Zhao on Development of Coastal Areas Farmers of Zhangbaling Village, Jiashan County, Aniiui Province, Studying the Control of Pests
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A CHINESE WEEKLY OF NEWS AND VIEWS eview , No.6 February 8-14, 1988 Zhao on Development of Coastal Areas Farmers of Zhangbaling Village, Jiashan County, Aniiui Province, studying the control of pests. /)r Zhang Yinzcni; Huang Zhaogen, a farmer in , Henan Province, at his agriculture technology class. by Li Jin P. • Beijing««vir HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK VOL. 31, NO, 6 FEB. 8-14,1988 CONTENTS NOTES FROM THE EDITORS 4 Zhao on Coastal Areas' Development Grain Production: Today and ToiTtorrow • During his recent inspection tours of southern coastal areas. Party General Secretary Zhao Ziyang outlined the EVENTS/TRENDS 5-9 development strategy for these areas: to make the best of their Emancipating the Mind strong points to develop labour-intensive industries and an Underlined export-oriented economy, and to expose producers to Hainan to Feature Market international competition and accustom them to operating on Economy the international market (p. 14). China's Agricultural Policies Chanllengcd Regulations to Keep out AIDS China to Wipe Out IVIonopoiy Prices Enterprises Likely to Bankrupt Merged • Some enterprises and trade associations have been taking China's 10 Best Athletes in 1987 advantage of their new freedoms to raise the prices of their More Losing Firms Going Bankrupt goods. This damages the interests of the state and the Weekly Chronicle (hm. .25-31) consumer, and the State Council has recently issued regulations to curb these activities (p. 20). iNTERNATiONAL 30-13 Middle East: Efforts to Reuolve The Palestinian Problem Grain Production Under IVIany Pressures FRG-Czechoslovakia: A.New Starting Point in Relations • Handicapped by a growing population, shrinking available Nicaragua-US: Peace Efforts farmland and reduced investment, China's grain production Encounter Interference cannot keep up with the fast growth of consumption. The USA: Reagan- -Before the ultimate solution is to intensify farming and increase per- Curtain Falls hectare yield (p. 4). Zhao on Coastal Areas' Development Strategy lA Party Head Stresses Emancipation of the IVIind China Aims to Wipe Out Monopoly Prices 20 • Hu Qili stressed the importance of emancipating the mind. i China's Burgeoning Electronics I le criticized abstract argument over what constitutes socialism Industry 22 while the development of productive forces is ignored (p. 5). , Revaluation of NT$ Hits Taiwan's Exports 26 China's Burgeoning Electronics Industry i FROM THE CHINESE PRESS 28-29 BUSINESS/TRADE 30-31 • The new technological revolution and the mounting CULTURE/SCIENCE 32-33 domestic demand for electronic products have spurred China's TOURISM 34 electronics industry into a rapid growth. Successes have been COVER: An assembly line of colour scored in satellite telemetry and telecontrol, computer iclevisions at the Dongfcng Television development and new printing technology (p. 22). Factory in Beijing. Xu Xiangjun Published every Monday by Subscription rates (1 year): ,.. US$24.00 BEIJING REVIEW General Editorial Office Tel; 8314318 Australia A.$24.00 Canada.. ..Can.$23.00 24 Baiwanzhuang Road, English Dept Tel 831.5599 Ext 546 New Zealand NZ.$33.0a Beijing 100037 Distributed by China International Book UK £13.00 The People's Republic of China Trading Corporation (GUOJI SHUDIAN) P O Box 399, Beijrng, China Hi NOTES FROM THE EDITORS Grain Production: Today and Tomorrow by Han Baocheng hina produced just over 400 in agriculture in recent years has worked out specific measures, Cmillion tons of grain last year, also affected grain production. including increasing winter crops about 10 milion tons more than in The state's investment in in the warm south, and expanding 1986, but 7.3 million tons less than agriculture's capital construction the area of multi-crop cultivation, the record year of 1984. has dropped from an average 11.9 as part of the plan to expand land percent of its total investment in given over to grain by over 1.9 Handicapped by a constantly capital construction in the pre- million hectares to bring the total increasing population and shrin• 1979 years to about 3.4 percent to the 1979 level of 110 million king available farmland, China's today. The stagnation of grain hectares. At the same time, the agriculture has failed for three production has concerned the State Council has decided to consecutive years to fulfil its whole of China. With this in mind. increase investment by opening up targets, and found difficulties in Party Genernal Secretary, Zhao more channels through which to keeping up with the fast growth of Ziyang, stressed the importance of finance agriculture. consumption. In 1984, China's grain production at the 13th Party To mitigate the effects of a per-capita grain output averaged Congress last October, and