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VOL. 34, NO. 6 FEB. 11-17,1991

Human Rights and Social Development Rights CONTENTS

[] The opinion that human rights are the precondition and the crux of a society is not a comprehensive summary of the notion of human rights, nor does it correctly expound upon the EVENTS/TRENDS 4-6 relationship between human rights and man's economic and CPC Guarantees Freedom of social development. This article discusses the evolution of the Religion concept of human rights as well as its role in a country's Gold Mining Gains New Impetus development process (p. 12). Beijing: Safe From Terrorism China Supports UN Meeting on Tlbetans Speak Out on Human Rights Issue Gulf War New Wholesale Rice Market [] Some Westerners allege that the Tibetan people have no Opens human rights at all. As the answer ultimately lies with Tibe- New Theory on Dinosaurs' tans themselves, our correspondent interviewed some Tibetans Extinction for their view on the subject during a recent trip to Tibet (p. 15). INTERNATIONAL Gulf Crisis Shakes Oil Market 7 The Potala Palace Under Major Renovation Japan's Mideast Policy Evokes Controversy 10 D The 300-year-old Potala Palace, Tibet's most famous build- CHINA ing, has been in danger of decay for many years. In order to On Human Rights and protect this valuable cultural structure, the Chinese govern- Development Right 12 ment has decided to carry out a five-year renovation project. Tibetans Speak Out on Human Begun in October 1989, the work is scheduled to be completed in 1993 (p. 19). Rights 15 Potala Palace Under Overall Renovation 19 BeiJlng, Safe Against Terrorism Changes in Previous Tibetan 'Lifelong Serf Village' 24 D Deputy Director of the Beijing Public Security Bureau recently told a news conference that no terrorist acts agaisnt FROM THE CHINESE PRESS 26-27 foreigners have occurred in Beijing since the Gulf war erupted. More foreign tourists came to Beijing in January than in the BUSINESS/TRADE 28-30 same period last year (p. 5). BOOKS 31

Gulf War Affects World O11 Market CULTURE/SCIENCE 32-33

[] The Gulf conflict will have a tremendous impact on world TOURISM 34 oil prices. The fluctuating of oil prices will partially depend on the final outcome of the war, but primarily depend on whether COVERI The Potala Palace. the allied forces are successful,in safeguarding Saudi oil fields Photo by Chen Zonglie from Iraqi missile attacks (p. 7).

General Editorial Office Published every Monday by BEIJING REVIEW Subscription rates ( 1 year): ] I [Tel: 8314318 24 BaiwanzhuangRoad, Beijing 100037 Australia ...... A.$ 30.50 I [ [ TLX: 222374 FLPDA CN The People's Republic of China New Zealand ...... NZ.$40.50 [ I FAX: 8314318 Distributed by China International Book ...... ,8.50, ~ English Dept. Tel: 8315599 Ext. 546 Trading Corporation (GUOJI SHUDIAN) ...... u$$3o.5o i P.O. Box 399, Beijing, China Canada ...... Can.$30.50 [ EVENTS/TRENDS

CPC Guarantees circles by protecting their legal exceeded the total reserves con- activities and rights while prev- firmed over the past 36 years. Freedom of Religion enting illegal activity or foreign During the 1986-90 period, infiltration in the name of reli- the country's gold production hina's religious circles have gion. grew at an annual average rate recently been assured of However, the general secretary of 11 percent. Last year's output c continuous freedom to en- promised that the Party's poli- was 17 percent more than the joy religious belief, while they cies towards religion would nev- previous year. should contribute to the coun- er change because of enhanced According to the conference, try's stability and development. administration and supervision. investment priority will be giv- This was the message from the en to developing state-run gold Party chief, Jiang Zemin, during mines in the upcoming five talks on January 30 with five years, especially those with high leaders from different religious output potentials. groups. With state investment, the Invited to the occassion were Gold Mining gold industry will launch 138 Zhao Puchu, chairman of the Gains New Impetus large and medium-sized projects Chinese Buddhists Association; during the Eighth Five-Year Ding Guangxun, chairman of c hina's efforts to boost its Plan period. Several large mines the Chinese Christian Patriotic gold production is gaining will be built in Guizhou, Liaon- Movement Committee; Chinese momentum with a govern- ing, Inner Mongolia and Xin- Catholic leader, Zong Huairen; mental promise of investing jiang. Daoist leader, Li Yuhang; and more money during the upcom- Investment will also be used Chairman of the Chinese Islamic ing five years. for the expansion of existing Association, Shen Xiaxi. According to the second na- gold mines in Hebei, Shangdong, The religious leaders aired tional work conference on gold Henan, Guangdong and Hubei their views and suggestions production, which opened on provinces. about the overall religious work January 27, the state will invest By 1995, the industry will have and expressed their willingness 7 billion to 8 billion yuan in gold 19 large gold mines each with an to contribute to socialist con- mining during the Eighth Five- annual production of one ton; so struction under the leadership of Year Plan (1991-95), nearly dou- far it has only five such mines. the Communist Party. ble the 1986-90 figure. The number of gold smelteries, Jiang noted that it is a basic China's gold industry has de- each with an annual output of policy of his Party and govern- veloped rapidly in the past five more than 5,000 kilogrammes, ment to respect and protect citi- years. Gold mine reserves were will increase to six. zens' right of free religious belief 2.7 times the figure of the Sixth Thus, the framework of the in- and their normal religious activ- Five-Year Plan (1981-85) and dustry's mass production will be ities, adding that the proper han- dling of religious issues was a A gold mining ship of the Gold Mining Bureau in Huanan County, Heilongjiang significant part of the construc- Province, at work. XUE CHAO tion of socialism with Chinese characteristics. As for the religious circles, the Party chief said, they should sup- port the leadership of the CPC and socialism, and conduct their religious activities within the framework of state law. Jiang told the religious leaders that the state intended to give more effective administration and supervision to the imple- mentation of the laws, regu- lations and policies relating to religious work. He believes that this will bene- fit both the society and religious

4 BE|J[NG REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 EVENTS/TRENDS

initially established by the end of clearly shows that the unrest in brought about serious environ- the Eighth Five-Year Plan. And the Middle East does not in the mental pollution. This in turn in the next decade, the country least affect foreign tourists' in- has damaged the marine biologi- will develop 10 gold production terest in China, Miao said. cal resources and disrupted the bases. by Staff Reporter Han Baocheng ecological balance, Li pointed In the next five years, gold out. He urged all parties con- production is expected to grow cerned to refrain from such acts. at an average annual rate of 8.7 Asked to comment on Japan's percent. This will increase Chi- decision to send self-defence na's credit rating and the coun- China Supports UN forces aircraft to the Gulf region try's ability to meet its debt obli- Meeting on Gulf War to evacuate refugees and to don- gations. ate another US$9 billion towards Indiscriminate gold mining A Chinese Foreign Ministry the allied forces' efforts, the will be prevented, according to spokesman said on Janu- spokesman urged Japan to act the conference, as individuals ary 31 that China is in fa- prudently on these sensitive is- are now prohibited from mining vor of a UN Security Council sues. gold. Legal measures will be tak- meeting to discuss the Gulf is- Li also said he hoped Japan en to punish illegal gold miners. sues at an appropriate time. would make efforts to seek a Speaking at a weekly news peaceful settlement to the Gulf briefing in Beijing, Li Zhaoxing crisis. noted that many countries are On February 1, the Chinese making positive efforts for a Foreign Ministry denied a report Beijing.Safe peaceful resolution of the Gulf that China was attempting to sell war. "This is commendable," he arms to Iraq even after the em- From Terrorism said. bargo was imposed against Iraq. "It is also understandable that The accusation was contained in -O terrorist acts against for- some countries have called for a an article published in the Chris- eigners have occurred in UN Security Council meeting in tian Science Monitor on January N Beijing since the Gulf war their regard," Li added, in res- 31 by James L. Tyson. erupted on January 17, Wang ponse to a question about China's A spokesman from the minis- Dingfeng, deputy director of the attitude toward some third world try said the above-mentioned re- Beijing Public Security Bureau, countries' calling for such a port by James L. Tyson, resident said at a recent news conference. meeting on the Gulf war. correspondent of the Christian Because of the Gulf show- He said,"We have always sup- Science Monitor in Beijing, is down, some foreign embassies ported a peaceful settlement to "sheer fabrication." The in- and agencies in Beijing have re- the Gulf crisis through political formation department of the quested Chinese authorities to and diplomatic channels, and is Chinese Foreign Ministry has provide additional safety mea- also in favour of holding a UN given him a serious warning, the sures. Wang said the authorities Security Council meeting at an spokesman added. • responded by tightening up se- appropriate time to discuss relav- curity measures to protect tour- ent issues." ists and foreigners residing in In its first two weeks, the war Beijing. Wang added that stabil- has deprived many civilians of ity reigns throughout the metro- their lives and properties. "We New Wholesale polis. have deep sympathy with the vic- Rice Market Opens In 1990, the number of for- tims," Li said. "We once again eign tourists travelling to Beijing call on the warring sides to exer- ituated in Wuhu, a city in reached 1 million, none of whom cise maximum restraint so as to East China's Anhui Prov- suffered from violence. Miao save the people in the Middle s ince, the Wuhu Wholesale Lisheng, "deputy director of the East from an even worse disas- Rice Market opened in January Beijing Tourist Bureau, told the ter." 15, succeeding the Zhengzhou conference that tourism in Bei- The spokesman said the and Jiujiang markets which jing has not been affected by the Chinese government is deeply opened respectively in Henan Gulf war. More foreign tourists worried about the oil spill in the Province last October and in Ji- came to Beijing in January than Gulf. The enormous amount of angxi Province last December. in the same period last year. This oil released into the sea has The Wuhu market negotiates

BEIXING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 5 EVENTS/TRENDS and transacts rice according to mand for grain, Zhu Yuchen, an eggs uncovered in Nanxiong normal trade practice, market di- official from the China Nation- County, Guangdong Province, rector Li Dajun said. Various de- al Cereals Trade Corporation and hard tissues of gill-lamella partments and rural enterprises in charge of wholesale markets, creatures that lived during which are engaged in grain man- said that this year China plans the same era. Compared with agement, production, processing, to open another three wholesale modern-day chicken eggshells, supply and marketing can apply grain markets in Jilin Province, they found the amount of mag- for membership. Wuhan of Hubei Province and nesium contained in dinosaur Li said that the market is pri- Beijing. Meanwhile, he added, eggshells was 10 times lower than in today's unhatchable chicken- marily engaged in spot transac- China will improve existing mar- egg shells and about 30 times tions, but will also deal with ket facilities with loans from the lower than in hatchable eggsh- wholesale transactions of futures World Bank. • ells. (within a year). Rice and other Jiang explained that this indi- grains and cereals can be traded cates the hereditary gene struc- on the market through nego- ture of dinosaurs had insuf- tiations and auctions. Purchase New Theory on ficient levels of magnesium. prices are allowed to fluctuate Modern molecular biology within the framework of the Dinosaurs' Extinction proves that an animal embryo or state's guideline regulations, he plant seed contains more trace added. hinese scientists argued elements than the mature animal The Chinese economic circles that defects in hereditary or plant. In the genetic infor- consider the establishment of the c gene structure accounted mation carrier, the nucleic acid, Wuhu rice market as a step taken for the extinction of dinosaurs, there are many elements such to reform China's grain purchas- although some died of heart di- as chromium, iron, zinc, man- ing and selling system. seases. ganese, magnesium, copper and Since China decentralized Dinosaurs, which thrived dur- nickel. All these elements, chief- state monopoly on grain transac- ing the Mesozoic Era (225 mil- ly magnesium which is called tions in 1978, the government lion to 65 million years ago), "the seed of life," may affect the stability of metabolism and has combined state plans with were the largest land creatures structure of the nucleic acid. It market regulation allowing peas- ever to live on earth. But after means that the lack of magne- ants to sell surplus grain on the 140 million years of dominance, sium in oviparous animals would open market after meeting their they suddenly became extinct in result in underdevelopment of state-fixed quotas for the deliv- the late Mesozoic period. In or- their ovums or deter their em- ery of grain. In recent years, the der to unravel this great mystery, bryos from maturity. development of grain production scientists worldwide have come Crustal movements caused has led to a constant increase of up with one theory after another. earthshaking changes to occur grain sold on markets. But be- during the Mesozoic period. The cause of the absence of standar- Many attributed the pheno- shift of chemical elements and dized grain wholesale markets, menon to "competition failure," substances generated tremen- the transactions often went be- "parthenogenesis" or "climate dous changes in the environ- yond control, causing prices to deterioration." Some believed ment. The chemical analysis of fluctuate sharply, therefore dam- that the dinosaurs died because 1,700 rock samples collected pening the enthusiasm of grain of "sudden change brought about in South China, where the producers and managers. by a celestial body's collision dinosaur-egg shells were found, Now, wholesale grain markets with earth." indicated the levels of sodium, have achieved expected results in Jiang Jiuyu, an associate re- aluminium, magnesium, iron, ti- stimulating grain circulation and search fellow, and his colleagues tanium and phosphorus in those rocks decreased over time. stabilizing prices. The spot tran- from the Institute of Geochemis- The findings by Jiang and his saction of grain concluded on the try of the Chinese Academy of colleagues have been brought to Zhengzhou wheat market two Sciences, based their new theory the attention of Chinese ex- months after its opening totalled on a recent study of trace ele- perts from geochemical, geo- 140,000 tons. On the opening day ments found in dinosaur eggsh- palaeontological and celestial of the Wuhu rice market, a total ells. chemical circles. They said that of 100,000 tons of rice were trad- Jiang and his group made spec- their research has provided new ed, satisfying both purchasers trum analysis of 11 chemical ele- convincing evidence to exploring and sellers. ments found in the shells of the mystery of ancient animals' To meet the increasing de- 70-million-year-old dinosaur extinction. •

6 BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 INTERNATIONAL

Gulf Crisis Shakes Oil Market

by Cen Youjiu

The eruption of the ecent major fluctuations by 4-5 million barrels per day. A of oil prices on the world serious worldwide oil shortage Gulf crisis, touched R market are the result of ensued, prompting a dramatic off by Iraq's a chain reaction triggered by rise in oil prices. At one time the Iraq's invasion of Kuwait last price skyrocketed to more than invasion and August. Without the invasion US$40 a barrel, a level equalling annexation of and subsequent Gulf war be- the peak years of the 1980s. Last tween Iraq and the US-led mul- August, after the invasion, the Kuwait, has tinational forces, the average oil price stood at US$27.61 per bar- seriously disrupted price of US$18 per barrel, set by rel, 50 percent higher than the the Organization of Petroleum preceding month. the oil market, Exporting Countries (OPEC), The shortage prompted OPEC causing drastic . was expected to have lasted well member states to increase their into 1992. oil production to meet the de- price fluctuations. mand, resulting in a balance be- This makes it Damage Done tween supply and demand. Ac- cording to statistics, crude oil difficult to predict The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait production by OPEC countries oil price prosp~ects prompted the United Nations to after the increase reached 23 impose a trade embargo against million barrels per day, about for the 7990s. Iraq, which in turn led to an the same level as the pre-crisis abrupt suspension of oil supplies OPEC production. However, the

The author is council mem- ber of the Chinese Society for Middle Eastern Studies and professor of petroleum econo- mics at the Institute of Afro- Asian Studies, Beijing Univ- ersity. Victim of the Gulf oil spill.

