Role of the V/Orking Class
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A CHINESE WEEKLY OF NEWS AND VIEWS 8 May 4, 1987 Role of the V/orking Class A Look at the Taiwan Situation A Courtyard Photo by Li Jiangshu BeijingR^vir HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK VOL. .•^0. NO. 18 MAY 4. 1987 ^,sS ii NOfMt^FROM THE EDiTOftS 4 Workers" Viuii Interests Protected E^nStTS/TREN DS 5-9 Shows Closer Sino-Czecho- !*nvak Tics p. 14 p. 26 Concern Over Sino-Indian Border W^kers' Congress Plays Bigger Protecting Workers' Vital Interests Role Water Scarcit> Checks Develop- • Protecting workers' rights remains an important task for ment China's trade unions which, in the last few years, have helped Rcwi Alky: 60th Year in China defend workers' material and cultural needs. With their vital Marked interests protected, the workers will work harder, take a more > Private Businesses Have a Vital active part in reform and thus contribute more to socialist / Bearing modernization (p. 4). Weekly Chronicle (April 20-26) tMTenNATIONAL Inner Mongolia: 40 Years of Regional Autonomy PLO: An Important Step Towards Linity • Founded May 1, 1947 Inner Mongolia is China's first i Indonesia: C}olkars Expect Land• minority nationality autonomous region. In 40 years it has slide Victory made great strides in industry, agriculture and animal Argentina: 'Democracy !s Not husbandry. Chairman Buhe writes on the region's . Negotiable' achievements, problems and future plans. Our correspondent USSR-FRG: Spring Thaws Bilateral reports from Hohhot on the workings of regional autonomy, Relations (p. 14). Inner MtHtgotld: China's First iMitonomoas Reglcm 40 Years Old M A Close Look at Taiwan. iMier MonigoUa's Yesterday and Today 18 • Two articles on Taiwan are published here. One, a summary Current Economic Situation in of a recent Beijing forum, focuses on the changes in the island's Taiwan 22 political and economic situation in 1986 and its prospects for Taiwan Spnposlam: Scholars Take 1987. It is the consensus of the participants in the forum that j A Close Look 24 Taiwan's economic prosperity is ephemeral, while its troubles Role of the Working Class in the are real. The second article by a deputy director of the Institute New Period 26 of Taiwan Studies analyzes the recent upturn in Taiwan's economy, (p. 22). (centrefold) FROM THE C( 28-29 Charity Concert Conducted by Mr. Heath BUSINESS/ 30-31 CULTURE/SCIENCE 32-33 CHINA CALENDAR 34 • An unusual concert was recently given by former British Prime Minister Edward Heath in Beijing. All the donations for Cover:Buhe (Mongalian), chairman of the pcrRirniaiice will be spent on the construction of a the Inner Mongotia^ Autonomous rehabilitation and recreation centre for the Chinese Regional Government. handicapped in coastal Shandong Province (p. 33). Xu XIangJun Published every Monday by General Eoitorial Office Tel; 893860 Subscription prices ;1 year): USA US$22.00 ETBU* Deportment Tel: 890051-346 BEIJING REVIEW AvWfoti* A.$22.0Q Conoda Can.$2l.(X> Distributed by China Intermrtional Book 24 Kaiwon/huang Road, Beijing Trading Corporalian (GUOJI 5HU0IANJ Now Zwkind NZ.$30.00 The People'! Republic of China P.O. Box 399, Beiimg. Chno UK £12.00 m NOTES FROM THE EDITORS Workers' Vital Interests Protected by Xin Lin rotecting workers' vital inter• such practices as making workers Employees generally take an P ests remains an important task work overtime endlessly to active part in the democratic for China's trade unions which increase production, neglecting management of enterprises. This is have a combined membership of safety and wilfully punishing done mainly through the system of 90 million people. workers, which are all contrary to workers' congresses, which have As the leading class of the state policies. The wage level of the been set up in 380,000 enterprises country, workers in socialist nation's worker families has, since across the country, 80 percent of China face a different situation 1978, increased at an average all enterprises. The workers' from that before the founding of annual rate of over 8.5 percent. congress has the right to examine the People's Republic in 1949. At Culturally, the trade unions and discuss major decisions on the that time, the working class was protect workers' right to study, enterprise's production, manage• being ruled and oppressed. To and to have access to sports and ment and technology. It also has safeguard their interests, the other recreational activities. At the right to decide on major issues workers had to organize them• present, 30 million working people concerning workers' well-being; to selves into trade unions to wage are engaged in various forms of appraise and supervise the leaders; struggles against the old regime. spare-time study throughout the to make proposals about appoint• Today the state serves the workers country. In the early post- ments, rewards and punishment of and other labouring people and liberation years, 80 percent of the leaders; and to recommend and protects their interests. working people were illiterate; sometimes elect factory directors now 85 percent have reached (managers). But this does not mean that the secondary