervene in the internal af- therefore, are reduced to ex- tian, does not pursue a birth fairs of the Philippines. This treme poverty. Another is the control policy, making the is significant for maintaining employment problem. The employment issue more acute. domestic stability. high birth rate -- reaching 3 Failure to conduct land re- How the economy will do is percent -- worsens the situa- form and enforce a family another factor. There are two tion. It is estimated that the planning policy will make it inherent obstacles in the Phi- current population of 60 mil- difficult to eliminate poverty lippine economy that are dif- lion will double in the next and stabilize the situation ficult to surmount. One is the 25 years. The country must even if a drastic rise in econo- over-concentration of land. create 800,000 jobs annually mic growth is achieved. •

BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 13 CHINA

MEETING THE PRESS: NPC Spokesman, Minister of Agriculture Talk About Current Issues

n March 19, Yao Guang, spokesman of the Third o Session of the Seventh Na- tional People's Congress (NPC), answered questions put to him by Chinese and foreign journal- ists at the session's first press conference. Central Military Commission Shake-up. In answer to a ques- tion concerning a change in the chairmanship of the Central Mil- itary Commission of the People's Republic of China, Yao said some personnel changes will take place at the current NPC session Yao Guan 8. He Kan 8. when it examines and discusses Deng Xiaoping's request to re- tional, Scientific, Cultural and infringed upon the rights of oth- .sign from his post as chairman Public Health Commission of the ers. For instance, during the tur- of the Central Military Commis- NPC, Yao said that, according to moil, Hu masterminded and re- sion of the People's Republic of the Constitution of the People's vised a "letter to the people of China and elects a new chairman Republic of China,. the Organic the whole nation" issued by an of the commission. Other mem- Law of the NPC and the Elector- illegal student organization at bers of the commission will be al Law, the deputies to the NPC Tiananmen Square. According determined on the basis of nom- are elected by the people's con- to the Organic Law of the NPC, inations made by the new chair- gresses of provinces, autonom- Hu did have the right to make man. ous regions and municipalities proposals to the NPC Standing Yao told the reporters that the directly under the central gov- Committee, including the hold- presidium of the session at its ernment and are subject to the ing of an emergency NPC Stand- meeting on the morning of supervision of their constituen- ing Committee meeting. But, as March 19 had accepted Deng's cies, which have the right to an initiator of the proposal, Hu request and would submit the dismiss the NPC deputies they signed the names of other NPC motion to the session for deliber- elected. After the people's con- Standing Committee members ation. The choice of a new chair- gress of Sichuan Province re- on the proposal without their man of the Central Military voked, through legal procedures, consent. This was an infringe- Commission will be made after Hu's membership in the Seventh ment of their rights and thus il- nomination by the presidium of NPC, he was subsequently dis- legal. the session and discussion and missed from his posts as a NPC Routine Military Exercise. A election by all deputies. Standing Committee member Taiwan reporter asked Yao to The Dismissal of Hu Jiwei. In and vice-chairman of the Educa- comment on the changes in Tai- response to a question as to why tional, Scientific, Cultural and wan's current situation and Tai- Hu Jiwei, the former editor-in- Public Health Commission of the wan's public concern about mil- chief of Renmin Ribao (People's NPC. itary activities along Fujian Daily), was dismissed from the Yao added that Hu made the Province's coast. NPC and the NPC Standing mistake of supporting and par- Yao said the People's Libera- Committee member and his post ticipating in last year's turmoil tion Army units stationed in Fu- as vice-chairman of the Educa- and engaged in activities which jian recently conducted routine

14 BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 the press conference held by He Kang Photos by CHEN ZONGLIE military exercises. This was nor- areas, surplus labour force Second, the minister contin- mal activity and there was no- makes up one third of the total ued, farmland should not be re- thing unusual about it. labour force. Therefore, develop- duced. Farmland has been At a press conference given by ing the township enterprises, car- shrinking at an annual rate of NPC Spokesman Yao Guang on rying out agricultural develop- 200,000 hectares. In the future, March 22, Minister of Agricul- ment projects, and engaging in the country will have to reclaim ture He Kang answered ques- intensive cultivation constitute a one mu of new farmland to make tions related to China's rural de- long-term .task. up for every mu being used for velopment. Asked whether he was confi- purposes other than farming. Surplus Rural Labour Force. dent that the per-capita share of "We now have some 200 million When asked about what arrange- grain in China will gradually in- mu of wasteland that can be re- ment has been made for farmer- crease given the fact that China's claimed and we should try to workers who will return to farm- population continues to grow Open up 10 million mu every ing because of the shutdown of and farmland continues to de- year," he said, "and in addition, some township enterprises, He crease annually, the minister of we plan to transform 30 million cited a number of figures to agriculture answered in the posi- mu of low- and medium-yield make his points. According to tive, but added that he was not farmland every year, 300 million him, in 1988, township enterpris- blindly optimistic, because rais- mu over a period of ten years. es in China employed some 95.5 ing the per-capita share of grain China has now established a million workers. The number involves arduous work. comprehensive agricultural de- has since dropped to 92 million, First of all, the population velopment fund. If these pro- which means 3.5 million of them growth must be reduced, he said. grammes can be realized, the have returned to agriculture. The birth of each child requires increased grain output will re- Rural industrial workers are an additional 400 kg of grain. present 60 percent of the planned both workers and farmers, with Assuming that the Chinese popu- annual increase in grain output." many contracting to till some lation can be kept at the level of Third, China should increase land at home. About 30 percent 1.25 billion before the year 2000 input in agriculture and streng- of those who returned to the and that 400 kg of grain per per- then capital construction, the agricultural field now engage in son have to be produced, then minister said. In regard to the farming; 50 percent are involved China needs to have a 2.5 percent construction of water conservan- in agricultural development or- annual increase in grain produc- cy projects, the acreage of irri- ganized by local governments, tion, which is currently at 400 gated areas should be expanded such as building water conser- million tons annually. Last year, from the present 700 million mu vancy projects, planting trees China's grain production in- to 800 million mu and the and building roads; and 20 per- creased by 3.4 percent and it amount of chemical fertilizers to cent work for service and com- would be good to keep a 3 per- be applied should increase 30 mercial trades in the rural areas. cent annual growth, He added. million tons from the present- Of China's 500 million able- In the past 40 years, China's day 100 million tons to 130 mil- bodied farmers, 400 million are grain production increased by lion tons by 2000. He said that in the rural areas, with the per- about 2.5 percent a year on the generally speaking, the applica- farmer share of farmland averag- average. "Judging by this, I think tion of every ton of chemical fer- ing less than four mu (15 mu it is possible to attain our goal," tilizers can increase grain output equal 1 hectare). In the rural he said. by two to three tons, and 30 mil-

BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 15 CHINA i i lion tons of chemical fertilizers ing to the contract. agricultural machinery stations can increase grain output by 60 "At present, it is necessary to should be used to reduce farm- million to 90 million tons. "If strengthen the double-level sys- ers' social burden and to assist this can be realized and if adv- tem of unified and scattered agricultural production," he said. anced technology and improved management. Whatever can be Mainland-Taiwan Exchanges. In grain strains are applied, it is done by individual households reply to a question posed by a possible to increase our grain should be left to the care of the Taiwan United Evening Ndws output by 100 million tons by households. Hence the scattered correspondent, He Kang said 2000," the minister concluded. management. Whatever cannot that agro-technical exchanges be- The Collective Sector of the Econ- be done by individual house- tween the mainland and Taiwan omy. By quoting Premier Li Peng holds, such as the construction of began some three years ago. The as saying that it was necessary to water conservancy projects, the first meeting was in Hong Kong establish a socialized service sys- introduction of large farming when the two sides each sent ten tem and a double-level manage- machines and "the large-scale experts and professors. The se- ment system on a proper scale, a campaign against pests and plant cond meeting was in Shenzhen Hong Kong reporter asked if this diseases, should be done by the while the third will take place in meant that the government plans collective which provides social- Nanjing in June this year. Dur- to expand the collective sector in ized services for farmer house- ing this period, Taiwan's techni- the national economy. holds," He Kang said. This He Kang began his answer by double-level management system cians and experts will be taken pointing out that the household- serves to raise the efficiency of on an inspection tour of Hainan based contract responsibility sys- household management by offer- Island with the help 0f the Asso- tem linking output with remu- ing services rather than adminis- ciation of Agro-Technology Ex- neration is in itself a form of the trative orders, he continued, and changes. collective economy. According the policy which allows farmers Last year, He Kang said, the to him, the farmland contracted to own whatever they grow on mainland began co-operative ex- out to households still remains the farmland they contract re- changes with concerned Taiwan under the collective ownership, mains unchanged. departments on the latest prod- and the household has only the He said that the collective- uction technology for improyed right of use but not the right to owned enterprises at the level of strains of grain. There are good sell it. The household which tills township should serve farmers prospects for continuing agro- the contracted farmland has to better. "The profits made from technical exchanges between the fulfill certain obligations accord- the township-run enterprises and mainland and Taiwan. •