BEI,IING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 7 INTERNATIONAL unpredictability of war allowed the increased production by non- the war will certainly lead to the psychological factors and specu- OPEC oil-producers and the destruction of Saudi oil fields lation to dominate the oil mar- worldwide decline in demand and future skyrocketing prices. ket. As a result, although supply for oil, a greater glut will inevit- In other words, the dramatic and demand was held in balance, ably appear. In that scenario, oil high gyration of oil prices has oil prices fluctuated vigorously, prices will drop drastically to ar- been the result of the threat of a phenomenon rarely seen be- ound US$15-20 a barrel. This war, and psychological and spe- fore. For example, although will delay for one or two years culating factors. After the war OPEC allowed its members to the advent of a time when OPEC erupted, OPEC members such as produce more oil than their as- once again will assume control Saudi Arabia, the United Arab signed quotas last August, the over the international oil mar- Emirates and Venezuela in- stationing of US-ted multina- ket. creased their oil production to tional troops in Saudi Arabia make up the difference created and neighbouring countries and War Impact by a suspension of Iraqi and Ku- the increased danger of war sent waiti oil exports. The daily out- the average price for West Texas The US-led multinational put of OPEC members except Intermediate (WTI) crude oil to troops launched a sudden air as- for Iraq and Kuwait soon US$39.66 -- US$41 at its high- sault against Iraq on January 17, reached 23 million barrels. est point -- per barrel in the 1991 after Iraqi President Sad- Therefore, no oil shortage but an fourth week of September 1990 dam Hussein refused to with- oil glut is visible in the current from US$27.45 in August, a draw from Kuwait by the Jan- international oil market. 44-45 percent increase. In late uary 15 deadline set by the 2. The oil reserves of Western October, when rumours came United Nations Security Coun- industrialized nations are ad- that Iraq might pull out of Ku- cil. The final outcome of the war equate to meet their demands wait, prices drastically dropped. will be a decisive factor in deter- for several months. It was re- Such fluctuations were the di- mining oil prices. ported that Western industrial- rect result of possibilities of war The rise or fall of oil prices ized countries had taken ad- or peace. depends on whether the US-led vantage of OPEC members' ov- The increase in oil prices multinational attack on Iraq is erproduction of oil before the caused by the Gulf crisis and the successful, the oil fields in Sau- crisis and the sluggish market to increased production beyond as- di Arabia and the United Arab stockpile tremendous supplies of signed quotas by member states Emirates are destroyed, and par- oil. At present, the Organization of OPEC have laid the founda- ticularly on the degree of des- of Economic Co-operation and tion for a drastic drop in oil truction of oil fields and the Development (OECD) has prices once the crisis is over. length of the war. stored 470 million tons of oil This is because the rises have If the allied forces are success- --the import volume of 150 days triggered slight recessions in the ful in the war and the US anti- which can meet 100 days of con- West, which reduced the increas- missile system can play its pow- sumption in OECD countries. ing demand for oil that has exist- erful role in protecting Saudi oil Besides, the United States has ed there in recent years. The fields from Iraqi missile attacks, 600 million barrels of strategic US economy, for example, has oil prices will slump. The prices reserves capable of making up slipped into a recession after of WTI will fall to US$20 per the daily shortage of three mil- eight consecutive years of barrel and the spot OPEC basket lion barrels for 200 days. The growth, a peacetime record. As of crude oil prices below US$18 International Energy Agency a result, oil consumption has per barrel for a period. This is (IEA) had declared before the dropped considerably. Oil con- because: war that once the outbreak of sumption last October dwindled 1. During the five months war suspended oil production in by 5.5 percent compared to the prior to the Gulf crisis escalating the Middle East, it would prov- same period of the previous into war, international oil prices ide the world market with 2.5 year. Once Kuwait and Iraq re- skyrocketed and then fluctuated million barrels every day. US sume their oil production to pre- at a high level. As mentioned President George Bush also stat- crisis levels, and the current oil above, except for an oil sup- ed that he would use US strateg- producers refuse to reduce their ply shortage within less than a ic oil reserves in the event of a production, an oil glut of more month following the Gulf crisis, war. than 4 million barrels per day the fluctuations indicated the 3. The economic recession in will occur. Taking into account fear of buyers and sellers that Western countries has decreased

8 BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 INTERNATIONAL

demand for oil. According to that Iraq had destroyed some of to rise to US$23 per barrel. This IEA statistics, the world's need Kuwait's oil fields and the US- estimation is based on the fact for oil will reduce by three mil- led multinational troops would that if Iraq wins the war, its lion barrels per day this year, not win the war in a short presence in Kuwait will be per- because the oil price rise has time. The WTI price rose from manent and its position in OPEC slowed down economic growth US$20.4 per barrel on January will be strengthened. As OPEC and led to the introduction of 18 to US$24.55 per barrel on member, Iraq has repeatedly energy-saving measures. Thus, January 23. called for increases in oil prices; even with the Gulf war cutting Oil prices will certainly skyr- However, if the multination- supplies by three million barrels ocket if Iraq destroys not only al troops win the war, the spot per day, the world market will all of the oilfields in Kuwait but price of US$21 per barrel set by maintain a balance between sup- also part or most of the oilfields OPEC will plummet to US$15 ply and demand without using in Saudi Arabia while the and perhaps even lower. The its oil reserves. ground forces of multinational price of WTI will drop to US$18 4. Under such circumstances, troops are drawn into the war and probably even to US$15 per if the multinational forces and suffer heavy casualties in barrel. In the following two or achieve success and the oil fields their attack against Iraqi forces three months, the spot price of in Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Ara- which appear unexpectedly dif- oil will rebound to a level of bia are not destroyed, both the ficult to defeat. If that situation US$21 per barrel and fluctuate buyers and sellers may expect a happens, oil prices will probably around US$18 per barrel. suplus of 4.5 million barrels per jump as high as US$30 and even The reasons are as follows: day and a fall in oil prices when to US$40 and US$50 per barrel. First, oil reserves of four oil the war is over. Oil prices will remain high and producers in the Gulf -- Saudi Clearly, the interaction of the fluctuate at an escalated level Arabia, the United Arab Emir- above circumstances contributed for a long time. ates, Kuwait and Qatar -- ac- to dramatic changes in Brent The reasons for the possibility count for 40 and 55 percent of oil prices which increased from of a price hike lie in the fact the world's and OPEC's total re- US$30 to US$33.5 per barrel in that if that situation occurs, the serves respectively. Their sur- the first day of the Gulf war and world market will experience a plus capacity accounts for more then plummeted to US$19.05 shortage of 4 million barrels of than 80 percent of the OPEC's per barrel in the second day and oil per day. In addition, the spe- total surplus capacity. Present- further dropped US$2 in the fol- culating psychology of some peo- ly, Saudi Arabia and the United lowing days. Oil prices will con- ple will result in a surge in Arab Emirates alone account for tinue falling if the Operation oil purchases which will lead 47 percent of OPEC's total oil Desert Storm of the US-led mul- to skyrocketing oil prices and output. Including Kuwait's out- tinational forces to liberate Ku- stimulate worldwide demand for put which will be restored after wait is successful. The price of oil. Moreover, the strategical oil the war, the oil output of five oil will probably fall to US$15 stock of OECD nations is only OPEC members in the Gulf will per barrel. equivalent to the amount of reach more than 50 percent of However, oil prices will rise their imports of five months. OPEC's total output. As the ini- and fall alternatively if the war Their oil stock will be inad- tiators of the new OPEC low- lingers on for a long time, such equate to meet their demand if price and quota strategy, these as for two or three months, dur- the war is protracted and heavy countries have always taken ad- ing which the ground war is damage is inflicted on the oil- vantage of their surplus capaci- deadlocked and under the condi- fields in Saudi Arabia. Of ty to stabilize oil prices around tion that Iraq's attacks on Ku- course, this scenario is highly US$18 per barrel. Therefore, if waiti and Saudi Arabian oil unlikely because the multina- they win the war with the help of fields does not significantly af- tional forces own a decisive edge the United States, West Euro- fect the world's oil supply. If in military strength. pean countries and Japan, they such a situation occurS, the price If Iraq is successful in the war, will certainly further strengthen of WTI is estimated to swing oil prices will demonstrate a ten- their alliance with these coun- around US$20 per barrel. The dency of decreasing in the first tries and use their surplus capac- swinging range will be between couple of months of the postwar ity to stabilize oil prices at about US$15 to US$29 per barrel. For period. However, after that, they US$18-20 per barrel. This will example, oil prices increased im- will rebound to the price of speed up economic growth in the mediately when it was reported US$21 per barrel and continue West, promote a steady increase

BEIJ[NG REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-1"/, 1991 9 INTERNATIONAL in worldwide oil consumption bet countries. This will lead to a war, such as the fall of economic and rapidly restore OPEC's con- fluctuation of oil prices around growth rate and oil demand in trol over the world oil market. US$20 per barrel, between the West, .both of which are un- Second, with the end of the US$15 and US$25. Reports say favourable to the restoration of Gulf war, Iraq and Kuwait will that Iran has planned to increase OPEC control over the market. gradually restore their oil prod- its daily output to 5 million bar- It is expected that once the war uction and exporting. Then, if rels next year, up from its cur- ends, influenced by the slump of those OPEC members which rent 3.5 million barrels, and oil price, economic growth rate have produced extra-quota oil to Kuwait will also ask to enjoy in the West will increase and the preferential treatment on its meet the market's demand dur- oil demand in the global market ing the crisis do not reduce their quota so it can make up for its will return to its level prior to extra-quota production, a buy- losses during the Gulf crisis and the crisis. This will allow oil er's market with a glut of 4 mil- war. Consequently, OPEC will lion barrels a day will appear. face more difficulties when at- prices to gradually rise and be- Thus oil prices will slump drast- tempting to reduce its oil output. come relatively stable again. It is ically. However, it is more diffi- Third, the slump of oil prices also estimated that oil prices will cult to reduce than increase out- since the start of the war will return to pre-crisis levels within put. It is estimated that great offset a series of medium- and one or two years and that price efforts will be necessary to bal- long-term consequences result- fluctuations will be similar to ance the oil market by redtic- ing from soaring oil prices dur- those experienced in the year or ing the output of OPEC mem- ing the Gulf crisis before the two before the crisis. •

Japan's Mideast.Policy Evokes Controversy

by Zhang Guochen

fter the Gulf war broke port planes from its self- ditional financial contribu- out, Japan's "Middle defence forces to the Gull tions. East contribution pol- On the issue of further don- During talks with his Ja- icy" has once again become a ations, politicians wondered ff panese counterpart Ryutaro popular topic of debate among it was constitutional to give Hashimoto on January 20, US Japanese politicians. money to the allied forces, Secretary of the Treasury Ni- At the January 18 Diet ses- and, if money was provided, colas F. Brady urged Japan to sion, convened one week ear- how much would be appro- make more financial contribu- lier than originally scheduled, priate and where it would tions to the Gulf war which political parties had intense come from. "match Japan's national pow- debates concerning the two Japan provided the mul- er." major policies Japan may fol- tinational forces with US$2 The Japanese treasurer pri- low in the Gulf war -- one, billion last year. Now that war vately told the United States giving more money to the Un- has erupted in the Gulf, the that Japan was willing to add ited States-led allied forces, United States has called on another US$5 billion to the and the other, sending trans- the Japanese to make ad- contributions it had made al-