at the growing population and shrinking 394kg, but it dropped to 376 kg medting of the NPC Standing farmland, the State Council has last year. The problem has been Committee just recently. decided to organize people to aggravated by a mounting de• reclaim wasteland under a unified mand for grain-related commod• The problem, however, is not programme, especially in the ities such as pork, liquor, beer and likely to be solved soon, since Three River Plain (the Heilong- other alcoholic drinks. Reduced raising the price of grain, to make jiang, Songhua and Wusuli rivers) grain output has caused animal it worthwhile for farmers to grow, in northeast China and the valleys feed shortages, price rises and a will cause repercussions right of the Huanghe (Yellow), Huaihe slump in pig-farming. As a result, across the price system and have a and Haihe rivers in north China. It pork has been rationed again in direct impact on people's living is planned to improve 670,000 the state stores of many cities, standards. The prices for farm hectares and open up another Beijing included. produce can only be raised in line 670,000 hectares of farmland in with the state's financial strength the northeast, and in the north to The slump in grain production and in such a way as not to improve 13 million hectares of is due chiefiy to the low price of damage living standards. This low-yield farmland by 1990. With grain in relation to other farm year, the state will continue to the completion of these projects, produce. In 1985, the state reduce the amount of grain it these two areas will be able to deregulated the prices of most purchases under contract and will supply 50 million tons more farm products, leaving them to also slightly raise the prices of commodity grain and many other find their market value. Grain, some of the contract grains. In crops. The State Council has set treated as a special commodity, is addition, strict measures will be up a land development fund with an exception, and its price remains taken to guarantee the supply, at the taxes on farmland, which will controlled by the state. Commod• state-set prices, of materials such co-ordinate the land reclamation ity grain, supplied to the cities, is as chemical fertilizers, insecticides, on a larger scale. bought on contract by the state diesel oil and plastic sheeting grain management departments In the long term, China's which are needed for commodity from the farmers, and is also agriculture will continue to suffer grain production. bought off contract as surplus the dual pressure of mounting grain at higher prices. However, demand and inadequate re• the low price of the contract China plans to produce 410 sources, and it seems the only way purchases is a disincentive to million tons of grain this year. The out is intensive farming, increas• farmers. Ministry of Agriculture, Animal ing per-hectare yield, and deter• Husbandry and Fishery, and local mined efforts to maximize grain In addition, reduced investment agricultural departments have output. g 4 BEIJING REVIEW. FEBRUARY 8-14, 1988 EVENTSARENDS whom belong to minority nationalities. Emancipating the IVIind Underlined The island is rich in natural resourses. More than 50 kinds of minerals are found there, and it n January 25 Communist Hu said it is necessary to urge also boasts tropical crops, marine Party leader Hu Qili stressed writers and artists to study O resources and tourist attractions. the importance of emancipating Marxism so that they may gain a However, because of its geograph• the mind, saying that the primary clearer understanding and a better ical isolation and some historical ideological task for 1988 should be capacity to analyze real life factors. Hainan's potential has not to achieve a deeper understanding without becoming confused by been I'ulK realized and it remains of Party General Secretary Zhao superficial appearances. an underdeveloped area, lagging Ziyang's report to the 13th Nevertheless, it is up to the far behind China's other coastal National Congress of the Commu• writers themselves to determine regions. nist Party of China. what to write and how to do it as To improve the situation, the He said that but for the process they engaec in their artistic 22nd meeting of the Sixth of intellectual emancipation creation, he said. National People's Congress started in 1978, the Party's current As regards academic issues and (NPC) Standing Committee, policies could not have been how to judge artistic creation, which took place last August 28- formulated and there would be no there should be an atmosphere of September 5, agreed on a proposal ongoing reform. democracy and equality which by then Premier Zhao Ziyang to Therefore, "only by further allows for free debate. • make the island a separate emancipating of the mind can we province. The proposal will be fully implement the guide lines of submitted to the first session of the the 13th Party Congress," he said. Seventh NPC.