NPC: The Voice of the People

by Our Staff Reporter Wu Naitao

t the press conference held Seventh NPC include Communist take into account social, nationa4 on March 15, Yao Guang, Party and state leaders, represen- and other special interests when A spokesman of the Third Ses- tatives from all democratic par- formulating state laws and decid- sion of the Seventh National Peo- ties and non-party patriotic per- ing major issues. ple's Congress (NPC), was repeat- sonages, as well as ordinary work- edly asked by reporters whether ers, farmers, military personnel, Broad Representation China's NPC was democratic. The cadres and intellectuals. Of these questioning betrayed a lack of un- participants, workers make up 12.4 Chen Lunfen, a mod.el worker derstanding of socialist democracy percent; farmers, 10.6 percent; and of the Beijing No. 3 Radio Equip- embodied in the system of the peo- intellectuals, 23.5 percent. Each of ment Factory and deputy to the ple's congress. In order to present China's 55 minority nationalities Fifth, Sixth and Seventh NPC, some insight into the system, this also has its own representatives. said, "Acting as a deputy to the reporter interviewed some depu- This composition enables the NPC NPC is not just a title or an offi- ties to the current NPC session. to both reflect the common in- cial post because the deputies' res- The nearly 3,000 deputies to the terests of the masses of people and ponsibility is to reflect the will of

16 BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 CHINA ' i the people. The public sets a high tle importance to agriculture, a they keep close ties with the public demand on an NPC deputy's abil- neglect which brought a lot of and thus are aware of public Sen- ity to participate in and discuss farmer complaints. Agriculture is timent, trends and needs. They state affairs and so deputies must the foundation of the national firmly perform their duties as re- be quite familiar with affairs of economy and 1.1 billion Chinese quired by the Constitution and the state. They. need to be fre- people cannot subsist on import- fully reflect the people's will at the quently engaged with people at the ed grain." At the NPC Standing NPC sessions. grass roots in order to understand Committee meetings and NPC ses- social situations. Only in this way sions, Shi repeatedly suggested in- Effective Suggestions can they "shoot the arrow at the creasing support for agriculture target" and highlight problems to reduce the burden on farmers, Proposals, suggestions, criti- they've discovered in speeches and ideas which were forwarded to the cisms and opinions raised by depu- motions which they put forward at Ministry of Agriculture. Minister ties to the NPC are an important the NPC. In a notebook, Chen re- of Agriculture He Kang held a exercise of their rights to manage cords all the opinions and requests number of meetings with Shi and state affairs according to law. The of her constituents, including cri- farmer representatives from var- subsequent conscientious handling ticisms of ineffective implementa- ious parts of the country to find of these proposals and suggestions tion of the Law on Economic Con- out the situation. In the end, he by the state organs is an important tract and suggestions on how to agreed and said that their sugges- channel by which the deputies ex- improve the sluggish market. At a tions should be accepted. In his ercise their functions and powers, previous NPC session, Chen, act- report to the Current NPC session attentiveness to the opinions of the ing on the suggestions of many on implementation of the 1989 masses and the improvement of electronic workers and basing her- state budget, Minister of Finance their work is respected. According self on the fact that China's Wang Binqian noted, "In 1989, to Peng Chong, vice-chairman backward electronic industry has assistance for agriculture came to and secretary-general of the NPC further slumped because of for- 19.907 billion yuan, an increase of Standing Committee, many laws eign imports, suggested Strict con- 4.033 billion yuan, or 25.4 per- promulgated in recent years bythe trol over the amount of imports cent, over the previous year." In NPC and its Standing Committee and an increase in the amount of his government work report, Pre- and the State Council have been investment in the electronics in- mier Li Peng also stressed in- formulated in accordance with the dustry. Her recommendations re- creased support for agriculture. deputies' proposals. ceived a positive reaction from the "This year, the government plans During the Second Session of State Planning Commission and to increase agricultural assistance. the Seventh NPC, deputies put were later accepted. In the past Out of the total capital construc- forward 411 proposals and 3,778 decade since she first became a tion investment at the disposal of suggestions to the congress. After deputy to the NPC, Chen has the central authorities, agricultur- the conclusion of the congress, the made more than 100 proposals at al investment is to receive a 30 general office of the NPC Stand- the NPC. She was elected a depu- percent increase over last year's, ing Committee submitted these ty to the NPC three consecutive the largest of the past decade. proposals and suggestions to the times because she listened earnest- Governments at all levels, on their related departments for study. ly to and reflected the masses' part, should do their utmost to This reporter learnt at the current voice, doing her best to help re- invest more in agriculture." Shi, session that by February 5 this solve their problems. quite satisfied with the two re- year, the various departments had Shi Laihe, a member of the ports, said, "Some concrete sugges- already handled all the proposals NPC Standing Committee, is a tions I made in the past, such as and suggestions and had replied to farmer from Liuzhuang Village, raising the purchasing price of cot- the deputies. Xinxiang County, Henan Prov- ton by an adequate amount and Right after the opening of the ince. Apart from attending the an- improving the methods of cotton current session, Wang Gong, a nual NPC session and the regular supply, have been adopted to var- 61-year-old lawyer, submitted 40 meetings of the NPC Standing ying degrees. At this session, I proposals, criticisms and opinions Committee, he regularly examines plan to make some suggestions re- to the secretariat of the session. work reports from various govern- garding the establishment of a so- Wang, a deputy from Bangbu, An- ment departments, the Supreme cial service system for agricul- hui Province, is one of the few People's Court and the Supreme ture." professional lawyers among the Procuratorate. He is often outspo- The deputies to the NPC are 3,000 deputies at this session. "The ken regarding agricultural poli- elected by the people, responsible suggestions, criticisms and oPi- cies at NPC Standing Committee to the people and supervised by nions on the economy, legal sys- meetings. "A few years ago," he the people. With a strong sense of tem and democratic construction said, "the government attached lit- responsibility and commitment, raised by the deputies to the

BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 ' 17 CHINA

NPC," he said, "have received in Jiangxi Province, proposed that great attention from the related computers be used to count the departments and have played an voting result as quickly as possi- inestimable role in promoting our ble. She did not realize that at the practical work." At the First and preparatory meeting to elect the Second Sessions of the Seventh members of the presidium for the NPC, Wang's suggestions on the current session, the computerized enactment of laws on lawyers, con- voting machine had already been trolling the hazard of tobacco, su- put into use. Such modern equip- pervising the NPC, the private ment is only used in a few parlia- business law and other matters mentary halls worldwide. In the have been adopted. Some of the past, China's NPC has used the laws have already been formulat- practice of vote by a show of ed and others are under discus- hands or a vote by paper ballot, sion. In addition, more than 70 both of which have their draw- suggestions, criticisms and opi- backs. The paper ballot is too nions put forward by him at the Mayor Hu Zhanshan of linzhou, Liaon- time-consuming to count, while two sessions have received respon- ing Province. the show of hands lacks statistical ses. He said he was "very satisfied" accuracy. It also requires a great with most of the results. Wang of 1989, except for the price rises deal of courage to raise one's also submitted a proposal for a law having the special approval of the hands to vote against someone on conferring of orders and a law State Council, no official price ad- publicly. Therefore, at the last on administrative legislation to justment measures would be taken NPC session, some deputies put the current session. He is confi- by the governments at any level; forward a suggestion that the vot- dent that the two legal proposals in the second half of 1989, prices ing machine be used. At the cur- will once again be brought to the were also to be strictly controlled. rent session, 3,300 computerized attention of the related depart- Hu Zhanshan was satisfied with voting machines were installed at ments. As a responsible deputy of the answers and the measures for the platform seats and at the seats the people, he has also thrown his of the deputies in the Great Hall their implementation. energy into perfecting the NPC of the People. The use of voting Hu is mayor of Jinzhou in system. To this end, he intends to machines for the first time at' the Liaoning Province, a medium- put forward suggestions that the people's congress has not only sized city with a population of 2.9 committee supervising the powers greatly raised efficiency but is also million. In 1988, Jinzhou esta- of the NPC and a system of some a convenient means for the depu- blished a "price regulatory fund" full-time deputies be established. ties to fully express their opinions which had played a certain role in At the Second NPC Session of and exercise their powers. stabilizing local prices. At the Se- iast year, Hu Zhanshan, a deputy Not all the deputies, however, from Liaoning Province, and some cond Session of the Seventh NPC, are satisfied. Deputy Wang Shuyu deputies from other places raised Hu Zhanshan gave an account of from Henan Province said that an- suggestions that the government the situation and suggested swers to his motions from one de- enact measures for stabilizing that the measure be introduced partment was over-simplistic and prices. Hu Zhanshan especially throughout the country. The State that no answer was forthcoming to mentioned the fact that because Price Bureau wrote a letter not- problems he listed and the mea- prices went up considerably in the ing that the suggestion was feasi- sures for their solution which he fourth quarter of 1988, no new ble and would be tried out in some had made. He said that the various price mark-ups should be taken by cities. Hu Zhanshan believes that departments were serious about governments at any level in the the ways in which proposals and the motions submitted by the de- first half of 1989. The State Price suggestions raised by the deputies puties, but that they were slow to Bureau's reply said that the State are dealt with are better now than respond and their work efficiency Council had decided that price at the First Session of the Seventh was very low. The situation caused control was regarded by the State NPC. All proposals and sugges- him and fellow deputies to feel Council as an important part in tions and the responses of the re- somewhat anxious. assessing the achievements of the lated departments are printed and The deputies discussed the dif- people's governments at all levels. distributed to all deputies. It is ferent issues, which, raised out The system of overall leadership thus known to all whether prob- of different considerations, were by leading administrative cadres lems of common concern to the brought to the session. No matter would be implemented and the public receive a clear response. what they did, however, their com- specific measures for implementa- Huang Maoheng, vice-president mon intent was to report on the tion formulated. In the first half of the Nanchang Aviation College real opinions of ordinary people,

18 BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 CHINA take an active part in the discus- sion of government affairs and speed up the operation of the de- mocratic machine already set in motion.

