A CHINESE WEEKLY OF NEWS AND VIEWS

J3, No. 34- "August 20-26, 1990

China's Stand On Gulf Crisis Schiolar Discusses • 4 Current J0t i Issues MS*- In China

BeijingR^!i- VOL. 33, NO. 34 AUGUST 20-26,1990

CONTENTS

EVENTS/TRENDS 4-6

China Against Iraq's Invasion Sino-Foreign Cuitural Exchanges China, Indonesia End a 23-Year Chasm Li's Visit Enhances Ties With n In a recent interview with Beijing Review on China's cultur• Singapore al co-operation and exchanges with other countries, Liu De- News in Brief you, vice-minister of culture, stressed that China should study and learn from all the fine forms of art expression created INTERNATIONAL by other nations, be they ancient, modern or contemporary (p. 11). A New Era for Sino-Indonesian Relations 7 China and Singapore: Friendly Neighbours 9 China OpF>oses Iraq's Invasion of Kuwait Li Peng Speaks on Kampuchea and Gulf Crisis 10 • Chinese leaders on various occasions have said that China CHINA opposes Iraq's invasion. They call on Iraq to pull its troops out of Kuwait. China wants the UN Security Council resolutions Sino-Foreign Cultural Ties in for to be really implemented (p. 4). Bright Future 11 A Dream Comes True for a German Girl 16 China's Democracy and Scholar Discusses Democracy and Other Issues Future—He Xin's Conversation With Guy Sorman • In two separate interviews, He Xin, a Chinese scholar, talks Economic and Political about a wide range of topics such as China's democracy, the Reforms—He Xin's "June 4 incident," Marxism in China, economic and political Conversation With Barbara reforms and China's future (pp. 18 and 27). Alighiero 27 BUSINESS/TRADE 36

BOOKS 37 Li Peng Visits Indonesia and Singapore FROM THE CHINESE PRESS 38-39 • Li Peng, the first Chinese premier to visit Indonesia in 25 CULTURE/SCIENCE 40-42 years, and President Soeharto endorsed a memorandum of understanding on August 8 declaring the formal resumption COVERi A grand occasion as Italian op• of Sino-Indonesian relations. It marked a new chapter in the era star Luciano Pavarotti performs at relationship between the two countries. While in Singapore, Li the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and his host Lee Kuan Yew played the role of "road cleaners," (up). Members of a Peking opera troupe removing the last obstacles to the official establishment of from China receive a warm welcome af• diplomatic ties, which are to be realized in a few months ter a performance in India (below). (pp. 4-6). Photos by Li Shengnan

General Editorial Office Published every Monday by BEIJING REVIEW Subscription rates (1 year): Tel: 8314318 24 Baiwanzhuang Road, Beijing 100037 Australia 30.50 TU<: 222374 FLPDA CN The People's Republic of China New Zealand.. ..NZ.$40.50 FAX: 8314318 Distributed by China International Book UK ..CI 6.50 English Dept. Tel: 8315599 Ext. 546 Trading Corporation (GUOJI SHUDIAN) USA US$30.50 P.O. Box 399, Beijing, China Canada ..Can.$30.50 EVENTS/TRENDS China Against Iraq's Invasion hina has made it very clear that she is against Iraq's C invasion of Kuwait by vot• ing for Resolutions 660, 661 and 662 of the United Nations Se• curity Council," said visiting Chinese Premier Li Peng at a press conference in Singapore on August 12. China is opposed in principle to military involvement by big powers, Li continued, because it could only aggravate the already complicated situation. He said China held that the crisis should be resolved within the Arab Leaque and the Gulf Co-operative Committee. However, Li said, it was under• standable that Saudi Arabia had GUO ZHANYING taken some defensive measures CUnese PTemiei U Peng makes a speech at the welcoming banquet given by for the sake of its own security. President Soeharto in Jakarta on August 7. Li made a similar statement at a press conference in Jakarta on August 8, saying that China China, Indonesia End a 23-Year Chasm hopes the UN Security Council's resolutions on Gulf crisis "will hen Premier Li Peng's ments decided early in July to be really implemented." special plane touched reopen their diplomatic relations At home, Chinese President W down on Jakarta on Au• as of August 8, a move seen Yang Shangkun urged Iraq to gust 6 afternoon for a five-day widely as conducive to the peace respond to the opinions of the visit on the first leg of his three- and stability in the Asian region international community and nation tour, he became the first as a whole. settle disputes through negotia• Chinese top leader ever to visit During the conversation on tions, so as to restore peace to the Indonesia in 25 years and wrote August 7, Li said that China and Gulf region at the earliest possi• finale to a 23-year chasm in the Indonesia have a history of being ble date. Yang made the remarks in a conversation with Saudi Ar• relations between Asia's two invaded by foreign countries, abia's first Ambassador to China leading developing nations. and that both are facing the task Tawfiq Alamdar on August 7 in "Let bygones be bygones, and of developing their economies. Beidaihe, a summer resort by the let's look forward," Li said in That's why the two countries JBohai Sea. a two-hour private conversation need a peaceful international en• Yang said resorting to arms with President Soeharto the fol• vironment and a stable domestic and invading other countries lowing day. The latter was eager situation, he added. should not be allowed in interna• to agree. "Our two countries," "Since ancient times our two tional affairs. the president told his Chinese peoples have had the tradition of The fact that China had vot• guest, "should try to improve our friendly exchanges and cemented ed to support the UN Security relations in a forward-looking at• a profound friendship," he said. Council resolutions, Yang said, titude and not to leave a burden Indonesia was one of the first indicated that "we oppose Iraq's to our future generations." countries to establish diplomatic invasion and call on it to pull China and Indonesia esta• relations with the People's Re• troops out of Kuwait promptly, blished diplomatic relations in public of China, he noted. And so as to restore the sovereignty 1950. But these ties were sus• there was once a period of good and territorial integrity of the pended in 1967. Through friend• co-operative relations between country." • ly consultations, the two govern• the two countries.