school level. Some trade unions no longer play a vital From 1984 to 1986, 80,000 enterprise leaders have under• role. Although the basic stands of enterprises across the country mined their employees' cultural the government and the trade introduced democratic elections life by turning workers' clubs and unions are identical, they have of factory directors and another libraries into warehouses, and different responsibilities, so they 150,000 enterprises began apprais• sports grounds into coal dumps. see things from different angles. ing the competence of leading Speaking for the workers, trade The bureaucratic style and the cadres. unions at the enterprises pressed wrongdoing of some leaders of Some enterprise administrative the administration to correct these government organizations and leaders still pay no heed to inappropriate practices. enterprises have meant that workers' demands for involve• workers' legitimate rights and As part of workers' particip• ment in management. They interests are often encroached ation in managing state and social wrongly believe that democratic upon. To counter this tendency, affairs, the Federation of Trade management would adversely the government and the trade Unions has sent representatives to afTect their ability to direct. They unions are both required to take part in the nation's wage and do not understand that without protect workers' interests, other• price reform groups, and has made full democracy, there can be no wise the trade unions will become its opinions known to the correct decisions or strong worker divorced from the workers, government departments con• support. Much remains to be done thereby also divorcing the Party cerned on the plans for enterprise to improve the democratic and the government from the reforms. In drawing up the management system. latter. provisional regulations on the When their vital interests are In the last few years, China's reform of the labour system, the guaranteed, the workers will come trade unions have helped the Law on Joint Ventures Using to a better understanding of their government defend workers' in• Chinese and Foreign Investment, role as masters of the state and terests materially and culturally. and the Bankruptcy Law for society. So they will exhibit a State-Owned Enterprises (draft), greater sense of responsibility. Materially, the trade unions the government consulted with the They will work harder, take a protect workers' legitimate and trade unions. Last year, 21 sets of more active part in the reforms, reasonable demands in wages, laws and regulations were worked make useful suggestions, engage in bonuses, housing allocation and out after opinions were solicited creation and invention and thus other welfare matters. The unions from the All-China Federation of contribute still more to socialist have done a great deal in stopping Trade Unions. modernization. • 4 BEIJING REVIEW, NO. IS • EVENTSARENPS Visit Shows Closer Sino-Czeclioslovak Ties zechoslovak Premier Lubomir have grown satisfactorily over the that there are no obstacles to CStrougal's six-day visit to past few years. The past is over. expanding bilateral relations, and China, starting April 24, represen• Let's move towards the future and Czechoslovakia and China can co• ted a major event in the two continue to do so," he added. operate well in all fields. countries' ties and will elevate Chinese Premier Zhao reaf• Sino-Czechoslovak relations to a Deng praised Czechoslovakia firmed China's commitment to new phase of development. for its achievements, saying that it better relations in all fields with The visit, the first by a top is ahead of China in science, Czechoslovakia in talks with Czechoslovak government leader technology and industry. Premier Strougal on April 24. in 30 years, came at a time when "You have a lot of things for us Zhao, who will go to Czech• China's relations with East to learn," he said. oslovakia and four other East European countries are warming Deng recalled Czechoslovakia's European countries in June this up. contributions when China was building its industrial foundation year, said that Sino-Czechoslovak In Beijing, Strougal met Deng in the 1950s and expressed thanks relations had enjoyed a rapid and Xiaoping, chairman of the to the Czechoslovak experts who obvious development over the Chinese Communist Party Central helped China in those years. past few years. "China treasures Advisory Commission, Li Xian- this development and is ready to nian, Chinese president, and Zhao On socialist construction and push the friendly and co-operative Ziyang, State Council premier and reform, Deng said the two relations between the two coun• acting general secretary of the countries have the common tries to a new height," he added. CPC Central Committee. The objective of building socialism. leaders briefed each other on the "However," he said, "the ways of He attributed the smooth situation in their respective building socialism should be progress of Sino-Czechoslovak countries and exchanged views on decided according to each relations to the common ground international issues of common country's actual conditions in• shared by the two countries.