I0 BEIJ-ING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 INTERNATIONAL

ready, but Americans rejected However, the opposition over its decision to dispatch the offer because they consi- considers that any financial self-defence forces transport dered the amount too small. aid to the multinational forces planes to the Middle East. Ko- A US congressman argued inflames the Gulf war and meito Chairman Koshiro Ishi- that the small amount the Ja- constitutes a violation of the . da said that the party could panese government was pre- Japanese constitution. As ev- not agree to the US$9 billion pared to contribute towards idence, Japanese jurists have being used for the purchase of the Gulf war was an illustra- cited the following reasons: weapons and ammunition. tion of Japan's less than who- -- The multinational With the situation in the lehearted co-operation with forces, after all, are not UN Gulf escalating quickry, some the multinational forces. troops prescribed in the Unit- members of Japan's ruling It was reported that the con- ed Nations Charter; party, the Liberal Democratic gressman (whose name was -- The.UN Security Coun- Party, began advocating the not given) cited the example cil resolution, which permits reinterpretation of the Ja- of a private Japanese firm, "the use of all necessary panese constitution. This re- National Electric Corpora- means," does not specify that presents a new development in tion, which could afford the force must be employed; favouring the deployment of 5.5 billion dollar price tag to -- The Japanese donation troops abroad. purchase MCA, a giant Amer- does not go to the United Na- Moreover, for the first time ican entertainment conglom- tions, but directly to the Unit- in history a senior official' of erate. ed States. the Liberal Democratic Party Under pressure from the Since the outbreak of the described Article 9 of the Ja- United States, the Japanese Gulf crisis last August, the panese constitution, which sti- government announced on United States has repeatedly pulates the renouncement of January 24 that it would give called on the Japanese to con- war, as the "utopian unina- an addtional US$9 billion in tribute money, materials and tional pacifism." He said, "Ja- financial support to the mul- even personnel. The US am- pan's self-defence forces can- tinational forces. bassador to Japan said that Ja- not be left out of the new But where the money will pan is capable of doing more mechanisms created to con- come from worries the Ja- in the Gulf than just donating tribute to world peace." panese people. Jiji (the Ja- money. These statements and the panese Current Affairs News Accordingly, Japanese government's attempts to use Agency) said that it seems Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu the Gulf war to send troops "inevitable" to increase oil, proposed to the Diet (parlia- overseas cannot but arouse vi- corporate and tobacco taxes to ment) on January 18 that gilance among the public at raise the necessary revenue. transport planes of the Ja- home and abroad. This proposal has drawn sharp panese self-defence forces be The Iraqi ambassador to Ja- criticism from opposition par- sent to the Gulf to help eva- pan stated in explicit terms ties, the Consumers Associa- cuate refugees. The first of that Japan has made itself an tion and ordinary people even Japan's four civilian planes enemy of Iraq by taking such before it was formally put for- chartered by the government action. He also declared that ward, because this will cer- left Tokyo on January 25 for Iraqi troops would surely tainly be an increased burden London en route to Cairo bring down Japanese trans- on the Japanese people. for refugee evacuation opera- port planes used for carrying As for whether Japan's don- tions. Three other civilian refugees. This remark has cast ation to the multinational planes also left for Cairo on a dark shadow over Japanese forces violates its constitution, January 26. public opinion. Some newspa- "the Japanese government con- Japanese opposition parties pers have asked if the self- tends that these forces are act- were quick to initiate their at- defence forces would fight ing in accordance with the tack on the government's pol- back if such a possibility ac- United Nations resolutions icy towards the Gulf war. tually arises. If they did, they and, therefore, the Japanese The Japan Socialist Party pointed out, then Japan would donation is for the restoration (JSP) accused the government become a belligerent state of peace. of acting in a "fascist" manner pure and simple. •

BEIJ-ING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 11 CHINA

On Human Rights and Development Right

by Guo Jisi

ecently there has been level that determines the extent be turned into reality primarily much talk about human to which human rights are guar- because of the lack of the neces- R rights and one oft repeat- anteed and not the opposite. Hu- sary economic and social founda- ed view is that human rights are man rights are not an absolute tions. the precondition and the crux of and abstract concept. Neither are Approaching the question a society. According to this view, they empty slogans. But their en- from another point, it is not true there can be no social tranquil- joyment is restricted by econo- that progress, economic develop- ity, progress and development mic and social conditions. The ment and a happy life depend on without the protection of human history of human progress irre- the introduction of a bourgeois rights and that only by protect- futably demonstrates that man- democracy and a Western system ing human rights is it possible to kind's higher spiritual demands of government. Currently, some safeguard world peace and prom- increase as productive forces de- third world countries have at- ote the economic and social de- velop and material living stan- tempted to introduce Western velopment of various countries. dards improve. These demands, democracy and copy Western This opinion, however, is not a however, can be met only with a capitalist political and economic comprehensive summary of what solid material foundation. Thus, models. However, these countries human rights mean, nor does it the presentation of the concept have not been able to develop correctly expound upon the rela- of human rights and its transfor- themselves and poverty still ex- tionship between human rights mation into a current interna- ists. Even in Western countries and a country's economic and so- tional issue of common concern which picture themselves as na- cial development. Instead, it in- is, primarily, due to mankind's tions of a high degree of demo- appropriately highlights the role economic and social progress and cracy and freedom and parade of human rights in society and the development of productive themselves as "guardians of hu- places it in a position above all forces. The industrial revolution man rights," their human rights else. Such a position is not only in Europe first promoted this lib- conditions are by no means per- theoretically untenable, but also eration of productive forces, led fect and complete. For example, lacks a convincing and factual to the birth of the new bourgeo- the Universal Declaration of Hu- basis. It is necessary, therefore, isie and the emancipation of the man Rights clearly stipulates to discuss the development of the mind. A challenge to traditional that everyone has the right to concept of human rights as well feudal royal and religious au- work. One should ask, therefore, as its role in a country's develop- thority arose, which put for- if there is any developed country ment process. By doing so we can ward such ideas as man's na- in the world that has solved the better understand the relation- tural rights and the equality of problem of unemployment and ship between human rights and human beings. Actually, these guaranteed its people the right to a country's social and economic ideas did not begin in modern work? Also, the problems of sex- development. society, and were not the "pa- ual and racial discrimination ob- I. Economic Development Is the tent" of Western countries. In viously run counter to the idea of Foundation for Human Rights the peasant revolutions which human rights preached in West- Human rights are closely relat- broke out in China and the rest ern countries and to the goal put ed to development--they are com- of the world, such slogans as forward in international human plementary and mutually prom- equality and equalizing social rights conventions. Clearly, the otive. Fundamentally speaking, wealth were raised. Such beauti- theory that human rights decide however, it is the development ful dreams, however, could not everything is untenable.

12 BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUAtRY11-17, 1991 CHINA

II. The Factors Affecting De- ly occur. Therefore, opposing regarding development should be velopment any form of power politics and aimed at narrowing, not expand- A variety of factors are needed safeguarding national independ- ing, the economic gap between for sound economic and social ence and state sovereignty are the North and the South. development of a country. They prerequisites for guaranteeing a The close relationship between include favourable climatic, geo- country's right to development. human rights and development graphical and human conditions. Also, the maintenance of a underlines the inseparability of These conditions are both subjec- peaceful and stable international human rights and promotion of tive and objective, internal and political environment and active- a country's economic and social • external, factors. It goes without ly promoting friendship and co- development. In order to raise saying that when people of a operation among countries are the level of human rights en- country enjoy full democratic important conditions of develop- joyed by a country's people, rights, their subjective initiative ment. At the same time, the gov- therefore, it is necessary to boost can be brought into normal play, ernment of each country must the economic, social and cultural and this is an important factor actively promote democracy and development of the people, so as for promoting the development the legal system and maintain so- to eliminate poverty and hunger of a country. Development is in cial stability and order, thereby and raise the nation's cultural the interests of all the people. It creating the internal basis for level. is necessary to stimulate the en- economic and social develop- There are some people in the thusiasm of all the people and to ment. While devising a develop- world, however, who pay undue ensure that every citizen can give ment strategy, however, a nation attention to a handful of domes- full play to their ability, partici- cannot mechanically copy the ex- tic anti-government forces and pate in the process of develop- periences of other countries in the "human rights" of so-called ment and have the equal right disregard of its own conditions, dissidents while ignoring the in- and opportunity to enjoy the because this does not help the terests and well-being of the fruits of development. But this is development of a country but broad masses of people. Since by no means the only decisive will make it go a roundabout they dislike the political, econo- factor. In terms of the natural way in its advance. It is counter- mic and social systems of a coun- environment, whether the re- productive to take a model suited try, they support a country's sources are rich, whether climat- for one country as a panacea and anti-government forces and try ic conditions are also favourable peddle it everywhere, to use the to apply pressure on the govern- and communications are conven- standards of one nation to judge ment. They create turbulence in ient are also factors which will another or to use the economic the country in an attempt to sub- influence a country's develop- systems of different countries as vert the legal government. Such ment. a universal standard for judging practice goes well beyond con- To develop, a country needs a a country's human rights. cern with human rights. It is not peaceful and stable international Along with the continued de- a real concern for the human environment, and its state sover- velopment of modern science rights of all the people but in- eignty and people's right to self- and technology, the world has stead adversely impacts the en- determination must be guaran- increasingly become an insepar- joyment of human rights by the teed and respected. Only then able entity. The interdependent people of that country. There- can the government of a sover- relationship among countries has fore, all countries, particularly eign state and its people work out become more and more evident. developed countries, in their dis- a development strategy in con- No country can develop in a cussion of the human rights is- formity with the nation's reality state of self-isolation. Therefore, sue, should, first, respect the and, in accordance with chang- international co-operation has political, economic and social ing conditions, make timely and become an increasingly impor- system chosen by the people of appropriate readjustments. At tant factor in the development of various countries and should present, world political factors a country, and the situation for adopt effective measures to eli- such as racism, colonialism and the developed countries is no ex- minate the unfair and unrea- hegemonism affect third world ception. Such co-operation, how- sonable international economic stability and development. These ever, is possible only when it is structure. Such a step will im- problems have not been eliminat- based on mutual respect, equali- prove the international economic ed and instances of foreign in- ty and mutual benefit. In parti- environment and gradually eli- vasion and occupation and en- cular, as the North-South prob- minate the unfavourable factors croachment on people's right of lem becomes increasingly promi- restricting the development of self-determination still frequent- nent, international co-operation various countries, particularly

BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 13 CHINA the developing countries. Only while the,important prerequisite inevitable product of mankind's when this is done will there for such protection, the right of economic and social develop- be genuine contribution to the a country and nation to inde- ment. It also reflects the reality promotion of human rights. pendence and development, is of international relations wher- IlL The Development Right Is, played down by every possible ein North-South relations have In Itself, an Important Human means and in some instances not become a prominent problem in Right even recognized. Obviously, this international relations. Changing History has proved that the is wrong. At present, the interna- the old unreasonable internation- concept of human rights is not tional community generally re- al economic order, realizing the immutable, but is, instead, being cognizes the development right development right and providing steadily developed and enriched as a human right that cannot be an effective guarantee for the along with the development of deprived. This is evidenced by economic, social and cultural society. Over the past 200 years the United Nations paying in- rights of the people of various or more since the slogan of hu- creasing attention to the question countries, thereby creating the man rights was raised by the of development right. The Unit- most basic conditions for the bourgeoisie in the 18th and 19th ed Nations Human Rights Com- people of various countries to centuries, the concept has under- mittee adopted a resolution in genuinely enjoy various human gone great changes. In particu- 1989, deciding to designate the rights and basic freedom--this is lar, over the past 40 years since question of development right as the common theme of developing the end of World War II, the a separate topic for discussion countries. United Nations has formulated and as an item which should re- To sum up, the determinism of dozens of declarations and con- ceive top priority and continued human rights turns the relation- ventions on human rights. As concern from the human rights ship between the protection of a result, the content of human council in examination and human rights and the develop- rights is no longer limited to the approval.A global consultation ment of the state and nation on purely personal right put for- on the question of development its head, failing to realize that ward in the early period of the rights was held in early 1990. individual rights and collective bourgeois revolution. It now in- The development right, as a rights are inseparable. While cludes the content of such collec- human right, is both individual stressing individual rights, it tive human rights as economic, and collective. It means, in addi- neglects the right of development social and cultural rights, devel- tion to the enhancement and im- opment right and the right provement of the living stan- and raises the role Of individual rights to an inappropriate level. to national self-determination. dards of the entire people, the Some experts and scholars have all-round development of the It must be noted that some divided human rights into differ- economy, society, culture, edu- Western countries, using human ent historical stages--i.e., human cation, public health, and social rights as a signboard, deliberate- rights of the first, second and welfare system of a nation and ly exaggerate the role of indi- third generations--and some the realization of social justice. vidual rights and adopt various have even put forward a view of It recognizes the interdependent means to apply pressure on de- human rights of a fourth genera- and inseparable relationship be- veloping countries, forcing them tion. Therefore, protection of hu- tween economic, social and cul- to change their current economic man rights not only means pro- tural rights and civil and politi- and social systems and accept the tection of citizens' personal de- cal rights. Western values. This is not only mocratic rights, but also the pro- The formulation of the devel- inconsistent with the lofty goal tection of the right of a country opment right is of great signific- of protecting human rights, but and nation to independence, sur- ance for it represents another conflicts with the purposes and vival and development. important supplement to and de- principles of the United Nations The determination of human velopment of the traditional no- Charter and with the basic tenets rights is usually confined to a tion of human rights. It has so of the international law on non- narrow meaning, setting some of enriched the concept of human interference in the internal af- the content of human rights (civ- rights that human rights are now fairs of another country. Such il rights and political rights) more in conformity with the cur- actions offer no protection for against other human rights such rent world situation. The emerg- human rights for they only ham- as the right to develop. In dis- ence of the development right per the development of the inter- cussing the protection of human not only is the desire of the de- national community and are rights, the focus is often placed veloping countries, it is also the detrimental to normal relations on certain individual rights, requirement of our time and the between countries. •