4 BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 19M EVENTS/TRENDS

"We highly appreciate Presi• Li's visit to Indonesia as "a new stage. Chinese Premier Li Peng's dent Soeharto's wise decision on historical milestone in the rela• recent visit to Singapore is a resuming Indonesia's diplomatic tionship between our two nations clear indication of the two coun• relations with China," Li said. and countries." tries' enthusiasm for establishing "Persisting in the policy of re• On August 8, Chinese Foreign diplomatic relations at an early form and opening to the outside Minister Qian Qichen, who ac• date. world, the Chinese government companied Li to Indonesia, Li said that China is ready, is working hard to attain econo• signed a memorandum of un• together with the government of mic development and improve derstanding with his Indonesian Singajwre, to work for the fulfil• the people's livelihood," he ad• counterpart, Ali Alatas, to de• ment of this historic mission in ded. "China needs a long-term, clare the formal resumption of the spirit of mutual respect and stable and peaceful international diplomatic relations between understanding, which represents environment." China and Indonesia. the common aspirations of the Despite the vicissitudes in the The memorandum stated that people of China and Singapore. international arena, China will the government of the People's During his August 11-13 offi• steadfastly pursue an indepen• Republic of China appreciates cial goodwill visit, Li and Singa• dent foreign policy of peace and the position of the government of pore Prime Minister Lee Kuan it sincerely hopes to maintain the Republic of Indonesia in con• Yew exchanged views on bilater• and develop friendly relations sistently adhering to the one- al relations and international is• and co-operation with all other China policy and its recognition sues of common concern. countries in the world, Li said. of the government of the Peo• The two leaders expressed sa• "We highly appreciate the in• ple's Republic of China as the tisfaction over co-operative ef• creasingly important role played sole legal governmetit of China forts between the two countries. by ASEAN (Association of with Taiwan as an integral part "Singapore hopes China will Southeast Asian Nations) in in• of China. The two governments join the Asia and Pacific Econo• ternational affairs as a regional have reached the understanding mic Conference when she consi• group working for peace," the that Indonesia maintains only ders the time appropriate, and at premier added. "The Chinese economic and trade relations of the same time agrees to the par• government has always attached non-governmental nature with ticipation of the economies of great importance to the develop• Taiwan. Hong Kong and Taiwan," said ment of friendly relations and The memorandum stated that Lee Kuan Yew. co-operation with the ASEAN both governments reiterate non- On the Kampuchean problem, countries. recognition of dual nationallity Li stressed that any plan for solv• "Although China differs with for their nationals. ing the issue must have the "ap• the ASEAN countries in its so• The two governments enjoin proval of the four Kampuchean cial system," Li said, "this differ• their respective nationals, who factions. ence should not become an ob• retain their respective nationali• "China holds that the Kampu• stacle to the establishment and ty and reside as aliens, to abide chean seat in the United Nations growth of friendly relations and by the laws of the country of should not be vacant before the co-operation between the two residence, respect local values setting up of the Supreme Na• sides." and customs and live in harmony tional Council (SNC) of Kampu• International practice has with the people of the country of chea," he said. proved that state-to-state rela• residence. Lee Kuan Yew pointed out tions are not determined by sim• Premier Li left Indonesia and that the United Nations should ilarities and divergences in the arrived in Singapore on August have an enhanced role in the set• social system and ideology. 11. The last stop of his three- tlement of the Kampuchean con• Li said that China stands nation tour is Thailand. • flict. Viet Nam must not be al• ready to increase exchanges with lowed to block the formation of ASEAN countries in economics, the SNC, which will give all trade, scientific technology, cul• Kampuchean parties an equal ture and other fields on the basis Li's Visit Enhances chance of winning in the free of equality and mutual benefit, Ties With Singapore elections to follow, and which and that it sincerely hopes to es- will be held under United Na• V tablish a partnership with the ilateral relations between tions supervision in a politically \N countries characterized China and Singapore, neutral environment. Iby mutual trust. B friendly neighbours for While meeting with Singa• President Soeharto described years, are about to enter a new pore's First Deputy Prime Minis-