Socialist Democracy If China's democratic construc- tion is likened to the construction of "a large building," should it be built according to China's own blueprint or foreign blueprint? This has always been a controver- sial question. Deputy Lin Jinming Li Jianbai, member of the Standing from Hubei Province believes that Professor IAn Jinmin8 of the Hubei the genuine difference lies in the Committee of the National People's Central China Science and Ensineerin 8 Consress from Heilonsjian 8 Province. mode of democracy and the way University. Photos By CHEN ZONGLIE democracy will be built, and is not a choice between democracy pared it with what election is like letters from the masses, and re- or dictatorship. Therefore, Deputy in China. Some people, he said, ceiving people who have com- Lin added, "When we discuss de- were very anxious to copy the mo- plaints about government work, In mocracy, we should see not only del of democracy prevalent in the the last few years, the NPC and the form of democracy but re- United States in the 1980s. They its Standing Committee hdopted member the essence of the state clearly forgot that the devel- member and deputy licencirig sys- represented by a given democrat- opment of democracy is inevitably tems by which deputies and com- ic system". This deputy, who is restricted by a country's economic a standing committee member of mittee members are encouraged and cultural conditions. It is. easy to examine and supervise various the Central Committee of the for people to understand that an China Democratic League, also fields of work. In the meantime, economy must be developed step said that if we did not take the the people's congress at various by step, but they are apt to for- current democratic systems of the levels and their standing com- get that the edifice of 'democra- West, such as the multi-party sys- mittees often organize inspection cy' must be built floor by floor. tem, the separation of legislative, groups to thoroughly investigate All of the deputies have a com- executive and judicial powers, and major issues and the enforcement mon understanding of the import- parliamentary politics, as the only of laws. In doing so, they have ance of further perfecting the form of democracy and the only made many constructive propos- NPC system. Following the NPC's standard for measuring the degree als. Li Jianbai from Heilongjiang promulgation of the Organic Law of democracy, but also took into Province joined a group organized and the Rules Governing Discus- account whether there is an exploi- by the NPC Standing Committee sion of State Affairs, many depu- tative class and whether a handful to inspect how the Forest Law was ties proposed the establishment of of people are using their privilege implemented in six provinces arid- laws pertaining to the democratic brought about by their wealth to autonomous regions. Li Jianbai control political power, then we procedures of the National Peo- ple's Congress and advanced many said that although the NPC Stand- would have every right to say that ing Committee had made great ef- socialist democracy has had a cer- proposals for the establishment of various special committees, such forts, there was still much to be tain degree of development in desired in regard to the supervi- China. The Chinese people al- as the NPC Supervision Law and sion work. He is fully convinced ready have had an organ--the Na- the NPC Supervision Committee. that with the formulation and pro- tional People's Congress--through During the session, NPC Stand- mulgation of the NPC Supervision which they can exercise democrat- ing Committee Member Li Jianbai ic politics. acquainted this reporter with var- Law and with the gradual perfec- Deputy Lin Jinming studied ious measures which the NPC tion of the supervisory system, the and worked abroad and is now a Standing Committee adopted to people's congress will be further professor of the Huazhong College strengthen supervision over gov- strengthened and perfected and of Science and Engineering's Elec- ernment and judiciary organs, in- the construction of socialist de- tric Power Department. He talked cluding listening to and reviewing mocracy with distinctive Chinese about the 'election campaign he reports by departments concerned characteristics will enter a new witnessed in the West, and com- on a regular basis, dealing with stage. •

BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 19 CHINA

Main Goals of Economic Rectification Programme

by Our Staff Reporter Li Rongxia

The article attempts to answer in detail these questions: What are the specific goals of the ongoing campaign to improve the economic environment and straighten out the economic order? Why were these goals chosen? Why are three years required for their attainment? What are the other issues that may affect their success?reEd.

S a result of China's consis- However, China's economic dicate that in 1985, 1986 and tent effort at reform and problems, built up over many 1987, the nation's general index A opening from 1978 to 1988, years, cannot be resolved in the of the rise in retail prices was 8.8 the couiatry registered sustained short term. Because of this, the percent, 6 percent, and 7.3 per- development in the national Fifth Plenary Session of the 13th cent respectively, but Climbed to economy, a substantial increase Party Central Committee held in 18.5 percent in 1988. Factors con- in its national strength, and November 1989 decided to furth- tributing to inflation were an ov- marked improvement in the er improve the economic situa- erheated economy and total de= standard of living of both urban tion and deepen the reforms. mand outstripping total Supply, and rural residents. Profound At the session, clear goals and as well as the unbalanced econo- changes have taken place in the schedules were set for econo- mic structure, state expenditures nation. There exist, however, mic readjustment. The decision surpassing revenues, excessive many problems and difficulties pointed out emphatically that scale of credit and an over- in the economy. These are clear- continued implementation of issuance of banknotes. Compre- ly manifest in the worsening in- such policy was the fundamental hensive rectification is a solution flation, the unbalanced supply method to overcome present eco- to this problem. Just as the rise and demand, the irrational eco- nomic difficulties and bring in prices builds gradually, so the nomic structure and a chaotic about a sustained, steady and co- elimination of price hikes re- economic order. To address these ordinated development of the na- quires a gradual slowdown. The problems, the Third Plenary Ses- tional economy. momentum of price rises was sion of the 13th CPC Central curtailed in 1989. The country's Committee in September 1988 Six Goals retail price index in February put forward the policy of im- 1989 rose by 27.9 percent com- proving the economic environ- Considering that the many pared with the same period of ment and rectifying the eco- economic problems cannot be 1988; this was followed by a grad- nomic order and deepening quickly solved, the Fifth Session, ual decline by month and in De- the reforms. After more than a after repeated discussion and so- cember it rose only 6.4 percen- year~ effort, China has achieved licitation of opinions from peo- tage points over the same period initial success in this regard. The ple of all walks of life, set six of 1988. The annual retail price excessive rate of industrial devel- goals for the economic rectifica- index rise was 6.4 percentage opment has come down, agricul- tion programme. points, noticeably lower than the tural harvests have been good, 1. Gradually reducing the rate previous year's level of 15.9 per- investment in fixed assets has of inflation, particularly the rate centage points. Great efforts are been curtailed somewhat, the of the country's retail price hikes required to reduce the rate of momentum of price hikes has to below 10 percent. retail price rises to less than 10 been slowed, and the economy as In 1988, there was noticeable percent. Major measures to be a whole is continuing to develop. inflation in China. Statistics in- adopted for this purpose include

20 BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 CHINA I reduction of total scale of credits pectively. The issuance of bank- In the past few years, the ex- and control over the issuance of notes exceeding the needs of eco- cessive state investment in fixed banknotes; an increase in reven- nomic development gave rise to assets, the start of too many con- ue and decrease in expenditure inflation and aggravated the im- struction projects and poor eco- and strengthened management balance between supply and de- nomic returns in enterprises of taxation by the financial de- mand. have resulted in serious imbal- partment; tightened control over In 1989, thanks to tight credit ance between revenue and expen- the market prices and rectifica- and inflation-proof savings de- diture and substantial financial tion of the circulation field by posits, there was a drastic re- deficits. industrial and commercial de- duction in money supply. The Present domestic debt exceeds partments. amount of money issued stood at 80 billion yuan. Through read- 2. Reducing the volume of 21 billion yuan, much lower than justment in 1989, state revenue banknotes issued so that money the previous year's level of reached 281 billion yuan, some supply is compatible with the 68 billion yuan. The year-end 104.4 percent of the budget, up needs of economic growth. amount of money in circulation 12.9 percent over the previous Between 1984 and 1988, be- was 9.8 percent greater than the year, a rate basically compati- cause of the expansion of invest- previous year, also far lower ble with the growth of industri- al production. ment and consumer demand, the than the growth rate of 46.8 per- To eliminate deficits and bal- amount of money in circulation cent of the previous year and the ance revenues and expenditures, far surpassed the needs of the lowest rate ever achieved since it is necessary to raise economic economy. During this period, the 1979. returns, improve management annual growth of the gross na- This year China will continue and reduce and eliminate waste. to tighten credit, increase the tional product (GNP) was 14.5 At the same time, greater efforts percent, 13 percent, 8.3 percent, central bank's regulating cap- should be made to boost techni- 10.6 percent, and 11.2 percent ability and strictly control the cal advances so that new technol- respectively while the growth of growth of total wages. ogy can provide a basis for eco- the money supply was 49.5 per- 3. Striving to balance revenue nomic growth. cent, 24.7 percent, 23.3 percent, and expenditure and gradually 4. Striving to maintain a 5-6 19.4 percent and 46.8 percent res- eliminate financial deficits. percent growth of GNP each The goal of financial departments is increased income and reduced expenditure, and year. strengthened tax manaKement. LI SHIJI As a developing country, China should strive for a moder- ate economic growth rate and a gradual improvement of the liv- ing standard of its people. Mo- reover, China's large population, scarcity of resources and unev- en economic development deter- mine that industrial production can grow only at a rate appro- priate to its situation. In the past few years, the overheated econo- my and the excessive rate of de- velopment have brought about a series of problems. After a year's effort to im- prove the economic environment and rectify the economic order, the excessive rate of industrial development has come down. To- tal industrial output value came to 2,150 billion 3/uan, an increase of 8 percent when calculated ac- cording to comparable prices, and the growth rate dropped by about 13 percentage points from

BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 21 CHINA

the previous year. was lowered from 5.33:1 to 2.42: planned economy with market 5. Changing the irrational in- 1; while the ratio of the increase regulation and maintain appro- dustrial structure and trying to in energy production to the priate centralization. The state bring about a gradual growth in growth rate of GNP rose from should also establish a compre- the production of major farm 0.46:1 to 1.65:1; and the ratio of hensive system to deepen the re- products, easing the shortage of freight transport growth to GNP forms in the contract responsibil- energy and raw material supplies growth rose from 0.67:1 to 1.95:1. ity system for enterprises and in and improving transportation fa- 6. Further improving various the field of banking, finance, for- • cilities. measures to deepen the reform eign trade, material distribution The irrational industrial struc- and gradually establish a macro- and pricing. ture adversely affects the healthy economic control system which development of China's economy conforms with the principle of The Schedule and the irrational investment combining the planned economy structure is an important cause with market regulation. The Fifth Plenary Session 0f of defectsin the industrial struc- An important task in the na- the 13th CPC Central Commit- ture. As a result of a fall in in- tion's economic readjustment, tee decided that three or more vestment in energy, transporta- the establishment of a macro- years would be needed to com- tion, the raw material industry economic control system is also a plete the task of economic read- and agriculture over the past few reform measure which helps to justment. years, the problem of re- achieve other goals. Extreme de- Why are three years needed? duced agricultural investment, centralization of the distribution The goals selected for readjust- the short supply of energy and of funds, foreign currency and ment are based on both the su- raw materials and the shortage of materials during the past few perficial and deep-rooted prob- transport facilities have come to years has seriously weakened lems in the economy. Problems the surface and must be solved the state's macro-control powers. confronting us at the surface lev- without delay. To this end, ear- The state was impotent to curb el such as a sluggish market, nest efforts must be made to car- the inflationary demands or to tight money supply and a sharp ry out the industrial policy, ef- readjust the deteriorating struc- fall in industrial growth can be fectively strengthen agriculture ture. To successfully improve solved when the product mix is and basic industries and increase the economic environment and improved, markets are enhanced input. straighten out the economic or- and the volume of circulating Proportionate relations be- der, efforts must be made to funds is increased. But if the tween the major industries im- strengthen the state's macro- necessary readjustment is made proved somewhat in 1989. The control power, carry out the ineffectively, the fundamental ratio of industry to agriculture principle of combining the contradictions existing in the economy may be worsened. A saltern in Inner Mongolia uses efficient evaporation recovery pots made with Built up over the years, the titanium compound boards to produce refined salt. One view of the saltern. deep-rooted problems forestall BAISI GULANG. the long-term and stable develop- ment of the national economy. These problems are manifest in social demand exceeding so- cial supply, irrational industri- al structure, inflation and price hikes. Contradictions between agriculture and industry, basic industry and ordinary processing industries, financial and credit deficits all restrict to a large ex- tent the national economic devel- opment. To achieve balance be- tween supply and demand as well as the rationalization and perfec- tion of industrial make-up is a complicated task that cannot be fulfilled in a short time, and any time-consuming readjust-

22 BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 CHINA

Grain, fur, cotton, melons, fruit and nonferrous metals cannot be delivered due to shortage of transport facilities. A ~reight yard at the Shihezi Railway Station. ZHENG ZHENSUN ment will result in long-term eco- economic management. economic readjustment. nomic unstability, stagnation of All are inter-related. These Closer relations can be found people's living standards and so- goals focus on checking infla- between revenue-expenditure cial disorder. tion. To balance revenue and ex- balance and the economic The three-year duration can penditure and to limit the growth rate and the adjustment not only solve the surface prob- amount of money supply and of the industrial structure. Irra- lems but ease the impact of those economic growth rate are all tional industrial set-ups and low which are deep-rooted so as to set aimed at controlling total social structural profits can lead to an the national economy On a right demand and alleviating infla- increase of revenues because of track of sustained, stable and co ~ tion. The same is true of the ad- speed rather than efficiency. Re- ordinated development. justment of industrial structure venues will be unavoidably af- and the increase of effective sup- fected if production speed slows ply. The establishment of the down. Only by adjusting the in- Interlocking goals macro-economic control system dustrial make-up in order to Of the economic readjustment aims to balance the general de- strengthen its weak links and goals, an effective control over mand and supply, check infla- raise structural efficiency and by total social demand is the most tion and, at the same time, dee- keeping an appropriate economic growth rate based on improve- important one, which covers pen the reform of the macro- economic system. ment in efficiency, quality and such areas as the inflation rate, These goals are also intrins- science and technology can a bal- the amount of banknotes sup- ically related. There are close ance between revenue and expen- plied, revenue and expenditure, cause and effect relations be- diture be achieved. and an appropriate economic tween the inflation rate, the The normal operation of the growth rate. Structural readjust- amount of money supply and the macro-economic control system ment goals give priority to bot- economic growth rate. Econo- must be backed by a strong econ- tlenecked industries which ham- mic growth needs the support omy and a sound micro-control pers the development of national of money supply while price in- system. In establishing the economy. Meanwhile the econo- creases demand a larger cash macro-economic system, efforts mic readjustment goals also find supply. Any excessive issuances must be made to bring into full expression in the necessity of of banknotes will result in infla- play both the guiding role of the combining economic readjust- tion. Therefore, to maintain a. national industrial policy and ment with the nation's reform. proper amount of the cash sup- the regulatary role of the market Establishing a macro-economic ply that meets the needs of the so as to successfully combine the control system is in fact the appropriately growing economy planned regulation with the mar- goal of reforming the macro- helps reduce inflation during the ket regulation. •

BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 23 CHINA i i ple's Republic of China was founded. In the beginningz lead- ers personally read and dealt Listening to the People with letters from the people. With the increasing number of letters, their secretaries did much by our Staff Reporter Wu Naitao of the work, and later, an office was set up. In 1975, the Public f anyone in China directly mier Li Peng said that Jiang Affairs Division was established writes to Jiang Zemin, gener- Zemin and he welcomed the especially to deal with matters in I al secretary of the Central many letters that were addressed this regard. Committee of the Communist to them but their busy work As of now, the system of re- Party of China, or Li Peng, pre- schedules prevented them from ceiving letters and visitors has mier of the State Council, the responding personally to all of been established around the letter will be delivered to a grey them. They asked that the divi- country. In addition to the Public building in downtown Beijing. sion conscientiously consult and Affairs Division under the Ge- There, the Public Affairs Divi- impartially handle each letter so neral Offices of the Party Central sion under the General Offices of as to ensure that the public voice Committee and the State Coun- the Party Central Committee and be heard. cil, the Party and government or- the State Council handles public According to director Zheng, ganizations at central and local letters and, receive visitors who the majority of letter writers are levels and major enterprises have come from all over the country to ordinary people who suffered all set up similar departments. appeal to the higher authorities what they considered to be unfair A fairly-integrated network has for help with various problems. treatment and so appealed to the thus been formed. According to Over the past ten years, the divi- higher authorities for help. Some incomplete statistics, the num- sion has received 7.54 million let- made suggestions regarding gov- ber of full-time cadres responsi- ters and more than 853,000 vis- ernmental policy, reported on ble for public affairs in the Party itors. The division has now be- their local situations or exposed and government departments at come an important channel for and denounced corruption. Over and above county level is now Party and government leaders the past ten years, because lo- more than 60,000. Zheng said, and leading departments to keep cal government at various lev- "My division alone now has more in touch with public opinion. els have made concerted efforts than 500 members. Each letter In a letter to Zheng Youmei, to improve their work style, they receive must be read and director of the division, and many problems have been re- registered and recommendations Wang Gang, deputy director in solved at the grass-roots level. put forward for dealing with it." charge of day-to-day work, Pre- The number of letters received Zheng noted that his division has decreased from mainly uses the following waYs to 1.08 million in 1979 to respond to people's letters. 520,000 in 1989 and --Each week Or every other the number of visitors week, key opinions, suggestions appealing to the divi- and problems are extracted from sion for help had the letters or from the ideas put dropped from 187,000 forward by visitors, compiled to 41,000. into a comprehensive material and delivered to each Standing A Channel to the Committee member of the Politi- People cal Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. In regard to items of The system by major importance, the division which ordinary people will make extracts and make a may directly write to specific report on the item to the Party and state lead- higher authorities. After putting ers was initiated by down the riot occurred in Beijing the late Chairman last June, for example, a student Mao Zedong and Pre- of Qinghua University wrote to mier Zhou Enlai in General Secretary Jiang. He in- 1949 when the Peo- vited Jiang to have a discussion