14 BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 CHINA

Tibetans Speak Out on Human Rights

by Our Staff Reporter Li Rongxia

ome people in the West dal lord monopoly economic sys- work for their owners without think the Tibetan people tem based on manors. Three pay and also had to hand in var- s have no human rights at kinds of lords--aristocrats, mon- ious kinds of taxes. Their econo- all. What are the facts? Since the asteries and temples, and the lo- mic position was so low that they answer ultimately lies with Tibe- cal government--joined togeth- did not have any kind of political tans themselves, reporters of Bei- er to become a serf-owner ruling rights. jing Review interviewed some class. Accounting for only 5 per- According to Puncog, Tibet Tibetans for their view on the cent of the Tibetan population, carried out a democratic reform subject during a recent trip to they nonetheless controlled near- of social system in 1959 and eli- the Tibet Autonomous Region. ly all the means of social produc- minated the feudal-serf system. tion, owned all the serfs and all The reform completely changed The Obvious Facts the wealth of society which the the life of the serfs, transforming serfs created. The serfs made up them into masters of society and Chapai Cedan Puncog, 69, has 95 percent of the local popula- of their own destiny. Since then, retired from his post as vice- tion but did not themselves have they have been able to enjoy president of the Tibetan Acade- any means of production. They all the civil and political rights my of Social Sciences and is now and their children belonged to guaranteed by the Chinese Con- an adviser of the academy and a their serf-owners. When they re- stitution. They have also enjoyed member of the National Com- gistered their newborn children, full rights in economic, social mittee of the Chinese People's the male child belonged to the and cultural activities. The re- Political Consultative Confer- father's owner while the female form thus brought them basic ence. to the mother's. Couples wanting human rights for the first time. Tibet, Puncog said, had a to marry had to get permission The Tibet Autonomous Re- feudal-serf social system before from their owners instead of gion implemented the people's 1959. It practised a feudal lord their own parents and, after mar- congress system after its es- dictatorship which combined riage, they still belonged to their tablishment. Under this system, politics with religion and a feu- former owners. They had to the Tibetan people have the right to elect those deputies and ad- Cering Lhamo and her daughter. LIRONGX~ ministration leaders whom they most trust. The local people's congress exercises the right of autonomy and the right to ad- minister the region. Many people who were serfs in the past have taken, up leading government posts and, today, 66 percent of the leading members at the re- gional and prefectural levels are Tibetans. Tibetans are not only eman- cipated politically but are also freed from economic oppression. Under the joint effort of local people and people from other areas of the country, Tibet has made much progress in the last several decades. Especially since

BELLING REVIEW, FEBRUARY U-17, 1991 15 CHINA

the age of 12. I spent nights in a cowshed with not enough clothes to keep warm. I didn't even have a bowl for food. I was always hungry, not even having butter tea. Instead, I drank tea made of a wild mountain plant. Ev- ery day, I had to finish whatev- er chores my owner assigned me. There was no freedom at all until the democratic reform in 1959 when I was emancipated. For the first time, I could control my destiny. I now enjoy all kinds of rights and have property of my own--0.4 hectare of land the government granted to me, a new house of about 30 square metres, a cow, six head of sheep, two

~ . goats and a horse." Recalling the past, she said, "I am grateful to the Communist Party. My parents gave me life CHEN ZONGLIE but could not decide my destiny. Cering Lhamo (first, left) and other members of her 12-household mutual aid team I became a serf and never had 30 years ago. the love of my parents. It is the Party which gave me a ne~ life. 1980, the regional economic con- in all fields and their standard of "I have tried my best to work struction has experienced a rapid living has been getting better and hard in order to repay the l~arty's development. The 1990 total in- better. kindness. I joined the Party in dustrial and agricultural output July 1961. I once worked as a value amounted to 1 billion A Serf-Turned Official commune Party secretary, depu- yuan, nearly five times the total ty secretary of the prefectural output before the democratic re- Cering Lhamo, 64, was a vice- Party committee and a member form. The grain output topped chairman of the Standing Com- of the Standing Committee of 600,000 tons, four times the total mittee of the Tibet Autonomous the county Party committee. In before the reform. The annual Regional People's Congress until 1976, I was elected vice- per-capita income of farmers and her retirement in 1984. We inter- chairman of the Standing Com- herdsmen was about 400 yuan in viewed the old lady at her home mittee of the Tibet Autonomous 1990. Industry, communications, in Zedang Township, Shannan Regional People's Congress. energy, culture and education, Prefecture. "Now I am retired and have a public health and other facilities In front of her house, she has comfortable life with a monthly have been greatly developed in sowr~ a plot with green veget- pension of more than 400 yuan. I Tibet. Today, the region boasts ables. The doors and windows of do not like staying at home. I a group of small and medium- her new house are drawn in col- always help village leaders with sized energy and building ma- ourful, traditional Tibetan de- some projects and try my best to terials enterprises and has esta- signs. Both in the outside court- do something for my villagers," blished a highway network with yard and inside the house every- Cering Lhamo concluded. Lhasa as the hub. The Tibetan thing is clean and tidy. region has 2,437 schools of var- She received 10,000 yuan from Aristocrat in Old Tibet ious types with an enrollment the government for retirement in of 160,000 and 95 hospitals that 1984. She then built her house Jingzhong Gyamcan Puncog, provide free treatment to the Ti- and now lives with her daughter. 64, is vice-chairman of the Ti- betan people. Talking about her life over the bet Autonomous Regional Peo- In the last four decades, Pun- last several decades, Lhamo said, ple's Political Consultative Con- cog said, the labouring people in "I was born into a serf's family. ference. Tibet fully enjoy human rights I was sent here by my owner at Puncog related how he was an

16 BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 CHINA

aristocrat in the old days, ex- news while shopping. Since the plaining that the first part of his news was not what the local au- name, Jingzhorig, denoted his of- thorities wanted to hear, they ficial position--the fifth of seven seized Qoiji Nyima, beat him high officials in the old Tibet and sent him into exile in Shan- government. "'I have worked nan. with both the old and new gov- "After the democratic re- ernments but, as you can im- form," Puncog continued, "the agine, the experience has been officials like myself of the old quite different," he said. "In the government who were born into old days, the serfs who made up an aristocratic family gained the 95 percent of the region's po- forgiveness of the labouring peo- pulation had no human rights. ple and were given important Even government officials had to positions in the new government. do what they were told or they Moreover, since the Communist would be punished. Today, both Party practises a democratic con- government officials and labour- sultative system, my colleagues ing people are masters of the and I could make many sugges- CHEN ZONGLIE country and enjoy the basic hu- tions to the local government. Jingzhong Gyamcan Puncog. man rights which all civilized The local government was res- societies should grant their citi- ponsive to our suggestions and diseases resulting from poor san- zens." tried its best to solve the prob- itation. I talked with the local Puncog told a story about Gax- lems involved. This was quite government about the problems. uba Qoiji Nyima who was a third different from the old society In response, the officials de- highest official of the old local in which government officials manded that the cultural relics government and was retired could not speak out nor voice be returned and money be ear- from the post of vice-chairman opinions. In 1987, I went to marked for the improvement of of the Tibet Autonomous Re- Qamdo and found that the cul- the environment of sanitation. gional People's Political Consul- tural relics of a monastery which "The region has more than tative Conference. When Si- were taken away during the tur- 1,400 patriotic people associated chuan, a neighbouring province moil of the 'cultural revolution' with old Tibet," Puncog said. of Tibet, was liberated in 1949, had not been returned. I also "They live comfortably now. he told his servants that the discovered that the people of a They always relay to the govern- Communists would soon come to county under the city's jurisdic- ment the views and opinions of Tibet. The servants spread the tion were suffering from many the masses and show their ut- ter devotion to the Party, shar- Chilei Dagyal. L1 RONGXIA ing their honour or disgrace with it. They have contributed their best efforts to the construction of new Tibet."

'1 Made the Right Decision' In a residentihl courtyard close to the Ramqe Monastery in downtown Lhasa, Chilei Dagyal, 53, who came back from Ne- pal together with his wife and daughter in 1985, was inter- viewed. "I left Tibet for India in 1959 when an armed rebellion took place," he said. "I lived on relief funds for the first six months and, later, worked as a: highway

BEIJ'ING REVIEW, FEBRUARy 11-17, 1991 17 CHINA

changed a lot. The low resi- The Rig ht to Vote dential houses were replaced by new buildings and there Puncog, 66, is from Dagar had even been new highrises Township of the Quxu County such as the Holiday Inn. The near the Lhasa River. Since Ti- market was flourishing and bet put into place the people's the shelves were full of goods. congress system after the demo- The people's living standards cratic reform in 1959, Puncog at had increased several times each election has conscientiously over. On the streets, the old exercised lais right to vote. people wore clean new Tibe- When the deputies to the coun- tan robes; the young people ty people's congress were elected were fashionably dressed. All last year, for example, he consi- appeared healthy and happy. dered carefully before finally de- Many ordinary people were ciding whom to support. Ja- working at leading posts at myang, the Party secretary of various levels. They enjoyed No. 6 Village, had done a lot for full democratic rights. What I his villagers and was respected saw in Tibet gave the lie to by the local people for his fair- CHEN ZONGLIE what I had heard abroad." ness. The deputy county magis- Emancipated serf Zhaxi Wangdui of Doil- Dagyal said that he stayed trate Qongda immersed himself ungdeqen County casts a vote for deputies among the masses and showed to the local people's congress. in Tibet for only two months although his passport allowed much concern for their standard builder. It was a hard life with 60 him to stay six months. "I decid- of living. He often helped them people living in a big tent. The ed to go back and move my home with their troubles and problems. two Indian rupees a day for my back to Tibet as quick as possi- Chagu, a prefectural school work were barely enough for ble," he added. teacher, worked hard to train the food. Two years later, I enlisted Chilei Dagyal returned to Ti- younger generation and for his as a "Tibetan soldier" and was bet in June 1985 after 26 years of effort won the respect of all the tricked into fighting the Tibetans overseas life. The local govern- people in the prefecture. For their work, they each won the in Ngari. When I left the mil- ment covered his moving costs vote of Puncog. itary forces 12 years later and and arranged a house for his "Election of the deputies to the went to Nepal, I made a living as • family. On New Year's Day ev- local people's congress is a ser- a carpet weaver. Later, I bought ery year and other holidays the ious matter and shouldn't be a house there and opened a small local government always sent done carelessly," Puncog said. store. Although I lived better in people to see whether everything "If it is done well, it will be a fair Nepal, I did not feel happy be- is OK with his family and they representation of the public. Oth- cause I was far away from my always brought the family some erwise, the interests of the masses hometown and my relatives. I butter, tea bricks and subsidies. and the state will be infringed missed them." "I was elected a member of the upon. Therefore, we should "In Nepal," Dagyal said, "I Lhasa People's Political Consul- adopt a serious attitude towards heard a lot of bad news about tative Conference in 1987," Da- the election and elect those who Tibet--the Tibetans did not have gyal said. "Many of my proposals really work for the people." any human rights and led a poor have been accepted by the gov- "In the past," the old man said, life. At the time, I had no contact ernment. I get a salary from the "my family and I were serfs of with my relatives in Tibet. In government and my wife and the Dana Manor. We had no 1984 a friend of mine met one daughter weave carpets at home. freedom at all. We broke our of my relatives in Lhasa. He Today, we have a better life. I back with hard work every day. brought me a letter in which my made the right decision." We were not provided with en- relative expressed the hope that I Lhaba Zhoima, an official in ough clothing and food and we would return and see the great charge of returning Tibetans, were always beaten. We had no changes which had taken place in says that since 1980 Tibet has human rights at all. Today the my hometown. received 7,000 overseas Tibetans •Party and the government give "I returned immediately to vis- on visits and arranged housing me the right to be treated as a it Lhasa and its surroundings. I for 1,600 Tibetans who returned human being. Now, we have a discov~ad that Lhasa had really to live permanently. happy life." •