BEUING REVIEW, AUGUST W-26,1990 5 EVENTS/TRENDS

ter Goh Chok Tong, who will ranging from administrative dis• succeed Prime Minister Lee News in Brief ciplining to fines and suspending Duan Yew this November, Li of business licences. said that Taiwan may develop Former Vice-Minister Freed New Superconductor unofficial relations with Saudi Luo Yunguang, former vice- Chinese scientists have devel• Arabia and Indonesia in econo• minister of railways, has been ex• oped an yttrium-barium-copper- mics and trade since China has empt from prosecution for bri• oxygen superconducting materi• established and restored diplom• bery by the Supreme People's al, whose critical current density Procuratorate, a senior procura• atic ties with the two countries at a 77k liquid nitrogen temper• tor announced in Beijing on respectively. ature and in a 50,000-gauss mag• July 19. In the long term, he added, netic field still reaches 27,000 Luo, 50, received more than China's mainland and Taiwan amperes per square centimetre, 4,800 yuan in bribes when will certainly be reunited. the best result reported in *the he served as vice-minister. He Li told the press, when giving world so far. turned himself in to the judicial a news conference on August 12, The material was obtained that there were no major prob• authorities last October (For de• tailed reports on this case see is• through the malttextured meth• lems about the establishment of sue Nos. 13 and 26 of Beijing od. Its critical temperature is diplomatic ties between China Review). 90k. At a liquid nitrogen tem• and Singapore. As to the date for Four months later the case was perature of 77k and in a the establishment of such ties, put on record by the procurato• 25,000-gauss magnetic field, its there is no obstacle from the rate and now the investigation critical current density surpasses Chinese side, but China respects has come to an end. 40,000 amperes per square centi• Singapore's point of view. As a government official, Luo metre, which is also the highest On the Taiwan issue, Li said: violated the Criminal Law and in the world. "The disparity in economic de• other relevant regulations by The material was developed by velopment between China's abusing his power for personal Professor Hu Suhui, 61, and Luo mainland and Taiwan should not gains, the procurator said. But Le, 34, of the Shanghai Institute be a factor impeding the reunifi• because the circumstances of the of Metallurgy under the Chinese cation of the country. We are case are relatively minor and Academy of Sciences. glad that Taiwan has made much Luo turned himself in and Sino-US Panda Research progress in its economy, because showed repentance, the procur• An American zoo will join the we belong to the same country." atorate decided to exempt him Fuzhou Zoo of southeastern Chi• The mainland, he added, has from prosecution. na's Fujian Province in the study also moved forward in its econo• Child Labour Forbidden of giant pandas in the next two my over the past 40 years, esta• The Chinese government is years. blishing an integrated economic taking action against the contin• The Santiago Zoo of the Un• system. Each of the economies of ued practice of using child la• ited States will send experts to China's mainland and Taiwan, bour. Fuzhou in February and June Li pointed out, has its own strong Cases of child exploitation every year to study giant pandas points. have been reported in the past with their Chinese counterparts. Replying to a question on few years. And each year, some The joint study will focus on Sino-Indian relations, Li said of the children 16 years and un• the determination of the giant that he would like to see them der were sent home after govern• panda's ovulation period, the improved. ment intervention. diagnosis of its pregnancy, im• "This would not only benefit However, the practice of hir• provement in artificial insemina• the people of the two countries, ing children has been found to be tion and the breeding of baby but also the peace and stability in moving from coastal provinces pandas. Asia and the world, as China and such as Fujian, Guangdong and After two of the giant pandas India are two giant countries in Zhejiang to inland areas. from the Fuzhou Zoo — Basi Asia," he said. Employers are usually private and Yuanyuan — visited Santia• Li added that he has accepted and individual businesses or bus• go Zoo three years ago, the San• an invitation from India's prime inesses with foreign investment. tiago Zoo has repeatedly ex• minister and hoped his visit to The State Council is consider• pressed its willingness to study India would be realized in the ing a package of regulations pandas together with Chinese near future. • which will mete out punishment zoologists. •

