i "Grand Bridge" Toothbrushes .,.. Packed ir~ parent boxes in inset-type ~ linjrs, . ;rand Bridge" :thbrushos are made in tastefull colours .and have. elqantshapes for easy and comfort-' able, use. An export • product with a ~ history of almost 30 years,' our , toothbrushes so~ well all over the i world. *i ~L ,2~i ¸ • Your ,.ord~ .. are welcome! China National' Light Industrial Products Import & Export Corp., Hubei Branch. Address: 99 Shengli Street, Wuhan, China Cable: INDUSTRY WUHAN Telex: 40119 HBLIC CN Jiangnan Paper Mill produces art paper with imported equipment. Product quality is up to international standards. A Look at Shanghai's Light Industry A corner of the Qianjin Garment Factory. The Shanghai No. 3 Bicycle Factory. The Shanghai Huaguang Brewery attaches great importance to introducing techniques from abroad. VOL. 29, No. 39 SEPT. 29, 1986" CONTENTS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK NOTES FROM THE EDITORS 4 ] ~:Far, SoGood~But.:.-: : ... :, ~ So Far, So Good. But .... ] EVENTS/TRENDS 5-9 • One of our edi,tors reviews the path China tias Good Prospects for Sino-Finnish followed since 1976, and discusses the question of its future Ties direction (p. 4). Wu Xueqian on the Namibia Question Red Guards: Yesterday and Today INTERNATIONAL 10-13 United Nations: UN General Assembly Meets • ProfessorJin Chunming commentson different views Egypt-Israel: Summit Meeting of the origins of the "cultural revolution" (p. 14). Improves Relations In a companion piece, an item in the "Events/Trends" Sudan: The Civil War: a Merely section looks into the experiences of former "Red'Guards" (p. Military Matter? 7). Latin America: New Paths to Economic Recovery What Caused the 'Cultural Revo- lution'? 14 End of Turmoil Brings Economic Growth 18 • A review of the country's economic development Post 'Cultural Revolution' Chro- during the decade since the "cultural revolution," focusing on nicle of Events (October economic reform and the open policy (p. 22). 1976-1986) 22 Democracy and Science Vitdl to Good Policy Making 28 Pictorial: Ten Years in Retros- [ ] pect (centrefold) BUSINESS/TRADE 30-31 CULTURE/SCIENCE 32-33 • In a recent speech Wan Li, a member of the Political LETTERS 34 Bureau and a vice-premier, stressed the need for genuinely COVER: Evening at Tiananmen Square democratic and scientific policy-making processes in a socialist on National Day. (Upper right) society. This, he said, should constitute an important step in the Farmers in north China celebrate a current political restructuring (p. 28). bumper harvest. (Bottom right) Hori- zontal economic associations, (Left) Published every Monday by Distributed by Chine Inlenl~)~ml Ikmk Sukariptt~ prtws (I year)= BEIJING REVIEW TNWlint C~ (GUOJI SHUDIAN), , Awtmlla ........... A.$ 22,00 USA US$~ 24 Boiwanzhuang Road, Boijlng P.O. Box 399, Boiling, China New 7.ealand.~.. NZ.$N.~ UK ........ £17.N The People's Republic of China Ca.ada ....... Can. $21.00 ! llrvi'ig-ll-Tffq ;|iI1 -=[OiS] 1#! So Far, So Good, But .... by Jiang Shanhao t was late afternoon on October continued unabated, a new cult of and a new round of political" ~ 9, 1976. A call came to the the new Party chairman was being chaos. But it turned out that Mao office that all Party members cultivated. The media continued Zedong was given an objective, occupying leading posts should to repeat that the "Great generally accepted assessment. assemble in the meeting room to Proletarian Cultural Revolution" Peasants in Shaoshan, Mao's hear an urgent inner-Party was a good thing, and that the birthplace, who were understand- message. The boss of my country had to "grasp class ably more sensitive on this issue, workplace at that time was a struggle as the key link." But composed a "Spring Festival veteran woman revolutionary. She people had had enough of all that. couplet" to put upon their doors: read out the message from her The whole nation was longing for "We'll never forget Chairman notebook, while trying to dispel a change. Mao for liberating us from the the smile on her face. "According The change came in the form of miseries of the old society. But we to information from higher the Third Plenum of the l lth owe our new prosperity to Deng authorities," she said, "Wang Central Committee of the Xifioping." This reflected the Hongwen, Zhang Chunqiao, Communist Party held at the end national consensus of opinion. Jiang Qing and Yao Wenyuan-- of 1978. The session criticized Others feared (or hoped) that the gang of four--have been "whateverism" and reinstated shi China was departing from Marx- arrested by decision of the Party shi qiu shi (seeking truth from ism. But gradually they are Centre." Dumbfounded, every- facts) as the Party's ideological coming to acknowledge that while body looked at her, waiting for line. It replaced "class struggle is Marx foresaw the coming of elaboration. "That's all," she said, the key link" with "socialist socialism, he did not, nor could he, "Please keep the information to modernization is the nation's first prescribe the specific form of a yet y.ourself for the time being." priority" as the Party's political non-existent socialist society. So if People moved out slowly. No line. It condemned the person- China is "departihg" from conversation. No cheers. But there ality cult and stressed the anything, it is not Marxism but the were occasional exchanges of sly importance of socialist democracy "orthodox" Soviet pattern trans- smiles and nods. A few young and a proper legal system. It also planted to Chinese soil in earlier colleagues, who had been more decided to speed up the develop- years. But even the Soviet Union' deeply influenced by the rhetoric ment of agriculture by initiating a now wishes to reform that of the "cultural revolution~' process of economic reform that is pattern That's good; we Chinese looked puzzled. now attracting worldwide wish them every success. The news spread fast on the attention. Then there were others who grapevine. Within a few days the To foreigners not well versed in thought that the heavy burden of a stocks of liquor and wine of all Chinese politics, the change of population of one billiqn would Beijing stores had been sold out. "lines" at the time seemed to be nullify any economic growth. Tens of thousands of families mere juggling with political Now they know that China is celebrated behind closed doors, slogans. But in fact it was a great successfully feeding 22 percent of scraping together their pork.ration turning point in the history of the the world's population on 7 coupons(1,000grams per head each People's Republic, and perhaps in percent of the earth's cultivated month) for a pitiable "feast." the history of China, too. The land. Some even say that China is But eventually the excitement open policy followed since then becoming a "major grain export- gave way to anxiety. For people has enabled me to meet many ing country." But that's being a realized that the turbulent previ- foreigners, both well-wishers and little too optimistic! ous decade had left the country critics, and to hear their views, Still others share our own with "problems and difficulties including doubts and criticisms, of worries about lack of funds and piling up like mountains." The the fast-changing Chinese scene. expertise for industrial develop- biggest problem of all was the still For a time many were worried ment. However, almost beyond dominant "whateverism" (what- that the Communist Party might our own expectations, collectively ever Chairman Mao said was launch a Krushchov-type "de- o~ned township enterprises and sacrosanct). And while the Maoification campaign" that privately owned "cottage indus- deification of Mao Zedong would create an ideological rift tries" are mushrooming through- 4 BEIJING REVIEW, NO_ 39 out our vast countryside, stimulat- heresies. ing and complementing the In the field of foreign relations, growth of the large state-owned many of China's friends, parti- enterprises. Not a few peasants cularly those in the third world, have become manufacturers of once suspected that the country sophisticated goods suitable for was drifting towards a tacit al- export. liance with the United States. But In most parts of the country, they have been relieved to see that people are working hard and China, after some policy modific- trying to find ways to achieve ations, is continuing to adhere to common prosperity. But every the principle of independence, rose has its thorns; too rapid judging every international issue growth has led to an "overheat- on its merits and refusing to toe the line of any big power. ing" of the economy and a host of region, where the economic troubles. On the two paramount issues of peace and development in our reform has been remarkably Earlier this year, some ob- time, China has adopted a more successful. If Beijing has pros- servers said that China's reform positive and participatory role. pered in recent years, there things programme had run into serious After careful reappraisal of the have moved ahead even faster. In difficulties and the "reformists" international situation, our policy- the ancient city of Nanjing I went had had to put the brakes on. It is makers have decided that a third to the once neglected "Worry-not true that the pace has been slowed world war is not inevitable and Lake," and found it cleaned up down to allow for "digestion and and packed with visitors. Canned consolidation" of former gains. that peace can be defended. The government is engaged in active beer and ice-cream sold like hot On October 1 this year, cakes. Colourfully dressed girls however, new labour regulations diplomacy, and exchanges of state visits with other countries proceed and their boy friends sang a will be introduced aimed at current hit: "No Worry, Worry eliminating the jobs-for-life sy- apace.