18 BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 CHINA

Potala Palace Under Overall Renovation

by Our Staff Reporter Li Rongxia

ihe Potala Palace is Tibet's ing through a zigzaging corridor, the 5th Dalai Lama, covers some most famous building, its one reaches the Cogen Hall (east 660 square metres and is the larg- T architecture and beautiful hall), the largest palace in the est hall in the Red Palace. The frescoes are a display Of Tibetan White Palace, where the Qing hall consists of three stories, of wisdom. Today, more than 300 government minister chaired the which the holy pagoda is 14.85 years after its construction, how- ceremony for the official installa- metres high, and in it has been ever, the Palace is in danger of tion of the Dalai Lama. placed the embalmed body of the decay and, in order to protect Climbing up three more stories 5th Dalai Lama. this valuable cultural legacy, the one reaches the top of the White The holy pagoda halls of the Chinese government has decided Palace. The main building of the 7th through the 13th Dalai Lama to carry out a five-year renova- White Palace houses two bed- are in the same pattern as that tion project on the Potala Palace. room suites of the Dalai Lama. of the 5th Dalai Lama, differing Wherever one goes in Lhasa, Situated in a high terrain, the only in size. one can see the silhouette of the suites receive sunshine all day The holy pagoda halls are magnificent Potala Palace. Built long and so are called sunshine mostly decorated with gold pin- on Hongshan Hill in western hall. nacles which glitter in dazzling Lhasa City, the Palace is a clus- Going from the White Palace sunshine. ter of the world's highest ancient to the Red Palace, one passes The highest hall of the Red structures above sea level and a through the main building, the Palace is Sasong Nanje where Tibetan Buddhist shrine. Among Dalai Lama's holy pagoda hall, there is a portrait of Emperor all of Tibet's temples, monaster- and various halls used for wor- Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty ies and palaces, the Potala Palace shipping Buddha. and the emperor's memorial ta- is the most famous. The west hall, the Sixi Pungcog blet bearing inscriptions in The Potala Palace winds its Hall or the holy pagoda hall of four languages--Chinese, Tibe- way upward in accordance with the natural shape of the hill. Its The front of the Potala Palace. LIRONGX~ main building, 13 storeys and 110 metres high, is divided into two major sections: the side sec- tion, covered in white earth, is, not surprisingly, called the White Palace, while the centre, which is plastered with red earth, is called Red Palace. In the front of the Potala Pa- lace, a winding pavement with ladder-shaped balustrade leads up through a gate to Deyangxia (the east courtyard). This is a platform of 1,600 square metres. During auspicious occasions in the past, opera performances and sorcerer's dance took place there for the amusement of the Dalai Lama. Climbing up the ladder from the west of Deyangxia and pass-

BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 19 CHINA tan, Manchu and Mongolian. The Dalai Lama used to pay homage to the emperor's memori- al tablet every year, an act which indicated the Dalai Lama's su- bordinate relationship to the em- peror. In the north of the Red Palace are the Fawang Cave and Peba- lakang Hall, left over from the Songtsan Gambo period in the 7th century. Kept in the Buddhist hall were the statues of Songtsan Gambo, Princess Wencheng and other ministers, vivid and unso- phisticated statues which are pre- cious works of art handed down from the Tufan period.

Frescoes The many frescoes which cover the walls of large and small halls in the Potala Palace are fascinat- ing. There are 698 frescoes, all vivid and in bright colours, in the picture gallery on the second floor of the Sixi Pungcog Hall. They are extensive displays of rich Buddhist art and Tibet's unique landforms and scenery in which one sees not only the scene of the palace's construction, but also descriptive scenes of horse racing and shooting on horse- back. CHEN ZONGLIE On the northern wall of Da- A fresco on the second floor of the West Hall depicts a pastureland scene. song Geguodao Porch is depicted a scene of a crowd welcoming Tufan Zanpu Songtsan Gambo, Between 754 and 797, much of Princess Wencheng of the Tang who rebuilt palatial rooms for the the building was destroyed when Dynasty on her entrance into Ti- princess, as well as a city so lightning caused a fire. Also, in bet. On the streets are the horse that the princess could pass this the late years of the Tufan Dy- carts and guards of honour. A achievement on to descendants. .nasty, turmoil and the chaos of viewer seems to hear the crescen- Some 999 rooms were built on war brought destruction to the do of music as the town people palace. Only Gogde Zhabu (Fa- turn out to welcome the princess. the Red Hill in Lhasa. These, According to Tibetan histori- when added to the red mansion wang Cave) and Pebalakang cal records, in the early 7th cen- on the top of the hill, were the (Paba Hall) were preserved. tury, Tibet established the Tufan earliest buildings of the Potala The present Potala Palace was regime under the slave system. In Palace. Pious Buddhist believers rebuilt in the 17th century. The 633, when Tufan made Lhasa its compared this to Putuo Hill, the 5th Dalai Lama, leader of the capital, there were frequent con- shrine of Buddhism, hence the Yellow Sect of Buddhism, built tacts 'with the Tang Dynasty and name of Potala Palace for "pota- the complex of the White Palace active communications with the la" is a transliteration of Pu- during a three-year period begin- royal family of the Tang Dynas- tuoluo. ning in 1645 and upon its com- ty. In 64!, Princess Wencheng of It is regrettable that the palace pletion he moved his residence th~ Tafl~13~ynasty was rnarried to was not completely preserved. there. After the 5th Dalai Lama

20 BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 199I CHINA

in the western Sixi Puncog Hall and other places, one can see that the square wooden columns and dougong as well as the large roofs of Hun buildings add lustre to the Potala Palace. It is said that dur- ing the Songtsan Gumbo period, many Hun masons were invited to Lhasa to demonstrate their skill. When the 5th Dalai Lama rebuilt the Potala Palace, Empe- ror Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty sent 114 masons to Lhasa to help with the work.

A Potential Danger A visit to the Potala Palace reveals that holes have been bored in many wooden columns and a small medicine bottle hangs on each. According to lo- cal government officials, it is one method of preventing wood rot from setting in. Government officials say that most of the buildings of the Pota- la Palace are more than 340 years old. The oldest are the Fawang Cave and the Pebalakang Hall which were built more than 1,300 years ago. Since the Potala Palace was constructed mainly of stone, wood and earth, it is surprising that it has survived for so long. As a matter of fact, however, it is The holy pagoda for the 13th Dalai Lama. CHEN ZONGLIE clear to experts that the palace is now in great danger of collapse. passed away, the Red Palace was depict the history of palace con- As early as the time of the built in 1693 in order to comme- struction-stonemasons busy at ninth and tenth Dalai Lamas, the morate the holy pagoda where his work and labourers struggling Potala Palace was in a state of body was placed. with their heavy loads along the disrepair. The 13th Dalai Lama had some of the buildings main- The frescoes of Potala Palace mountain paths. Such techniques tained but unsafe conditions were used line drawing and evenly followed the traditional Chinese discovered during the time of the spread colour as the basis for mo- painting methods used for draw- 14th Dalai Lama. After Tibet's dels. The use of colour was parti- ing landscapes. peaceful liberation in 1951, the cularly skilful, giving a bold, un- Building methods for the Pota- central government and the local constrained, clear and exquisite la Palace were also influenced by government of the Tibet Auton- impression which embodied the Hun nationality. The golden pin- omous Region made routine ex- traditional characteristics of Ti- nacles and the complex dougong aminations of the Potala Palace. betan drawings. At the same (carved brackets supporting the In particular, since 1981, the time, they reflect, to different de- eaves from the columns), are the State Administrative Bureau for grees, the influence of traditional main decorative feature of Tibe- Museums and Archaeological Chinese ink and brush styles. For tan halls, temples and monaster- Data has adopted a series of example, a few drawings among ies. The upturned eaves were de- measures to protect the Potala the frescoes of the Potala Palace veloped from the Hun style and, Palace, allocatinga sp~£~nd

BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 21 CHINA of more than 1 million yuan, nance of the Potala Palace at public so as to increase safety and while the autonomous regional which it was decided that the endurance." government has invested an ex- Ministry of Finance would allo- Experts from the Timber Re- cess of 3 million yuan. But dan- cate 35 million yuan for a five- search Institute under the gerous situations have emerged year comprehensive maintenance Chinese Academy of Forestry repeatedly in the magnificent programme beginning in 1989. In Sciences, who were at the palace building because of long years of October 1989, the autonomous for work connected with. wood neglect. In June 1984, for exam- regional government made an preservatives, said that in order ple, a fire caused by a short cir- announcement regarding the to prevent rot, a series of neces- cuit after the old electric lines maintenance of the Potala Pa- sary steps had been taken. They had been gnawed away by rats lace. On October 11, 1989, a first conducted laboratory test of damaged the Qamba Buddhist grand sutra chanting ceremony insects in order to determine Hall. When the palace was struck was held in accordance with Ti- which insect killer to use, then by lightning in 1987 because there betan customs and religious rites, applied the killer five tosix times was no lightning attester on the and construction formally and finally used a freatment palace, the electric meter was .started. method of vacuum plus pressure. damaged, the telephone line was The renovations have unfolded At the same time, the water con- broken and four areas of the gradually with one hall after an- tent of the wooden structures is roof of the northern White Pa- other being repaired. Because the kept below 20 percent. Most of lace were damaged. work areas are narrow, it doesn't the wood was locally. produced. Local government officials say appear that large-scale construc- The Yingtan Timber ~ew Tech- that the State Administrative tion was taking place. Even so, nology Development ~orp. built Burean for Museums and Ar- some halls have been repaired chaeological Data has sent people and interior decoration is under many times to make on-site in- way. •vestigation into the conditions of the Potala Palace and that they Original Slyle Kept report renovations are urgently needed. The most serious areas in Local government officials say, need of repair are 61 main and 16 "The maintenance of the Potala secondary buildings, and the dan- Palace proceeded strictly in ac- ger mainly resulted from wood cordance with the principle of rot and rat infestation. 'maintaining the original condi- Since the structures of the Po- tion' and '.dealing with an emer- tala Palace were built one upon gency and reinforcing key pos- another, if a lower beam gave itions, and maintaining the key way, an upper floor would fall, a points,' in order to ensure that its pillar would sink and slant, ten- historical, artistic, scientific and ons would be out of joint and a economic values are not adverse- beam would crack. A dozen or so ly affected. halls have in this way been dam- "In compliance with this prin- aged. They include the holy pago- ciple, the building materials used da hall of the 5th Dalai Lama, for the maintenance are basically the hereditary hall of the Dalai the same as the original materials CHEN ZONGLIE Lama, the Fawang Cave and the in quality and specifications. A statue of Princess Wencheng in the East and West Halls. They face For example, the rotted wooden Potala Palace. danger of imminent collapse and, structures were replaced with unless renovations are done in wood, not other material. Cur- a timber preservative factory on time, the consequence could be rent renovations are required to the southern bank of the Lhasa irreparable. meet the standard that there will River and, at the same time, In view of this, the autonom- be no heed for minor repairs in treated existing wooden struc- ous regional government report- 50 years and major ones in 100 tures to kill insects and prevent ed the dangerous condition of the years. All new wooden material their spread. Potala Palace to the State Coun- has been treated against rot. An In order to protect the vivid, cil in September 1987. In March appropriate amount of new tech- colourful frescoes of the Potala 1988, the State Council convened nology and new materials will be Palace, a group of technical ex- a special meeting on the mainte- used in areas not visible to the perts were organized jointly by

22 BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 the Sichuan Cultural Relics Management Committee, the Henan Ancient Building Re- search Institute and the State Administrative Bureau for Mu- seums and Archaeological Data to cleanse and repair the frescoes. Whether the Tibetan cultural relics of the palace can be pro- perly protected is an important maintenance question. Jia Yang, head of the maintenance office, said that in the current mainte- nance programme, fixed-site cul- tural relics such as the holy pago- das would be wrapped up and protected, while movable cultur- al relics will be registered at the management office of the Potala Palace and stored. Once restored, they will be replaced in their ori- ginal positions. CHEN ZONGLI£ The exquisitely painted beams and rafters in the Potala Palace.

Buddhist Hall of the Potala Pa- artifacts have been moved. lace and is highly experienced. Renovation is being carried out in accordance with a definite Work Progress construction plan with each stage being checked and evaluated by Overall renovation is expected the concerned government de- to be completed in 1993 with 77 partment. buildings repaired in five years. While implementing the reno- The steps for renovation are: first vation plan, efforts are also made to keep up the maintenance of to protect the buildings of the the main buildings, the founda- Potala Palace and implement an tion and then of the auxiliary overall plan. There is a tgntative buildings and buildings above the ground, deal with any emergen- plan to place the ancient castle cies which might arise and then located in front of the Potala Pa- keep up maintenance on the ge- lace and other auxiliary buildings neral structures. under the management of the de: According to Jia Yang, over partment in charge of the protec- the past year and more since con- tion of cultural relics. It is also struction started, work has pro- proposed that residential houses be rearranged and the original A beautiful portrait of Tara. CHLN ceeded smoothly. Construction of ZONGLIE 12 projects have begun one af- gates of the ancient city repaired ter another, including removal of in order to create a magnificent In addition, a lightning device, 2,000 tons of garbage and clean- square in front of the Potala Pa- and an automatic fire alarm and ing. 126 square metres of fres- lace. extinguishing system will be in- coes. The cleaned frescoes are Jia Yang said, "Renovation of stalled. now dazzling brilliantly in col- the Potala Palace has caught the The unit responsible for the re- our. In regard to repairs which public's attention. We will work novation is the Tibetan Ancient affect the wall body or frescoes hard to fulfil this historical tasl~ Architecture Corp. which once with cracks, some 93.8 square so that the Potala Palaee~man's participated in the repair work of metres have been peeled off and, cultural treasure--will stand for- the Juglakang (Jokhan) and San- in halls where repair work has ever on the 'Roof of the World'." gye monasteries and the Qamba started, more than 5,000 pieces of s

BE1JING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 . 23 CHINA

.Changes in Previous Tibetan 'Lifelong Serf Village'

by Lu Xiaofei and Liu Wei Tremendous changes have taken place in the Tibetan langsheng (lifelong serf) village. The langshengs, who had no personal freedom to speak of in the past, are now freemen who have their own attractive and spacious houses, draught animals and land.