24 BEIJI'NG REVIEW,APRIL 2-8, 1990 CHINA together with teachers and stu- charged from public dents in Qinghua University. Not employment for spe- long after, the general secretary culation and extortion went to the university. Zheng of exorbitant profits, said that, since the Fourth Plen- placed on probation ary Session of the 13th Party within the company Central Committee, the number for a year and placed ql of letters to Jiang Zemin and Li on probation within Peng has averaged around 1,500 the Party for two each week, all of which have been years after an investi- responded to in a timely man- gation based on accu- ner or transmitted to related lo- sation contained in a cal governments and functional lefter. departments for settlement. --Making regular --Compiling and publishing inquiries into the set- the Mass Reports. Universal tlement of problems problems such as the proper im- Gu Cheniu is sentenced by the court for economic put forward by letters crimes. ZHAO REN plementation of policies, as ex- and visitors and urg- tracted from people's letters and ing related localities and depart- roots known to the higher author- put forward by visitors, are re- ments to handle the cases. Each ities, they have said. Public af- ported to the Party Central Com- year the division sends 100 to fairs departments must pay atten- mittee, the State Council, re- 200 cadres to grass-roots units tion to the voice of the masses. levant Party and government to follow-up on complaints and Thanks to the concern of the Par- departments so that policy mak- press them to handle cases. ty Central Committee, the State ers can be aware of problems and --Responding to questions by Council and Party and govern- take corrective action. letter. Many letters are replied to ment organizations at various "Based on the letters and vis- in this way by the division. Wu levels, the just demands and pos- itors arriving from each prov- Jingshen, an ordinary cadre in itive suggestions put forward by ince, municipality and autonom- Jingdezheng of Jiangxi Province, people's letters and visitors are ous region, the division will each for instance, wrote last Septem- handled carefully and skilfully. quarter make a corpus of people's ber to Li Guixian, State Counci- In every case, state laws and re- letters and a monographic mater- lor and president of the People's gulations, and related policies are ial of letters and visitors and de- Bank of China, putting forth his taken into account. liver them to the Party and gov- opinions and suggestions for sta- Last September, some people in ernment leaders of the relevant bilizing commodity prices and Wuhan, Hubei Province, wrote provinces, municipalities and au- controlling inflation. Li took note to Party and government leaders tonomous regions. In accordance with the principle of sharing res- of his recommendations and for- about an epidemic of schistosom- ponsibility by different levels warded it to the department con- iasis and asked that measures for and handling matters by depart- cerned for review. At the same prevention and cure be imple- ments concerned, those problems time, Li Guixian entrusted his mented. General Secretary Jiang for which the local authorities secretary to write a letter of Zemin responded with clear in- and functional departments are thanks to Wu Jingsheng in reply. structions on September 18 and a responsible for are transmitted In order to do its work well, the working group, led by Leaders to related departments for reso- division has often invited those of the Ministry of Public Health lution. Early in 1990, Li Ziqi, who wrote the Party Central and Hubei Province, immediate- secretary of Gansu provincial Committee and the State Council ly investigated and put forward Party committee, received a let- with important suggestions to at- their recommendations. Later, ter. reporting on illegal activities tend discussions in Beijing. the State Council held a working by grass-roots cadres. He imme- conference on the prevention and diately wrote instructions that Value the People's Voice cure of schistosomiasis in five problems be investigated one by provinces including Hubei and one. Up to now, 10 of 13 prob- Party and government leaders Jiangxi. lems have been investigated. Li such as Jiang Zemin have made Last August, a primary-school Wanlun, former manager of the many suggestions for improving teacher in Nanchong County, Si- Minqin County Coal Industrial public affairs work. Be sure to chuan Province, wrote a letter to Company, for example, was dis- make the situation at the grass- Premier Li Peng that Zhou Jian,

BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 25 CHINA an individual entrepreneur, ille- and morally poor students. He partially and enlist popular sup- gally employed child labourers suggested that society, especially port. and beat children th/~t became the schools, should direct their In 1987, the division forward- disabled. He asked that action be help and concern towards these ed a letter to the Secretariat of taken to save the children and to children. Premier Li timely the CPC Central Committee, re- punish Zhou Jian in accordance transmitted the letter to Tang- porting that Gu Chenju, direct of with the law. The division imme- shan's mayor Chen Liyou, giv- Sangzhi County Forest Bureau diately reported the letter to Li ing him the following instruction, in Hunan Province, diverted Peng. Premier Li quickly gave "Zhang Muliang, an old man in 170,000 yuan earmarked for rais- instructions."If the fact is true," your city, speaks earnestly in his ing forest seedlings to the con- he said," Zhou must be punished letter of certain problems. He's struction of an office building, severely without mercy accord- put forward some good sugges- high-class hostels and private ing to law" by the relevant de- tions for helping backward teen- houses, went in for extravagance partment in Sichuan Province. agers. Please review the materi- and waste and felled and market- The accusation proved to be true al and select those which can be ed trees in a conservation area. after an investigation. Last Octo- adopted. As a newly built city This letter immediately caught ber, Zhou Jian was arrested and (the original city was destroyed the attention of Chen Junsheng, in the following month sentenced by a great earthquake in 1976. then secretary-general of the by a local people's court to two --Tr.), Tangshan should uphold State Council. He instructed the years and six months' imprison- a moral standard." The munici- State Auditing Administration to ment. pal Party committee and govern- investigate and deal with the si- At present, the number of let- ment immediately held meetings tuation in co-operation with the ters containing various sugges- to study which measures to take departments concerned in Hun- tions accounts for 28 percent of and soon introduced their ideas an Province. The initial investi- the total received. Among all the to Zhang Muliang. The old man gation concluded that "The five suggestions, most have some val- said, "It's quite unexpected that problems exposed by the letter ue for the administration of the my ordinary letter got the pre- were inaccurate, so no action Party and state and so the Party mier's attention. It shows that the should be taken." Such a state- Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance Party and government's hearts ment was a cover-up by the local to them. and ours beat as one." authorities. Moreover, the Sang- zhi County Forest Bureau asked In October of 1989, working the division to send the letter members of the Zhangjiagang Supervision by the Masses Port Office wrote to Vice- back with the aim of discovering premier Yao Yilin, saying that The public affairs departments the source. The division refused with the rapid development of are duty-bound to do their ut- the demand and kept the name of local economy since 1984, the most to deal with problems re- writer secret. Several months la- present capacity of the port could ported by the masses. In doing so, ter, under the energetic support not meet the need of domestic they should adhere to principles, of Hunan provincial Party com- and foreign trade. They hoped to promote justice and conscien- mittee and government, the au- get approval to start construction tiously subject-themselves to the diting departments broke of the second-stage extension pro- supervision by the masses. through all kinds of obstructions ject. Yao Yilin asked the State As a channel linking the grass and ascertained that the amount Planning Commission to study roots with the higher authorities, of funds for raising forest see- the matter and, afterwards, the Public Affairs Division needs dlings which had been diverted the extension project for the the co-operation of all leaders by Gu Chenju was not 170,000 Zhangjiagang Port was included and functional departments. yuan but more than 300,000 as part of the harbour plan. Its Sometimes, delay is unavoidable. yuan. In a short time, Gu Chenju construction recently began. Therefore, Zheng Youmei de- was dealt with in accordance with Early last December, Zhang mands that his staff "not be af- the law. One day, Renmin Ribao Muliang, a retired worker of the raid of offending others and not (People's Daily) frontpaged a de- Tangshan Rolling Stock Plant, stop until getting a result," espe- tailed article entitled It ls Fact, wrote to Li Peng, reporting that cially in defending the laws, up- Not Frame-up. The Public Af- more and more teenagers were holding discipline and building a fairs Division's protection of the doing badly in their studies and clean government. He said that people's right to supervise state that some school authorities without this spirit it would be cadres has won widespread ac- usually dispelled academically impossible to handle matters im- claim. •