he manor of Benjor Hunpo, •matically. In 1980, the central Twenty new houses, all two- which lies to the south of government introduced the poli- storeyed buildings with a small T the Zongshan Castle in cy of rehabilitation in Tibet and yard, have been built on both Gyangze County of the Tibet exempted agricultural and pas- sides of the lane. Although they Autonomous Region, was form- toral areas from tax payment. In look a little disordered, even Pa- erly controlled by an aristocrat 1984, local farmers and herdsmen glha's house, which is located at named Paglha and was well were allowed to use the land dis- the eastern end of the lane and known among the nearly 100 vil- tributed to them and to own the was once regarded as the village lages in Gyangze. The current livestock raised by themselves. palace, is eclipsed by them. village head Lhaba Logyal used They were assured that the poli- Although it is endowed with to be Paglha's serf. During our cy would remain unchanged for good farming conditions, the recent visit to the village, Logyal many years. Since then, their Gyangze Plain used to yield only related stories about the past and standard of living has improved 750 kg of grain per hectare in the present of the village while we day by day. early days of the democratic re- sat around him on woollen car- At the entrance to the village, form because of the backward pets and drinking strong but- when Lhaba Logyal took us to a cultivation methods. When a tered tea. Benjor Hunpo is now a small courtyard, an old woman, 17-km long irrigation channel small village with only 43 house- Lhaba Jeba, greeted us. She also was built along the village's holds and a total population of was a former langsheng. Oppos- southern fringe in 1983, however, 290. Among the older gener- ite her new house, there still it enabled the village to irrigate ation, except for the 15 house- stands a row of old "langsheng 'its 67 hectares of farmland with holds which were Paglha's per- rooms," a black adobe house' the water of the Nianchu River. sonal serfs, the remaining 27 which was partitioned into 14 In the same year, in order to put households were Paglha's life- rooms, 4 square metres each. "In into practice the advanced agri- long serfs known as langsheng. the past, a langsheng family had cultural techniques for increas- They were only allowed to marry to live in such a small room no ing production, the Gyangze between themselves and so their matter how many members it County sent a large number of children were also langshengs. had," said the village head. "The agrotechnicians to the villages. The village was well known. tiny building housed as many as In 1990, the county fulfilled its Whenever its name was men- 14 families." The village main- target of more than 50 million kg tioned during the early days of tained the "langsheng courtyard" of grain and oils two years ahead the democratic reform in 1959, to remind future generations of of schedule and became the first people would quickly say "That's the bitter past. county on the Tibetan Plateau a !angsheng village." There is a lane winding west to with an annual output exceed- After the democratic reform, east through the village which is ing 50 million kg. Benjor Hun- however, the social status of the just wide enough for the village PO, whose production and living former langshengs changed dra- Jiefang-brand truck to get by. standards are average for the

24 BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 CHINA

county, fulfilled its target of farmwork, the other six children ist Party members and cadres to 4,500 kg of grain per hectare. have all received formal educa- take the lead to help them get rid The output of some experimental tion. One is a cadre in Lhasa, one of poverty. In response, each of plots in the village topped 7,500 a teacher in Xigaze, and two are the five Communist Party mem- kg per hectare. workers in Gyangze. Their third bers in the village chose a family Nyima Guzhoi and his wife daughter Zholgar is studying for- to help. Lhaba Logyal, who were also langshengs of the Pa- eign language in Qingdao, Shan- is also secretary of the Party glha family. An assistant of the dong Province while their fourth branch, chose the Qoizin family, village supply and marketing co- dauglater Qoinzang is a second- the poorest of the five. When operative, he is more educated grade student at the livestock de- Qoizin's husband, an ironsmith than most other villagers. The partment of the Tibet College of (considered a "black bone" un- couple live frugally, saving much Agronomy. der serfdom) died, she was left of their income to send their Last year, the village's per- with five children. Lhaba Lo- children to school. Except for capita income topped 900 yuan. gyal not only provided her with the oldest daughter who is doing The former langshengs have all technical guidance but also with moved into new, stylishly fur- improved seeds. He and his wife After the democratic reform, Nyima nished houses. Like others, helped her till the land. At the Gnzhoi, a former serf for life of the 73-year-old Lhaba Jeba has built end of last November, the grain Paglha family, became an assistant to her family earnings and posses- had already been threshed and his township's supply and marketing co- op. Now, he is retired. sions up from nothing. Now her Qoizin and her children were se- family is considered "middle lecting seeds when we visited her. class." Last year, one hectare of Qoizin was very grateful for the her family's land yielded 5,600 help she received, saying "Lhaba kg of grain and oils, "a record Logyal is a good man. I'm lucky high for the family," according to have his help." Last year, the to Lhaba. The family's per-capita total output of her family's 1.7 income from agriculture alone hectares of land reached was more than 1,000 yuan. When 6,250 kg. she shows off her barn, the old The Danzin family is another woman's happiness is evident. poor household in the village. "We owe all these to good policy The parents died and none of and scientific farming," she says. the six children is good at house There are five poor families in keeping. Danzin is a shepherd the village, and the county gov- and knows almost nothing about ernment called on the Commun- farming. Benba Norje, a new Party member and Nyima Guzhoi's new home and cows. also the deputy vil- Photos by CHEN ZONGLIE lage head, accountant and agrotechnician, decided to help them. Finding that the fam- ily was energetic but lacked technical skill, he taught them how to plough and sow seeds, mix the seeds with farm chemicals, spread manure and other field manage- ment techniques. With Benba's help, the Danzin family gathered an autumn grain harvest last year that exceeded the Con- tracted target by 500 kg. •

BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 3.5 FROM THE CHINESE PRESS

Main Tasks for 8th tioned above, reforms on the pro- from its original 20 hectares to cess of overall economic planning 40 hectares. They also cultivated Five.Year Plan and the structure .of the financial and introduced new ca~i,aies ,,1 system will also get underway. crops and improve the quality of XIN WEN BAO (November 3, 1990) soil. As a result the average per- (News Journal) mu yield has been maintained aP Shangquan, vice- Today's Dazhai above 500 kilograms for several minister of the State Com- years. G mission for Restructuring NONGCUN GONGZUO TONGXUN The villagers said, "To get the Economic System, recently (Rural Work News Report) prosperous you need both a good pointed out the main tasks for azhai is a small village in policy and the spirit of hard reform in the Eighth Five-Year Xiyang County, Shanxi struggle." Plan period (1991-95). They are D Province. However the re- (No. 10, 1990) as follows: cent years' reform in rural China --Deepen reform in enterpris- also brought great changes to the Expanding Market es and strengthen the risk- village, both in ideological think- bearing mechanism of enterprise ing and means of production, Regulations management, creating optional which greatly raised the level of conditions for the implemen- CAIMAO JINGJI people's standard of living. (Financial and Trade Economy) tation of certain measures which In production management, prove to be effective but lack re- Dazhai discarded the old leftist hinese economist Liao Jili quired preconditions. practices and implemented the suggested that after the re- --Accelerate the pace of price policy of combining collec- c markable achievements of reform, solve the problem of tively owned enterprises with economic readjustment have "double-track pricing system (the household-run enterprises result- been made, the regulatory role co-existence of state fixed price ing in maximum overall develop- of the market should be brought and the market price)," enlarge ment. In 1989, the net income per into full play by strengthening the concept of commodities and capita in the village reached 700 macro-economic control. This set up markets such as real estate, yuan, four times that of 1978. should be accomplished through technology, financial and stock The collective economy is also the following four aspects: markets. strengthened. In 1990 the fixed (1) Further revamping the --Perfect the macro-economic asset of the village totalled 3 mil- macro-economic control system control system by changing the lion yuan and its 1989 cash in- so as to balance the gross sup- present system of being responsi- come reached 0.4 millioo yuan, ply and gross demand of essen- ble for the finance, and gradually a 3 times increase over that of tial products. transferring it to a system of tax 1978. Although the land and cat- (2) Strengthening the manage- distribution; co-ordinate the rela- tle had been distributed to indivi- ment of banks to turn currency tions between the central and lo- dual households, the agricultural into a stabilizing and stimulating cal governments and combine the machinery and the enterprises set force in the economy. The pri- current system of being responsi- up in recent years remained col- mary task for the Central Bank ble for the finance with the lectively owned. The power of is to stabilize the cash flow. It system. Strengthen the Central collective economy has been should bypass administrative in- Bank's function of macro- greatly strengthened. Every year tervention and set up branches economic control and the mone- the village will pay more than according to economic zones tary and loan management. 50,000 yuan for the villagers to (such as the Yangtze River and ---:Accelerate the reform of the the government including an the Zhujiang River deltas), free social insurance system and hous- agricultural tax which has bene- from restriction imposed by local ing system. Build up a system of fited the villagers and promoted administrative organizations. By social insurance whose exPendi- the development of household- means of credit and interest rate tures will be shared by the gov- run enterprises. adjustments, the Central Bank ernment, enterprises as well as But the villagers have not should play the role of readjust- individuals. The housing reform abandoned the spirit of self- ing the relationship between sup- will centre on the partial com- reliance and hard struggle. They ply and demand and remedy the mercialization of real estate attached great importance to imbalance of the industrial struc- which, presently is considered farm land capital construction ture. strictly social welfare. and scientific farming. Now the (3) Giving full scope to the role Apart from the tasks men- irrigated land has been increased of the socialist market. A "social-

26 BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 FROM THE CHINESE PRESS

ist market differs from a capital- life desire is to see my child edu- appreciates neatness. He always ist market in that it is planned, cated and become a useful per- keeps his room clean and tidy. well-organized and under state son," the owner told the new Everytime I am going on a busi- guidance. In China, some people tutor, a student from the univ- ness trip he helps me with the tend to regard the market as a ersity, when they first met. luggage• He is premier in the gov- source of chaos. In fact, however, Another individual household, ernment but at home he is a mo- the chaos in socialist economies establishing a relationship with del husband," Zhu continued. Zhu Lin was born into a work- stems from a lack of macro- Shanghai Jiaotong University, went in for advisory service. er's family in Shanghai and suf- economic control. Adequate fered a lot during her childhood. macro-economic control will Through his introduction, ap- proximately 200 individual After the liberation in 1949, she surely keep the market in order, took part in the land reform ensuring it will not go out of con- households, within several movement in Sichuan Province. trol. We should further develop months, found tutors at the univ- In 1951 she entered the Harbin the socialist commodity economy ersity. Foreign Languages Institute to by combining our effort of open- Why do so many individual learn Russian. When she graduat- ing up to the outside world with households invite tutors? As one ed from the institute in 1955 these economic reforms. of them said, "We cannot receive she was dispatched to work as a (4) Fuelling the enthusiasm for a good education when we go into translator in a chemical plant in enterprise self-management and private business. Therefore, we Jilin City, Jilin Province. Later straightening out the relationship put our hope in our children, she worked in the fields of elec- between enterprises and the state. seeing to it that they are nurtured tric power and foreign affairs in Government officials have made and well educated." northeast China and Beijing. (November 13, 1990) In May 1984 she was trans- increasingly more demands on ferred to the Daya Bay Nuclear Chinese enterprises, dampening Power Station from the North their enthusiasm for develop- Li Peng and His Family China Electric Power Bureau. At ment under unified regulation. ZIJING present she is a director of the This situation should be rectified• (Bauhinia) Guangdong Nuclear Power Joint (No. 8, 1990) Venture Corp. Ltd. and director i Peng was born in Shanghai of its Beijing office. At the same Individual Households in October 1928. time she also serves as a council L Li's father, Li Shuoxun member of the Chinese People's Desire Tutors (1903-31), was one of the earliest Association for Friendship With members of the Chinese Com- Foreign Countries and council XINMIN WANBAO munist Party and a renowned re- member of the Chinese Women's (XinminEvening News) volutionary activist. On Septem- Development Fund. Li Peng and Zhu Lin have two ince 1990, some 1,000 indi- ber 16, 1931, Li Shuoxun was killed by the Kuomintang reac- sons and one daughter. vidual households have in- Li Xiaopeng, their eldest son, vited tutors from universi- tionaries at the young age of 28. s Li Peng's mother, Zhao Jun- was born in 1959. He graduated ties to assist themselves or their tao (1902-85), was a native from the North China Electric children, according to statistics of Sichuan Province. She had Power Institute in 1982 and now from 20 universities including served as member of the Nation- is an engineer at the Research Shanghai Jiaotong University, al Committee of the Fourth and Institute of Electric Power un- Fudan University and Shanghai Fifth Chinese People's Political der the Ministry of Energy Re- Teachers' University, which is a Consultative Conference and sources. Li Xiaolin, their daughter, was new trend in Shanghai. vice-president of the Beijing An individual household own- born in 1961. She graduated from Chemical Institute. She died of the Electrical Engineering De- er, engaged in repairing bicycles illness in Beijing on December on Pingliang Road in Yangpu partment of Qinghua University 14, 1985. with a master's degree in 1989. District, asked Shanghai Jiaotong Li Peng marled Zhu Lin in Bei- University to locate a tutor for Now she is an engineer at the jing on June 10, 1958. Beijing Bureau of Electricity his child. Knowing, from the "Li Peng is a good husband," Supply. newspaper, that this university's said Zhu Lin, "No matter who Li Xiaoyong, their second son, tutor recommendation service of- he is--ordinary cadre, minister was born in 1963, and is now fered 3-5 yuan per session, this or premier, he often helps serving as a Major in the Chinese particular man offered to pay up me with the household duties People's Liberation Army. to ten yuan per session. 'Tve whenever he has time." (No. 2, 1990) made money these years and my "Old Li is a tidy man who

BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 27 BUSINESS/TRADE

China's New Trade terprises implemented contract market regulation and expands management in 1988, allowances the scope of market regulation. System of this kind basically have been This enables China's trade system frozen. This year, however, to furthe~ suit international trade China's plan for further re, China will, according to interna- standard and helps participate in form and improvement of for- tional practice, cancel the allow- international exchange and spe- eign trade system has been re- ances for export products and cialization. Liu hopes that mem- cently approved by the State carry out the system of financial ber countries of the General Council. Liu Xiangdong, spokes- independence. Trade Tariff Agreement man of the Ministry of Foreign Liu added that China plans to (GTTA) to objectively appraise Economic Relations and Trade, change the proportion of the re- China's reform and restore its said at the news briefing held in tention of foreign exchange ear- seat in GTTA contracting parties January 23 that the purpose of nings carried out in accordance as soon as possible, by Yao Jian- the reform is, on the basis of the with localities, while implement guo regulation of Renminbi exchange the system of the unified reten- rate twice, to build foreign trade tion of the foreign exchange ear- enterprises' mechanism of full nings according to different com- Investment in China financial responsibility so as to modities. Some 20 percent of enable their trade to enter an or- foreign exchange from ordinary To Heat Up bit of the unified policy, equal goods including machinery and competitions, independent opera- electronic products should be An economist noted that a de- tion and financial independence, turned over to the state, 10 per- cade of reform and opening to and practise an agent system. cent to localities, 10 percent to the outside world has brought Liu said that since China car- production enterprises and the about an improved investment ried out the pilot system of finan- remainder to those specializing in environment and more favour- cial independence in 1988, it has imports and exports. Thus, the able conditions for attracting in- achieved successful experiences volume of retention of foreign ternational investment. China is in such undertakings as light in- exchange earned by foreign trade expected to be a hot spot for dustry, handicrafts and gar- enterprises will increase greatly, international investment in the ments. This year China plans to creating favourable conditions 1990s. implement the system of fin- for enterprise's management. In International investment has ancial independence in foreign order to stimulate foreign ex- increased in China. For example, trade enterprises in an all-round change regulation, when all the over the past three years China way. provinces, municipalities, auton- has attracted international in- At the meeting, he said for omous regions, foreign and in- vestment of nearly US$10 bil- the first time that China's ex- dustrial trade special import and lion, exceeding the total for the port products, in particular agri- export companies as well as oth- eight previous years. For this rea- cultural and sideline products, er foreign trade enterprises ful- son, he believes that in the are in the midst of unreasonable fill their foreign exchange and 1990s international investment prices, the gap between official purchase quotas, they are al- in China will double that of the Renminbi exchange rate and lowed to enter the market or join 1980s. market exchange rate as well as with other provinces in regulat- The economist said that Chi- of incomplete refund of duty ex- ing their remaining foreign ex- na's current economic readjust- ist. To enable these products to change. ment would not reduce attraction be competitive with foreign prod- In addition, management and of the international investment. ucts under the same conditions operational measures of import Since the second half of 1988, and gain foreign exchange to im- commodities will be unchanged. China's investment focus has port the necessary technology, To support domestic production shifted to such fields as agricul- equipment and other materials, and strengthen the comprehen- ture, energy, transport and com- China must provide a small sive operational capacity of for- munication, rolled steel, fertilizer amount of economic aid to some eign trade enterprises, China will and chemicals and raw materials. export-oriented enterprises for a moderate import scope and im- The shift has yielded dramatic certain period. Some 4 percent of prove the mix of import goods. returns. The rate of inflation the total export value in 1987 was Liu stressed that the reform is dropped from 18 percent in 1988 for aid, with 90 percent of this a major turn in China's foreign to 2.8 percent and the strained figure used for primary products. trade system. It reflects the prin- supply of power, coal, oil, steel However, since foreign trade en- ciple of planned economy and products, cement and other basic

28 BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 BUSINESS/TRADE

raw materials has been greatly eased. In addition, the supply Drop in US Textile of power and raw materials has Import Quota Minister on Chemical been improved and the costs of Export production decreased. Liu Xiangdong, spokesman of However, some investors have the Ministry of Foreign Econo- their doubts about China's invest- In a recent talk about chemical ment conditions and complained mic Relations and Trade, pointed exports during the Eighth Five- of Chinese banks--lack of guar- out at a press conference on Jan- Year Plan period, Chemistry antees for their investment. This, uary 23 that the United States' Minister Gu Xiulian stressed the the economist said, is a tempor- unilateral reduction of its textile following goals: ary situation resulting from read- import quota was unfair and of • Improve the mix of export justment and rectification. China great concern to China. products so as to realize a change is a developing country. In order Liu said that in mid-1990, the in exports from elementary prod- to maintain a proper scale and US side first popped the question ucts to processed goods and from speed of construction, it plans to of US imports of China's textile primarily processed products to alternatively use tight and loose products from a third country. intensively processed goods. regulatory measures. From the The two sides then conducted • Set up export bases specializ- long-term point of view, howev- many talks on the problem. ing in inorganic salts, tyres, bicy- er, China is bound to expand China has since paid much atten- cle tyres, rubber shoes, coatings, channels to accommodate funds tion to this question, seriously in- dyestuffs and fine chemicals. so as to attract more money for vestigating the charge put for- construction. At present, China • Expand export of chemi- ward by the United States and cal technology; export not only has already expanded the busi- then informed them of the result ness scope of foreign financial single-item characteristic tech- of our investigation. At the same circles in the special economic nology but complete sets of tech- time, the ministry took measures zones and economic development nology. zones. to further strengthen in-house • Expand the export market Investment forms have also in- management. for chemical machinery and creased. Chinese law allows for- It is understood, Liu said, that equipment. eign investors not only to use cur- the US side has unilaterally be- • Make full use of China's ad- rencies, materials and intellec- gan to reduce its quota of textile vantage in chemical designs, con- tual property as an investment imports from China. As both struction and installations, enter for the establishment of foreign- sides had not fully agreed to this international bidding for projects funded enterprises but also to step, Liu noted that the United and organize project contracts purchase stocks and bonds, lease States took action entirely on its and labour service export. or run small state-owned enter- own. This is unfair and is not in During the Seventh Five-Year prises, buy land-use rights and conformity with the "multi-fibre Plan period (1986-90), import develop or manage real estates. arrangement" and related stipu- Most of the above investment and export of China's chemicals lations of the Sino-US bilateral amounted to more than US$33 forms have been stipulated in the textile products agreement. country's law and some laws are billion, most of which were im- In conclusion, Liu Xiangdong ports. • being worked out. pointed out that textile products Speaking of the flow of the are China's major export com- international capital export, the modity to the United States and economist added that the propor- tion of capital exported by de- so the recent act by the United Co-operation Sought for veloped countries to developing States will certainly adversely af- 14 Projects countries will increase slightly. fect normal growth in Sino-US In Asia for example, investment trade. China, therefore, reserves from Japan, South Korea, Sin- the right to adopt appropriate Chinese Premier Li Peng, in gapore, Thailand, Taiwan and measures. At the same time, meeting with French friends on Hong Kong will expand in the China hopes that the United January 23, said that during the 1990s. However, China will also States will not adopt any rash Eighth Five-Year Plan period be a target of capital investment actions which could hinder Sino- (1991-95), China will renovate or from the above countries and re- US foreign economic relations build 14 petrochemical projects gions so long as it further opens and trade. with a combined annual output its doors to the outside world. • by Yao Jianguo of 2 million tons of ethylene. For-

BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 29 BUSINESS/TRADE eign businessmen are welcome to banks from a dozen or so coun- clients. compete and co-operate in the tries, and every year receives for- To meet international market ventures. eign commercial loans to the tune requirements, the factory each Kuang Yongtai, director of of several hundred million US year provides its clients with new Production and Management De- dollars. A short time ago, some products. The factory's whistling partment of the China Petro- banks including the Long-Term tea kettles, for example, were po- Chemical Corp. (SINOPEC) not- Credit Bank of Japan provided pular with foreign businessmen ed that the 14 projects are locat- SINOPEC with US$80 million in at the China Guangzhou Export ed in Guangdong, Jilin, Tianjin, loans for the expansion of the Commodities Fair held last au- Beijing, Hebei, Henan, Zhejiang, Qilu Petrochemical Co.'s ethy- tumn and, as a result, a dozen Xinjiang, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Hun- lene production. or so clients from six countries an, Liaoning, Gansu and~ Shang- The petrochemical industry is placed orders. A United States hai. The SINOPEC will under- a new industry in China and, al- Special Market Co. placed orders take to build three sets of large though China's annual ethylene worth US$150,000 and indicated ethylene, chemical fibre and production capacity has in- its wish to act as a sales agent. chemical fertilizer projects. creased from 480,000 tons in With strict quality control, 96 Kuang said the three sets of 1980 to 2 million tons, China percent of the factory's products projects, each with an annual still has to imports US$4 billion are of first class standards. For instance, the united States Kinna production of 300,000 tons of worth of petrochemicals, espe- Co. purchased 210,000 stainless ethylene, will be set up in Shang- cially processed chemicals. steel kettles in three varieties last hai, Maoming in Guangdong by Han Guojian year. Through a DI05 test by the Province and Nanjing in Jiang- United States navy, all products su Province. At present, the proved to be up to standards. pre-construction project apprais- Stainless Steelware for The factory's director Tang al has been completed and pro- Xingjie said that his factory posals for projects in Nanjing Export plans to offer more than 30 new and Shanghai have been submit- products at the Guangzhou Ex- ted to the higher authorities. The In 1990, the Shanghai Yue Jin port Commodities Fair to be held three large chemical fibre pro- Stainless Steelware Factory ex- this spring. Efforts will be made jects each with an annual output ported products worth a total of to further increase export. To this of 200,000-250,000 tons of po- US$4.0682 million. In the first end, the factory will set up an lyester are under preliminary ap- quarter of this year, it has signed office in the United States. praisal. In addition, the three export agreements worth US$4 In addition, the factory and a chemical fertilizer projects, each million and obtained US$2.01 Shanghai business will establish with an annual output of 300,000 million in new orders. a co-operative company in Mel- tons of synthetic ammonia and Attached to the state-owned bourne, Australia, which is ex- 520,000 tons of urea, will be built land-reclamation agricultural, in- pected to begin business this year. in Jiujiang in Jiangxi Province, dustrial and commercial system, by Han Baoeheng Yueyang in Hunan Province and the factory is the largest stainless Lanzhou in Gansu Province. steelware producer in China and News in Brief In addition to the above nine specializes in the production of The Representative Office of large projects, there are projects stainless steel kitchen utensils, ta- Korea Trade Promotion Corp. using funds collected by localities bleware and other daily appli- (ROKTPC) formally opened for such as a ll5,000-ton ethylene ances. Since it was completed and business at the China World project in Guangzhou. put into operation in 1980, the Trade Centre on January 30. Ron During the Eighth Five-Year factory has developed more than Jae Won is the office representa- Plan, China will continue to fol- 160 varieties of export products tive. low the economic retrenchment with over 500 specifications and On October 20 last year the policy. In addition to some loans has sold them to North America China International Chamber of granted by the state, funds need- and Europe. Commerce signed an agreement ed for new petrochemical pro- The factory has established with the ROKTPC in Beijing for jects will be raised in the form formal trade relations with 87 the mutual establishment of re- of international loans, direct for- clients in 25 countries and re- presentative offices. At present, eign investment, locally raised gions. With new designs, high preparations to establish a repre- funds and joint operation. quality, competitive price and sentative office of China Interna- SINOPEC has established timely delivery, the factory's tional Chamber of Commerce in trade contact with nearly 100 products have been popular with Seoul are under way. •

30 BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 BOOKS

NEWS IN BRIEF good introduction to the city's achievements in this field since 1949. Chert Xitong, mayor of Beijing, has described cultural relics in this way,"The cultural relics are Understanding Religions in China like magnificent and gorgeous pearls, shining in the city of Beijing." The pictorial is a collection Religion in China--lO0 Questions and Answers of the most representative relics of Beijing and First Edition 1990, 137 pages includes unearthed artifacts, ancient buildings Published by New Star Publishers Reviewed by K. H. Ting, President of China and the various exquisite museum-pieces in Bei- Christian Council jing. t gave me great pleasure to read and now to The collection of 250 colour photographs is recommend Religion in China--lO0 Ques- edited chronically into 13 parts based on China's I tions and Answers, recently published in dynastic changes. The pictures are certain to en- Chinese, English and French, a publication which thral the reader. Purchase of this 184-page, bil- gives a bird's eye view of the various religions of ingual pictorial for 116 yuan (approximately China. US$23) provides readers with an opportunity to It is often acknowledged that there is religious learn more about Beijing's cultural relics. freedom in China and the book goes far in sup- port of this assertion. It tells readers how religious groups enjoy their freedom and thrive and how Korean War Reaccounted they are solving all sorts of problems. This is not an argumentative but a factual dited by the Military History Department book. Its pesentation of facts goes a long way to under the PLA Academy of Military show that, while the leading political Party in E Sciences, the book War to Resist US Aggres- China is Marxist and atheistic in its philosophical sion and Aid Korea (in Chinese edition), one of assumption, atheism is not being thrust upon the the China Today series, has been recently pub- people. The Party believes strongly in the princi- lished by the China Social Sciences Publishing ple of a united front in which people of all shades House and is due to be distributed both domesti- of culture, tradition and faith can feel at home cally and abroad. and are given the freedom to play their roles The Korean War was a significant international working for the prosperity of the motherland. It event of the early 1950s and more than 2,320 implies due respect for minority characteristics, kinds of publications have been compiled on the including religious beliefs. The experiences of the subject. China, as one of the main participants of last 40 years have fully shown that, wherever and the war, however, had not published a book of her whenever this principle is adhered to, the people own before this current publication of 480,000 are more united and have a higher enthusiasm for Chinese characters came off the press. the country's modernization programme. The book fully recounts the activities of the It is gratifying to see that religion is a moral Chinese Communist Party (CPC), the Chinese force beneficial to the cause of China's construc- government and its leaders during the war. It tion. includes an analysis on the international situation I am glad to be able to say that there is good, in the Far East at the time by the CPC and the cordial relationship among the various religious forecast and preparations for the war and the bodies these years and I hope the book will be dispatch of Chinese People's Volunteers' partici- widely received because it can contribute to a pation in the war to resist US aggression and aid better understanding of the religious situation in Korea and defend the country. Chinese leaders China. such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Peng De- huai, who commanded Chinese forces in the war, Cultural Relics in Beijing their strategies and tactics are also discussed in the book. It also covers the frontline of diplomat- he Beijing Yanshan Publishing House has ic effort and the war mobilization of the Chinese edited and published the beautiful pictori- people. T al Belting Relics, due to be distributed in Rich in background material and pictures, it is China and abroad. The book examines the exten- not only a reference book of high value for Ko- sive culture and long history of the ancient capi- rean War experts but also a popular reader for tal city. The book's clear description of archaeo- those interested in military history. logical relics gives both Chinese and foreigners a by Xie Guojun