26 BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 CHINA

total. That such a vast area of China suffered from drought for such an extended period had not been seen in the country for many Water Crisis in North China years. Surveys by water conservation And Counter-Measures experts show that for many years the average amount of water avail- able annually in northern China by Dong Shi was 94.5 billion cubic metres, an average 517 cubic metres per per- oday, all countries, rich or Serious shortages were also re- son. The average water volume per person in the area only accounted poor, are facing the shortage ported that year in Beijing and for one-fifth of the nation's aver- of water resources in their other cities in Hebei Province. As T age, or 4.7 percent of the world's socio-economic development. Sev- a result of this natural catas- average. Clearly, the area is criti- eral years ago, catastrophic trophe, the Chinese government cally insufficient in water supply. drought engulfed almost all of Af- ordered the Ministry of Water Re- The most disturbing aspect of this rica, and, last year, many parts sources to conduct an investiga- shortage is that the 584,900 square of North America were struck by tion into the water crisis in North km of area affected by drought drought with varying degrees of China. Water conservation experts includes Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei,. severity. As early as 1977, the Un- believe that although there are Shanxi, northern Henan, eastern ited Nations had issued the warn- many reasons behind the shortage, Shandong and central and south- ing that water would create a the main cause lies in two areas. ern Liaoning. These are not only serious social crisis. In fact, the The rapid expansion of popula-, areas of political and cultural im- shortage of water has already be- tion and industry in cities is one of portance, but also crucial bases of come a crisis for 180 million the major causes. Take Beijing as wheat and cotton production and Chinese in 580,000 square km of an example. The city has eight coal, petroleum, steel and chem- North China and, in their struggle water works with a total capacity ical industries. The water crisis to overcome the natural adversity, of 1.86 million tons of tap water thus has seriously crippled socio- the people have tried every means a day. Despite the fact that the economic development in north- to save water and tap new water amount is 22 times as much as that ern China as a whole. resources. of 1949, the supply is still insuffi- cient, especially in summer. An- Saving Water Water Shortage other example is the city of Dali- an. In 1949, the city supplied 8.93 Despite the local governments' Tianjin is traditionally known million tons of water for its 2.5 repeated call to save water, the as "a region of rivers" because the million residents, 3.25 million tons problem is still serious. The low city's Haihe River, which empties for industry, and 100 million tons price of tap water is one contribut- into the Bohai Sea, flows with wat- for agriculture. However, its popu- ing factor. In Beijing, for exam; er from five tributaries of North lation had doubled by 1988, and ple, one cubic metre of water costs China. During the summer of 1981, the supply of water increased to 70 only 0.12 yuan (equivalent to however, Tianjin, China's second million tons for residents, 150 mil- US$2.5 cents). Some residents who largest industrial city, had its most lion tons for industry and 650 mil- live in dormitories provided by serious water shortage in 50 years. lion tons for agriculture. their units are charged nothing for Even during the season of floods, The second main cause is that the use of water. there was no water in local rivers since 1970 northern China was hit Water used for agriculture ac- nor in the area's 19 large reser- by drought for more than a dozen counts for more than 80 percent voirs. The supply of water to the years running. According to data, of society's total water supply but city was only at the lowest possi- between 1980 and 1987, drought much is lost due to the tradition- ble level. All industrial enterpris- struck a total area of some 30 mil- al method of flood irrigation es, particularly paper mills, print- lion hectares throughout the coun- and water transportation through ing and dyeing mills, and power try. In North China, the four earth-sand ditches. The effective plants that consume large amounts provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Inner utilization coefficient of water of water, were forced to reduce or Mongolia and Shandong account in the grain-producing Huanghe- halt altogether their operations. for only 23 percent of the nation's Huaihe-Haihe Plain of North The shortage is estimated to have total cultivated area. Drought- China, for example, is only 0.4. caused 9.1 billion yuan in losses to afflicted areas there, however, ac- Some 60 percent of the water is the city's industry. counted for half of the nation's lost in transit because of evapora-

BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 27 CHINA tion and seepage. Farm experts es- some 27 million cubic metres of ensure the water supply to Beijing, timate that in developed countries, water have been saved in the past Miyuan Reservoir stopped provid- production of one kilogramme of three years. ing water to the county in the ear- wheat requires only 600 kg of wat- Benefits from these methods are ly 1980s. With the help of the er. In China, however, one ton of also obvious in some other cities. state, Shunyi succeeded in using water is required for each kilo- Since 1981, when Tianjin began a underground water for overhead gramme of wheat. major effort to save water, the to- irrigation. This resulted in the sav- Industry is another large consu- tal value of industrial output in- ing of 120 million cubic metres mer of water. At present, because creased and water consumption of water annually and the steady China's technical and managerial dropped. The rate of use of recy- growth of its grain production. He- levels still lag behind some adv- cled water by industrial enterpris- bei Province, a major grain and anced countries, its industry con- es went up to 72 percent. Dalian, a cotton producing area in North sumes much more water than coastal city, makes full use of sea China, has focused on preventing those countries. In 1989, some ex- water and so the amount of fresh water leakage as a long-term stra- perts compared water consump- water used in the production of tegic task. In the past few years, tion by enterprises in Hebei Prov- every 10,000 yuan worth of prod- farmers have pulled efforts to lev- ince with advanced foreign and ucts was reduced to 90 cubic el the land in order to improve on domestic enterprises of the same metres. Scientific water-saving the method of irrigation. Old-style trade. The comparison shows that measures adopted by the industri- earthen ditches were laid with making one ton of steel in some al enterprises in Taiyuan, Shanxi bricks to reduce the loss of water developed countries requires less Province helped increase the recy- through seepage. In this way, the than 10 tons of water, while it cling rate to reach 83 percent in province has saved some 600 mil- costs 330 tons of water in the prov- recent years. Overall, statistics lion cubic metres of water every ince. Compared with some adv- show that 1 billion cubic metres of year. anced breweries in other parts of water can be saved each year in the country, which produce a ton 100 cities, an amount sufficient to Diversion Works of beer using 20 tons of water, the supply the city of Beijing for two province used 86 tons of water for years. With regard to the question of one ton of beer. In recent years, the intensive how best to solve the water crisis In northern China, 70 percent use in northern China of such adv- in northern China, some people of known water resources are al- anced techniques as sprinkling ir- held the pessimistic view that ready being tapped and prospects rigation, drip irrigation and low- while no new resources could be for discovering new water re- pressure water pipelines has found, conservation could only sources are not optimistic. There- proved effective in saving water. temporarily ease the shortage. Per- fore, the most realistic means of Compared with flood irrigation, haps, this argument is reasonable. solving the crisis, already being these methods are capable of sav- undertaken, is through conserva- ing 40-60 percent of water and, on In recent years, water conserva- tion. the average, increasing crop out- tion experts have worked out a Planned distribution of water put by 20 percent. Shunyi County long-term water supply plan for and recycling was adopted by ma- in the suburbs of Beijing used to northern China. According to jor industrial enterprises in more irrigate crops with water from Mi- their estimate, by the end of this than 20 large and medium-sized yuan Reservoir. But, in order to Century, the volume of water re- cities in northern China beginning in the early 1980s when the shor- The 64-kin-long Erwangzhuan8 water channel, built by 120,OOO Tianiin volun- teers, is an important part of the project to divert the Luanhe River water to Tianiin. tage" of water became evident. The YANG BAOKUN supply of free water has been halt- ed with each family dwelling sup- plied with a water meter and charged a reasonable fee. Such ap- proaches have resulted in obvious water savings. The use of planned supply of water, coupled with po- pularization of new water-saving technologies, has enabled Beijing's average water consumption by in- dustry to drop by 6.2 percent an- nually since 1978, although its in- dustrial output value increased 10 percent each year. Altogether,

28 BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 CHINA quired by northern China will in- Luanhe River water into Tianjin, crease to 78.9 billion cubic metres. there would be no Tianjin of to- However, the actual water supply day." capacity in the area is only 74 According to the Ministry of billion cubic metres. There is a Water Resources, a number of gap, therefore, of more than 4 bil- other diversion works are to be lion cubic metres. One solution to constructed. They include the pro- this gap is to divert water from ject diverting the water of the other rivers than the Haihe, Jumahe River in Hebei Province Luanhe, and Liaohe rivers in the into Beijing, the project diverting locality. the Huanghe River water into Bai- Since the 1980s, the Chinese yangdian Lake, the project divert- government has spent huge ing the Huanghe River water into amounts of money and labour in Shanxi Province, the project div- The settlin8 ponds of the Beijin8 No.9 surveying, designing and building erting the Songhua River water Water Works. SONG LIANFENG large-scale diversion works, in- into the area in the middle and cluding a score of rivers extending lower reaches of the Liaohe River. er to North China. Using Beijing- beyond northern China and sever- Water conservation experts said Hangzhou Grand Canal as the al drainage areas. The completed that to completely resolve the wat- trunk line, the project will extend diversion works include the pro- er shortage problem in North 1,150 km. In the short-term plan, ject to divert the Luanhe River China, quick decision should be 1,000 cubic metres of water will water to Tianjin and Tangshan, made to start the project to divert be pumped per second. When the the project to divert the water of water from southern China into water is channelled to the north of Biliu River to Dalian, and the pro- North China, which has been the Huanghe River, the flow will ject to divert the water of the planned over a number of years. be reduced to 400 cubic metres per Huanghe (Yellow) River to Qing- According to senior engineer second. The volume of diverted dao. In addition, construction of Yao Bangyi, who is in charge of water at the starting point is the design of this gigantic water the project to divert the Datong scheduled to be 19.1 billion cubic diversion project, since the found- metres and, in the dry areas north River, a tributary of Huanghe ing of New China, water conserva- of the Huanghe River, about 8 bil- River, eastward to Qinhuangdao tion experts have put forward a lion cubic metres (equivalent to started in last October. Of these dozen plans for the project, out of the storage capacity of two Miyun aforementioned, the project div- which three were selected. They Reservoirs). The project will re- erting the Luanhe River water to are the west-line plan (diverting quire a total investment of 11.4 Tianjin has achieved demonstr- water from the Jinshajiang River, billion yuan. able results. Starting from the the upper reach of the Changjiang Yao explained that because the Luanhe River in Qianxi County, River), the central-line plan (div- project is very large in scale, con- Hebei Province, water flows to erting water from Danjiangkou struction will be done in stages. Tianjin through many tunnels, Reservoir located in the middle Report on the feasible study for channels and pump stations totall- reaches of the Changjiang River) the first stage of the project has ing 230 km in length. Since it was and the east-line plan (diverting been completed. The general plan completed in September 1988, the water from the lower reach of the is now being reviewed and a re- diversion project has supplied 2.5 Changjiang River). vised version will soon be final- billion cubic metres of quality Of the three plans, Yao added, ized. Based on plans for the first water to Tianjin. This not only the third, or the east-line plan, is stage, it is quite possible that the puts an end to the history of mil- the most likely to start first. The water of the Changjiang River can lions of Tianjin residents drinking project covers the eastern part of be diverted to the banks of the bitter water, but has also guaran- the Huanghe-Huaihe-Haihe Plain Huanghe River, about 700 km teed the supply of water to the and areas along the banks of Hei- away from the Changjiang River, city's industry. According to sta- yuan River to the south of Huaihe by the end of this century, if all tistics, from 1983 to 1987, the River. It will involve the four work goes smoothly. An explorato- diversion brought in 25.5 billion water systems of the Changjiang, ry hole has been made for scientif- yuan, half of the total net value of Huaihe, Huanghe and Haihe riv- ic tests at the Huanghe River 70 the city's industry. Li Ruihuan, ers, and cover two municipali- metres under the river bed. The former Tianjin mayor and now ties and four provinces--Beijing, tests indicate that in case of a ser- member of the Standing Commit- Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Anhui ious drought in North China, the tee of the Political Bureau of the and Jiangsu. Changjiang River water could be CPC Central Committee, highly The project will start at the channelled to North China imme- praised the project, saying, "With- Jiangdu Pumping Station, divert- diately after the exploratory hole out the diversion project to bring ilag water of the Changjiang R_iv- is expanded and reinforced. •

BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 29 BUSINESS / TRADE Satellite Leasing tellite is insured by 60 to 70 insur- its new products. ance companies. The Asia com- Wang said that the appearance Business Thriving pany pays US$24 million in of the two types of Time Hard- insurance premium. China's in- ness Testers were so attractive to ihe leasing market of the re- surance company has joined the domestic and foreign business- lay transmitters of the Asia insurance. men that nearly 1,000 sets were T No.1 comsat to be launched The Asia Satellite Telecom- sold in the domestic market and in April is doing well in Asia, munications Co. Ltd., owner of dozens more in the United States, announced by Marketing Mana- the Asia No. 1 comsat, was jointly Thailand, the Soviet Union, ger Chen Liqun of the Asia Satel- established by the China Inter- South Korea, Taiwan and Hong lite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. national Trust and Investment Kong. Some 100 to 200 sets are So far, it has already signed leas- Corp. (holdings), the Hutchison planned for export this year. ing contracts, reservation agree- Whampoa Limited of Hong Kong Wang disclosed that a Soviet ments and letters of intent and the Cable and Wireless PIC enterprise had signed a letter of with Thailand, Pakistan, Bur- of Britain in Hong Kong in Fe- intent with her company to co- ma, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Ne- bruary 1988. The Asia company operatively develop the two prod- pal, China, South Korea and initialed US$120 million in in- ucts. The two sides will soon ne- Hong Kong. By the end of 1990, vestment, and three partners each gotiate about establishing a joint one-third of the 24 relay transmit- hold one-third shares. venture in the Soviet Union. ters will go into use. All the relay After launching the first one, Established in 1984, the Beijing transmitters are expected to be the company plans to manufac- Time Group Inc. is a technologi- leased out by 1992. ture and launch Asia No.2 com- cal, industrial and trading com- The Asia No.1 satellite, Chen sat. pany specializing in the devel- said, is the first foreign telecom- by Yao Jianguo opment of high-tech products. munications satellite launched by During the five years since its China. Manufactured by the Time Group Turns establishment, Time has every Hughes Aircraft Co. of the Unit- year turned out one to three ed States, it possesses 24 Band Out New Products new high-tech hot-selling prod- C relay transmitters. With a life ucts and offered good after-sales span of ten years, transmitter hree new products, the services. consists of north and south Time Welder Training Tes- The company has successfully beams, covering more than 30 ter, Time Surface Rough- T ushered its new products to the Asian countries and regions. It is ness Tester and Time Tempera- able to provide more than 2.5 bil- ture Control Meter, developed by Beijing International Foundry lion people from Japan to the the Beijing Time Group Inc, will Exhibition, the Beijing-Essen Mediterranean countries with im- be displayed at the Chinese Ex- Welding Exposition, the Interna- proved telecommunications ser- port Commodities Fair to be held tional Industrial Boiler Exhi- vice. in Guangzhou on April 15 and bition and the International Eighty percent of the satellite's the International Instruments Machtronics Fair. Many domes- transmitters, he said, are expected and Meters Exhibition to be held tic enterprises regard attendance to be used for TV relay, 40 per- in Beijing on May 16. at Time-sponsored exhibitions as cent by government TV stations, According to the company's channels to bring in advanced 40 percent by commercial TV Deputy General Manager, Wang technology and equipment. More stations. Commercial TV stations Xiaolan, the three products are than 60 percent of the exhibits will provide TV audience with the newest her company turned displayed each time are sold on channels for special programmes out this year, and close and up to the spot, mainly to the Time such as music, sports, news, films the advanced international stan- Group. and education. The remainder of dards in properties and quality. The Time Group will sponsor the satellite will be used for publ- The easy-to-carry HL-D and port- the Japanese Environment Pro- ic and special telecommunica- able HLN-11 Time Hardness Tes- tection Equipment Exhibition tions networks such as long- ters, developed in 1989, won the from October 13 to 17 and the distance calls, facsimile and data third prize of scientific and tech- Second International Boiler and transmission. nological progress from the Bei- Welding Exposition from Novem- The satellite should have been jing Municipal government and ber 6 to 12 to further promote launched by the crashed United cited as fine products at China's China's co-operation with other States Challenger space shuttle in First High and New Technology countries in technology and de- 1984 and the US$ 120 million Evaluation Conference. The com- velopment of new products. expenses needed to launch the sa- pany acquired a patent right for by Yao Jianguo

30 BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 BUSINESS./TRADE

Xishuangbanna: A New Open Port cal and coal facilities, rebuild and perfect tourist facilities, train personnel and upgrade scenic he authorities in southwest Year Plan Period (1991-95), tw6 spots. China's Yunnan Province ports and eight docks will be built This meeting also discussed and T have decided to develop up along the Lancang River. made decisions related to devel- their province's contacts with Expand Xishuangbanna's Ga- opment of foreign trade, port con- neighbouring countries, widen it's jiu Airport now under construc- struction and building up a re- opening to the outside, and esta- tion into international facility. As serve of funds for construction, blish Xishuangbanna as an im- of now, the first leg of construc- etc. protant port open to Southeast tion is near completion in order to Xishuangbanna, adjacent to Asian countries as quickly as pos- be ready for the first internation- Laos, Burma and Thailand, oc- sible, goals recently decided upon al flight on April 1. cupies an important-position in at a meeting held in Xishuang- Immediately begin work to Yunnan Province's opening to the banna. transform the highway from outside and to the development Yunnan authorities at the Jinghong to Xiaomenglun, from of the economy. In addition, the meeting specifically decided to: Jinghong to Damenglong as well area has many unique sceneries, Dredge the international chan- as the highway leading up to the typical of tropical rain forests, at- nel of the Lancang River.as soon border with Burma. tracting many Chinese and for- as possible. In the Eighth Five- Quicken construction of elctri- eign tourists. • Foreign Trade Boom in Hebei Province Jian-Poyang Lake Comprehensive Agricultural Development Project. The funds, contributed equally n 1989, Hebei Province earned ing and Storage Station and by China and WB, have gone to US$1.637 billion from export, the Datong-Qinhuangdao Rail- some 29 counties and cities in the I up 5.88 percent over 1988, and way have been completed and thus Jian and Poyang Lake areas, cov- it also made much headway in in- greatly improved the investment ering one-third of the province. troducing foreign funds and environment in Hebei Province. Emphasis will be on developing technology, contracting projects This year, Hebei Province will animal husbandry, forestry, tea, abroad and exporting labour ser- focus its co-operation with foreign aquatic products and processing vices. countries on those projects having industries. In 1989, Hebei Province ap- good economic efficiency and adv- All facilities are expected to go proved 732 foreign investment anced technology, and give prior- into operation one after another contracts with a total value of ity to the development of those beginning in 1991. After comple- US$158.58 million, US$65.334 joint-ventures and co-operative tion, they will be able to increase million of which was derived from items urgently needed for the de- the annual output of lean meat foreign investment. It signed con- velopment of agriculture, energy, pigs by 330,000 head, poultry by tracts for compensation trade, and transportation, metallurgy, build- 13.26 million head, fresh fish by processing and assembling (draw- ing materials, textile and chemical 20,000 tons, pearls by 2 tons, tea by ing some US$13.496 million in for- industries. 23,700 tons and rosin by 3,000 tons eign funds); 89 contracts for im- by Gao Xingchun porting and leasing, involving every year. In addition, some 64 US$66.78 million; 22 contracts for processing factories, with an an- foreign projects and labour co- WB Issues Loans nual capacity of 174,000 tons of operation, valued at US$9.8128 For Agro-Development meat and aquatic products, will be million. It sent 809 workers and built and enlarged. technicians to 22 countries. In ad- he World Bank (WB) has re- Jiangxi began its agricultural co- dition, it attracted US$66.82 mil- cently announced that it pro- operation with WB in 1986. The lion loans from foreign govern- T cessed a loan of US$60 mil- province has since spent 246 mil- ments and international financial lion into south China's Jiangxi lion yuan, reclaiming its red-soil institutions. Province for agricultural develop- wasteland, half of which was prov- Last year, the Qinhuangda0- ment. Projects are now under con- ided by WB. By the end last year, Tangshan-Changzhou Bohai Sea struction. 80 percent of the co-operative pro- Gulf Economic Development Although the contract for the jects had been finished. The WB, Zone developed smoothly. The loan was initialed last May, the after sending experts to evaluate, coal and sundry goods docks at the Beijing June turmoil forced it to be expressed satisfaction with the suc- Qinhuangdao Harbour, the Wang- put off. The total 445 million yuan cessful operation for these pro- tan Harbour, the Panjiakou Pump- in investment will be used for the jects. •

BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 31 CULTURE / SCIENCE

uring a parachuting com- that had been set by the overall nationale in the Netherlands, petition in Indonesia early champion of the 1956 World that China really entered the D last August, attended by Parachuting Championship by world of international sport par- 218 parachutists from 20 coun- landing 1.86 metres from the tar- achuting. tries, the Chinese team took get. Hao Jianhua, Cui Xiuying In the past 10 years of reform three of the eight events. At Oc- and Geng Guifang of the wom- and opening to the outside world, tober's Fifth World Cup Sport en's team broke the world record China has participated in more Parachuting Meet, which brings with an average accuracy of 9.8 than 30 international compe- together the world's top parachu- metres in the 1,000-metre team titions and won 85 top titles. At tists, the Chinese won four of the event. present, the international records 12 events and placed second in Although China began its for men's and women's indivi- four others. These results prove sport parachuting late, it has dual trick parachuting events that China has reached the inter- since made great progress. Sta- are held by Chinese parachutists national front rank in parachute tistics show that during the ten Zou Jimin and Li Rongrong. jumping. years between 1955 and 1965, 70 Every year before an inter- China first became involved aircraft-borne parachutists set 41 national competition, the top with sport jumping in 1955 when world records in 22 events. Chinese parachutists are assem- seven parachutists were selected Twenty-two provinces and ci- bled to receive training at the from the air force to compete at ties founded parachuting teams Anyang Aerial Sports School of a meet involving seven socialist manned with more than 400 par- the State Physical Culture and countries held in the Bulgarian achutists. Sports Commission in Henan capital of Sofia. It wasn't until early 1979, Province. The school is the cra- In 1958, China held its first when the Sports Aviation Asso- dle of top-notch parachutists for national parachuting competi- ciation of China first sent a dele- world competitions as well as the tion. Song Guangxi of the men's gation to attend a meeting of the training base for China's sail- team broke the accuracy record Federation Aeronautique Inter- plane pilots and balloonists. Re-

32 BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 CULTURE / SCIENCE

Hao Donsshan with an American boy when he was taking part in a balloon contest in the host country. Asian Games: Millions of Chinese Pitch In

he countdown to Septem- China Reassures the World ber's Asian Games is on. T Numbers on billboards on Between April and June last Beijing's busiest streets tell by- year, the counter-revolutionary passers how many days are left turmoil in Beijing posed a ser- before the opening of the l lth ious threat to China's ability to Asiad, and Beijing is racing hold the Games on time. During against the clock to make the that period, however, more than Games a big success: 30,000 construction workers at On September 28, 1984, when Games sites stayed at their posts, the Olympic Council of Asia de- keeping the projects on schedule. clared that China would host the In July, Sheik Fahd, president 1 lth Asian Games, ordinary Bei- of the Olympic Council of Asia, jingers didn't show much excite- came to Beijing to inspect the ment, in contrast to the Span- Asiad facilities under construc- iards who were overjoyed by the tion. He said that before he had news that the 1992 Olympics come to Beijing he had seen would be held in Barcelona. Western news reports that said That cool reaction was not sur- construction was lagging. But in prising. China was going through Beijing he saw a different pic- cently, because of its unusual a critical period in its reforms ture. China's efforts and sinceri- contribution to China's aerial and the Games appeared to be ty reassured him and he left feel- sports, the chairman of the Fed- just another major task. For one ing confident. eration Aeronautique Interna- thing, a formidable amount of On September 21, the Games tionale presented the school with money would be needed, a severe Organizing Committee delivered a certificate of merit on behalf of test for China's modest finances. Asiad invitations to all 38 mem- the federation. To raise that money, Zhang bers of the Olympic Council of According to Wang Jianye, Baifa, who is executive vice- Asia at an official ceremony held chief coach of the training team chairman of the Games Organiz- in the Great Hall of the People. and a world record-holder in ing Committee, general director Nineteen member countries and the 1950s, China now possesses in charge of the construction of regions sent their envoys to ac- world-class facilities for para- sports facilities and vice-mayor cept the invitations and 15 ac- chute training. Besides the An- of Beijing, has tried just about yang Aerial Sports School, 24 everything. Chinese provinces and cities When he completed his four- have similar organizations that year term as vice-mayor this have trained thousands of para- year, he told the members of the chutists. Every year parachuting city's people's congress: Frankly aficionados come to China to speaking, I want to try another take part in friendly compe- term so that I can have time to titions, a fact indicating that complete the construction of the sport parachuting has become a Asian Games facilities." He won bridge linking the different peo- the trust of his peers and was ples of the world. re-elected vice-mayor, which de- by Liu Shumin and Wang Zhon- monstrated Beijingers' support glin for the Asiad.

BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 33 CULTURE / SCIENCE cepted through representatives letter, he showed deep repent- flag to Qiangwei, head of the of their embassies or commercial ance for his past crimes. He said team. On that occasion, more offices in Beijing. that although he couldn't see the than 2,000 young volunteers 1990 Asian Games because his sang their team song, We Are Heart and Cash term didn't end until 1991, he Marching to the llth Asian sincerely hoped that his mother- Games. The team consists of A fund-raising campaign, land would successfully hold the 200,000 young volunteers. Its meanwhile, was being conducted Games. main tasks will be to carry out throughout China. On March 7, Mr. Yok Yingtung from Hong extensive propaganda work, or- 1989, the same day a group of Kong donated HK$100 million. ganize voluntary services, in- separatists in Tibet rioted in "All Chinese, as descendents of cluding the cleaning of streets Lhasa, students of a Tibetan the Yellow Emperor, hope the and areas around Games venues, middle school sent 200 yuan to Beijing Asiad is a success," he and helping with traffic control. the Organizing Committee. In said, reflecting the feelings of ov- In the past few months, thou- their letter they said, "The 1 l th erseas Chinese. sands of young men in Beijing Asiad is an honorable task en- Hong Kong singer Zhang had joined in voluntary labour. trusted to us by Asian countries Mingmin toured 26 cities and Nearly 300 young people from and regions. Upon learning that gave 160 performances to raise religious circles also joined the the state does not have enough funds for the Asian Games. At service. According to sources, money, we have collected dona- every performance he sang My many religious service halls have tions in our school and the Chinese Heart, which evoked been set up for the use of believ- money can be considered as a thunderous applause from the ers among Games athletes. Cler- gift to our motherland from the audience. People saw the depth gymen will presiqle over services heart of Tibetans." of his Chinese heart when he for them. Zong Jingren is a veteran sol- donated 600,000 yuan to the In order to provide satisfacto- dier who joined the army in Asian Games. ry services, more than 200 of 1948. When he retired, he donat- In the office of the Organizing the 1,000 workers have received ed 1,000 yuan to the Asiad. He Committee's fund-raising sec- training. The training centre also brought his luggage to the con- tion, there is a flag covered with enrolled more than 1,000 mid- struction site and began 100 the signatures of disabled people dle school students to receive days of voluntary labour for the from the Western District of Bei- professional-oriented technical Asian Games. jing who donated 1,555 yuan and training. Liang Yaquan, an individual 69 cents. "We disabled people, Beijing taxi companies organ- entrepreneur who owns a taxi though living the most difficult ized a three-week course for 12,- business, donated 100,000 yuan life among 10 million Beijing ci- 000 taxi drivers, with satisfacto- to the Games. tizens, also have love for our ry results. • "I often drive by the construc- county," they said. "It is the Peo- tion site," he said. "I heard that ple's Republic that gives us an the work was often impeded be- enjoyable life and this small cause of cash shortages. As a amount of money is a demon- Chinese, I felt deeply worried. stration of our feelings." China is the host of such g mas- Organizing Committee offi- sive sports meet for the first time cials believe that deeds speak and we have no choice but make louder than words. All of these it a success. This event is closely officials, including Executive related with our country's image. Vice-Chairmen He Zhenliang Even our ancient ancestors saxd, and Zhang Baifa, and workers 'Everybody is responsible for his in the fund-raising section have country's fate.' I want to take a donated money to the Asiad. lead and hope the 20 million pri- vate business owners in the coun- Better Service try all contribute something to the Asian Games." In November 1989, the Volun- A young man serving a pri- tary Service Team of the l lth llth Asian Games son sentence in eastern China's Asian Games was founded in Jiangsu Province mailed 50 yuan Beijing. Beijing Mayor Chen to the Asian Games. In his long Xitong handed over the team

34 BEIJING REVIEW, APRIL 2-8, 1990 Two Flying Fairy Maidens play the sheng, a reed pipe wind insErument.

~,~T P AGE Sculptures by Yang Wenhui

Yang Wenhulr born in kaishui County, Nebel Province in )953, teaches at the I-lebei Academy oTr Arts and Crafi:s. Skilled in porcelain sculptures, he expresses national and decorative characteristics in his works which are suited l:or both refined and popular tastes.

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