BELLING REVIEW, FF~BRUARY 11-17, 1991 31 CULTURE I SCIENCE

Chinese fortress city were dis- Ancient Civilizations in the Liaohe River Area covered in Xiaojiadian, Chifeng. Walls of earth and stone had fter a series of excavations jade sculpture. They also suggest been built to defend the city and research on ancient that there was a "Jade Age" be- against external attacks. In the cultural findings in nor- tween the New Stone Age and Aohan Banner area alone, 2,000 theast China, Chinese archaeol- the Bronze Age (about 4,000 such remains of ancient fortress ogists have confirmed that the years ago). cities have been found. The for- Liaohe River area is one of the In Xinglongwa and tress city is the oldest one to com- birthplaces of Chinese civiliza- Zhaobaogou, both in the Aohan bine city walls and moats to form tion. Banner (county) of the Inner an intricate defence system and Wonders of the Liaohe River Mongolian Autonomous Region, it provides important material --Ancient Civilization in the two cultural sites of the New for the study of the development Liaohe River Area, published by Stone Age, believed to be earlier of ancient Chinese cities. the Tianjin People's Publishing than the Hongshan Culture, were In the past 30 years, large House, is the first specialized discovered. Pottery whose de- numbers of bronze wares also work devoted to the introduction signs were different to those have been unearthed in the and study of this ancient culture, found in the New Stone Age re- Liaohe River area. The collec- dating back 5,000-6,000 years mains of the Yellow River area, ago. Describing a large number tion includes large bronze ritual was found. Archaeologists also of historical and archaeological vesselg of the 14th century BC excavated the remains of a materials, the author gives a de- and other bronze wares such as very unusual house whose door tailed account of the origin, con- swords, ritual and decorative ob- tent, and characteristics of the opened through the roof. Also jects used by horseback riding ancient cultures in the Liaohe unearthed were a stone engrav- tribes. These finds provide some River area. ing of a goddess (8,000 years old) insight into the ancient bronze The Liaohe River has its and a pottery figure of a female civilization in the Laiohe River source in the Yanshan Moun- head (7,000 years old). area. tains and flows through the In- The remains of an ancient by Hong Lanxing ner Mongolian Autonomous Re- gion and Liaoning Province, to- Violinist Bridges West and East taling 1,400 kilometres in length. In 1906, archaeologists, for the hinese violinist Liu Yuxi, Night is a solo composed by Liu first time, discovered cultural now an associate professor Tianhua, the father of modern relics of the New Stone Age in at the Central Conservato- Chinese music, in 1927. This Chifeng on the western reaches c ry of Music, has devoted much Chinese has a flowing, emotion- of the Liaohe River. After more of his time and energy to the al melody. On this occasion, than eight decades of excavations comparative study of Western Liu changed the piece from one and investigations, especially af- ter the work done in the recent music and traditional Chinese which was usually played on the ten years, archaeologists have ac- music. Recently, Liu gave a spe- erhu, a traditional Chinese string quired a basic knowledge of the cial concert, treating his au- instrument, to a violin solo, The past cultures in that area. dience to his latest works of second piece, How Could I For- The Hongshan Culture, also French and Chinese musics. get Her~ has been popular belonging to the New Stone Age, At the concert Liu first played among Chinese young people for was discovered at the Hongshan three French musical pieces: the several generations. The words Mountain near Chifeng, Liaon- tender, melodious Swan by Saint are taken from a poem written ing Province in 1935. It was a Saens; the elegant and mild by Liu Bannong, one of the typical agro-economic culture in Moonlight by Debussy in which pioneers of the Chinese New its advanced stage. In the 1970s, the Chinese audience found sim- Culture Movement in the early a number of jade sculptures ilarity between western impres- 20th century. Liu Bannong was and jade burial objects were sionism and Chinese musics; and influenced by Romantic Eu- unearthed here. After careful the Apres un Reve by Gabril- ropean poets, and the poem is study of these jade objects, ar- Urbain Faure which is refined rather emotional and touching. chaeologists have come to the and restrained. The music was composed by conclusiorr that the Liaohe River Then Liu presented three po- Zhao Yuanren, a great Chinese area was the source of Chinese pular Chinese classics. Tender linguist and composer who was a

32 BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 CULTURE I SCIENCE

close friend of the poet. Zhao the age of 12, he entered the Cen- erhu player. His father and two was the first Chinese composer tral Conservatory of Music. Af- uncles had been acclaimed as to borrow Western concepts and ter graduation, he became a "The Three Outstanding Lius." techniques, and although he used teacher in the school. In 1983, he During the Chinese New Cul- many Western musical forms in went to France and studied for ture Movement, all three distin- this piece Zhao retained the trad- about two years. He had per- guished themselves in literature, itional Chinese flavour. Liu Yuxi phonetics, history, national mus- formed on many occasions in ical education and English lit- adapted the musics for the violin. France and was well received by erature. They were all patriot- Lantern Festival is Liu Yuxi's the music elite. He also record- ic Chinese intellectuals. During own composition based on a ed two albums while in France their lifetime they made a great traditional banhu (an instrument --Beetoven's Violin and Piano contribution to the development similar to an erhu) piece. It de- Sonata and Chinese Violin Spe- of Chinese national culture. In picts the merry and exciting cial. His French tutor, Geraid May 1990, a memorial hall de- scene of the lantern festival in Poulet, praised him as being dicated to the Liu brothers was northern China's rural areas. "among the most promising viol- completed in their hometown In his performance, Lu Yuxi inists in the world." --Jiangyin City in eastern smoothly combined the playing Liu owes much of his success China. Liu Yuxi, with the spirit of skills of both the banhu and the to his family background. Liu his father's generation, is deter- violin to produce a harmonious Bannong, the poet, and Liu Tian- mined to carry on the family musical union. hua were his uncles, and his fath- tradition and make his contribu- Liu Yuxi was born to a family er, Liu Beimao, was also a re- tion to Chinese culture. of musical tradition. In 1951. At nowned Chinese composer and by Wang Jian

Liuqin Opera in a Mountain Village pects of the life of the farmers in the late 1980s. The Liuqin Opera, established iuqin Opera Drum and up an opera troupe; one man in the early 19th century, is one Gong of A Mountain Vil- feels upset that his girlfriend, of the local opera styles in China. L lage entertained audiences who becomes an actress in It owes its name to one of its at the Second China Drama and the troupe, would betray him. main musical accompaniment in- Opera Festival held recently in Through these people and ev- struments called Liuqin. Beijing. The opera was jointly ents, the opera depicts many as- by Hong Lanxing performed by the Liuqin Op- era Performing Troupe of XU ~IANGJUN A scene from Drum and Gong o.f a Mountain Village. Zaozhuang City and the Liu- qin Opera Performing Troupe of Tengzhou City, Shandong Province. The opera tells of the story of the villagers in a mountain village in southern Shandong Province who, with their life becoming more prosperous, begin to seek more leisure- time diversions. Young farm- er Ren Tianxi organizes his friends to set up an amateur opera troupe. The founding of the opera troupe leads to many happening in the vil- lage. Some people would rath- er open a restaurant than set

BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 33 TOURISM A Wonderful Ride Down the Shennong Stream

, Ot many people are brave zhu Gorge. A quiet and limpid sky. As one reaches the Changpiao enough to face the rapids world, the multi-coloured stones of the Yingwu Gorge, however, N and dangerous shoals in and pebbles seem asleep along the the river slightly widens, the rap- the Yangtze River. There is no riverbed while the river's move- ids slow and the water becomes danger, however, in a ride down ment provides an endless whisper- still enough to reflect the blue sky. the Yangtze River tributary of ing sound. The rhythmic sound of Visitors then have a chance to re- Shennong which winds through the sculls, clear and melodious, lax and get a glimpse of the clear the mountains and valleys. On a now and again startles the many waters which ooze from the Three ride down the Shennong, one en- birds found in the area. As the Colors Spring and create long col- joys the beautiful scenery without boat moves along, the boatmen's oured streamers on the river. having to undergo a hair-rising ex- "haozi (a work song sung in syn- The two villages of the hospit- perience. chronization with the movement able Tujia nationality have less The Shennong river originates of the boat) blends in with the than 200 households whose earth- in the southern slope of the high- harmonious cacophony of wild and-tile houses are surrounded by est peak of the famous Shen- goats and monkeys. bamboos and banana trees. Visi- nongjia natural reserve located in On the precipices above the riv- tors to the villages can drink a Badong County, western Hubei er, there are many bizarre stalac- Province. According to a legend, tites and karsts of varieds shapes liquor made with maize by the Shennong (Emperor Yandi), one and sizes. In front of the karsts, villagers, tour their water mill of the ancestors of the Chinese there are wails of stone and earth with the stone grinder and exam- nationality, was the first person to visible and along the face of the ine the primitive tools they use for drift down the 60-km rivulet. The cliffs one can see plank roads, extracting oil. Tourists may also story said that after Shennong signs of battles from long ago. It is enjoy a performance of Tujia took the time to gather medicinal there, also, high above the river, dance and drama and buy pre- herbs in Shennongjia, he contin- that the ancient people placed cious Chinese medicinal herbs, lo- ued his ride down to the Yangtze their dead. Within the Yanziqian cally grown orange and mush- River. Thus, the river was named cave, 80 metres in height and 30 rooms, as well as hand-made Shennong after him. metres in width, a visitor discov- weaved goods. Today, there is increasing tour- ers that numerous swallows have The National Tourism Admin- ist interest in the lazy 20-km river. made their home on the roof. istration is planning to develop the Precipitous cliffs stand on both Along the river, one often sees Shennong River as a new scenic banks, the highest being 800 monkeys climbing and running site of the Yangtze Three Gorges. metres. In the most narrow sec- about, wild ducks following their In recent years, many Chinese tion, the river becomes a stream boat and rock hawks hovering and foreign experts have highly only seven metres in width. Two over the gorge. Sometimes, people praised the area for its natural Tujia nationality villages divide are lucky enough to see large one- beauty. John V. Delp, an Ameri- the 20-km gorge into three metre-high owls standing by the can business agent in Japan, said areas of Mianzhu, Yingwu bank. River deers and goats are after touring the river, "I have and Longchangdong. common. There are also golden visited China 49 times, but this It is a unique trip down the riv- and silver soft-shelled turtles, pre- was the best trip of all" er in a pea-shaped boat. Thirteen cious red salamander and black On April 2 this year, the Shen- metres in length and 1.8 metres salamander. Bamboo stands high nong River will formally open for in width, the "pea-shaped boat" is above the luxuriant grasses and visitors. Tian Yuan, deputy direc- made of hardwood. The boat bot- bushes lining the shores. tom is flat and so seems to move The zigzaging stream, studded tor of Badong Tourism Bureau, over land when it glides over the with shoals, is also marked with said that main tour of the area will high rocks and through low wat- steep drops. The shoals hamper be a trip along the river. He added ers. Usually, five or six boatmen the drifting and add an atmos- that the "pea-shaped" boat will be are needed to control the boat with phere of excitement to the ride. used along with modern rubber the helmsmen or other boatmen The average depth of some 20 rafts. Already, a restaurant with jumping into the water to pull and shoals is no more than 0.5 metre Tujia flavour has been built. The push it through rough sections. while 30 other shoals have an av- restaurant provides dance and From Badong Port, it is a 36-kin erage drop of 1.7 metres, the high- musical performances by Tujia drive to the gate of the gorge and est being three metres. At times, youth and is planning to build a a two-km walk along the embank- the boat along the river reminds nearby swimming site. ment to the starting point of Mian- one of an arrow flying through the by Lou Linwei

34 BEIJING REVIEW, FEBRUARY 11-17, 1991 A~T P aGE

Engravings by Yang Yilei

Yang Yilei, born in Zhejiang Prov- ince in 1948, is now an art teacher in the Nantong Municipal Children's Pa- lace in Jiangsu Province. His richly composed engravings are created with bold lines and a vivid decorative tech- nique.

My Father.

A Girl and Her Toys. Warrior.

Ex-Libris. Birthday Party. We specialize in:

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