6 BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 19W INTERNATIONAL A New Era for Sino-Indonesian Relations Chinese Premier Li Peng paid an official goodwill visit to Indonesia at the invitation of President Soeharto between August 6 and August 10. The following is an excerpt of Premier Li's speech at the state banquet held in his honour by President Soeharto in Jakarta on August 7. — Ed.

n the eve of the formal cellency Vice President Sudhar- process of the country's indus• resumption of diplomatic mono. Now Mr. President and trialization. With the economy O relations between the Peo• Mrs. Soeharto are hosting this keeping a good momentum of ple's Republic of China and the sumptuous banquent in our hon• growth, Indonesia has become Republic of Indonesia, it gives our and President Soeharto has one of the countries full of eco• me great pleasure to make this just made warm and friendly re• nomic vitality in the Asian re• official goodwill visit to your marks. All this has touched us gion. In international affairs, the country at the invitation of His deeply. Please allow me to ex• Indonesian government follows Excellency President Soeharlo. press my sincere thanks to Presi• the Ten Principles of the Ban• As soon as we arrived in your dent Soeharto and Mrs. Soehar• dung Conference and develops beautiful capital Jakarta, we to, and to the government and friendly relations with other were accorded a warm welcome people of Indonesia. countries in the world. Together and generous hospitality by the Indonesia is a big country in with other ASEAN countries, Indonesian government and peo• Asia and its people are intelli• Indonesia has made unremitting ple. This morning, I had talks gent and hard-working. Under efforts for a comprehensive, fair with President Soeharto on our the leadership of President Soe• and reasonable political settle• bilateral relations as well as in• harto, your people have chosen ment of the Cambodian ques• ternational issues of common in• a road of development suited to tion, thus winning wide acclaim terest in a sincere and friendly your own national conditions, and respect in the international atmosphere and we came to a are vigorously exploiting rich in• community. The Chinese people common understanding on a digenous resources and actively heartily rejoice at the tremen• wide range of issues. I have also introducing foreign advanced dous achievements made by the had friendly talks with His Ex• technology so as to accelerate the Indonesian people. China and Indonesia are close WANG JINGDE neighbours. Since ancient times President Soeharto meets with Premier Li Peng in Jakarta on August 6. our two peoples have had the tradition of friendly exchanges and cemented a profound friend• ship. Indonesia was one of the countries that first established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. There was once a period of good co-operative relations between the two countries. Together we contributed to the maintenance of peace and stability in the Asian region. Having traversed a tortuous course in the bilateral I*- relations, our two countries, with our joint efforts, have gradually restored our economic and trade contacts and personnel ex• changes in recent years. We high• ly appreciate President Soehar- to's wise decision on resuming Indonesia's diplomatic relations with China. President Soeharto's meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen in Tokyo in February last year started the process of normalization of the relations between the two coun• tries. Not long ago, Foreign Min• ister Alatas paid a successful vis• Piemier Li Peng plants a Bayan tree in Jakarta's Miniature Park on August 7. it to China, during which the two new international economic or• Coexistence and the Ten Princi• sides signed the communique on der. ples of the Bandung Conference the resumption of diplomatic re• Persisting in the policy of re• are strictly followed, countries lations and decided to formally form and opening to the outside with different social systems and resume our diplomatic relations ideologies can surely coexist in as of August 8 this year. This world, the Chinese government is working hard to attain econo• amity and conduct mutually be• historical date marks an end to neficial co-operation. China will, the past and the beginning of a mic development and improve the people's livelihood. China on the basis of the said princi• new era of development in our ples, develop friendly relations bilateral relations. We firmly be• must maintain domestic stability and unity, and it also needs a and co-operation with the lieved that the resumption and ASEAN countries. And it will, long-term, stable and peaceful development of relations be• as always, support the ASEAN international environment. Des• tween China and Indonesia are countries in their efforts for not only in conformity with the pite the vicissitudes in the inter• maintaining regional peace and aspirations and interests of our national arena, China will stead• strengthening regional economic two countries and peoples, but fastly pursue an independent for• co-operation, support their pro• also conducive to peace, stability eign policy of peace and it sin• position for turning Southeast and development in our region. cerely hopes to maintain and Asia into a zone of peace, At present, the international develop friendly relations and freedom and neutrality. China situation is undergoing dramatic co-operation with all other coun• stands ready to expand ex• and profound changes, making tries in the world. We highly ap• changes and co-operation with •Ji tompUcated impact on the preciate the increasingly impor• the ASEAN countries in the world. While the relaxation of tant role played by ASEAN in economic, trade, scientific- tension, the de-escalation of mil• international affairs as a region• technological, cuUural and other itary confrontation and the re• al group working for peace. The fields on the basis of equality moving of certain regional hot Chinese government has always and mutual benefit. It sincerely spots have provided new oppor• attached great importance to the hopes to establish a partner rela• tunities for striving for world development of friendly rela• tionship characterized by mutual peace, factors causing instability tions and co-operation with the trust with the ASEAN countries. in the world are on the increase, ASEAN countries. Although On the eve of the 45th anniv• and some regions are still China differs with the ASEAN ersary of Indonesia's independ• plagued by tension and turbul• countries in social system, this ence, a glorious festival for the ence. As the economic gap be• difference should not become an Indonesian people, I wish to ex• tween the developed and the obstacle to the establishment and tend, on behalf of the Chinese developing countries is further growth of friendly relations and government and people, our war• widening, the developing coun• co-operation between the two mest congratulations to the gov• tries are confronted with even sides. International practice has ernment and people of Indone• greater challenges. Therefore, it proved that state-to-state rela• sia. May the people of Indonesia, is indeed necessary for them to tions are not determined by sim• under the leadership of President strengthen unity and work for ilarities and divergences in social Soeharto, continuously score the establishment of a new in• system and ideology. So long as new achievements in their ecom- ternational political order and a the Five Principles of Peaceful omic and social development. •

BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26,1990 INTERNATIONAL China and Singapore: Friendly Neighbours Chinese Premier Li Peng paid an official goodwill visit to Singapore from August 11 to August 13 at the invitation of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. The following is an excerpt of Li's speech at the welcoming banquet held in his honour on August 11. —Ed, t gives us great pleasure to have set foot on your land but a countries will be ushered into a come to your beautiful coun• short while ago, we are deeply brand new stage. I try upon invitation for an of• impressed by the social stability, At present, important changes ficial goodwill visit right after the flourishing economy, tidiness of are taking place in the world si• celebrations marking the 25th an• the city and beautiful landscape tuation. While East-West military niversary of Singapore's inde• of Singapore. We heartily rejoice confrontation is moving towards pendence. First of all, please allow at the successes achieved by the relaxation, factors causing in• me to extend, on behalf of the Republic of Singapore. We should stability still exist. There are even Chinese government and people, learn from and draw upon the intense turbulences in some areas. our warm greetings to the Singa• host of invaluable experience that All this cannot but cause serious porean government and people. the Singaporean people have accu• concern. The Singaporean govern• Since our arrival in your country, mulated in their nation-building. ment consistently pursues a for• we have been accorded a warm China and Singapore are friend• eign policy of non-alignment and welcome and kind hospitality by ly neighbours. The people of our independence in international af• the government and people of Sin• two countries have forged a pro• fairs and forges friendly ties with gapore. We are deeply moved by found friendship through long• all other countries. At the this evening's grand welcoming standing contacts and exchanges. just-concluded 23rd meeting of banquet Your Excellency and In recent years, thanks to the joint ASEAN foreign ministers, Sin• Mrs. Lee are hosting for me, my efforts of both sides, our bilater• gapore joined the other ASEAN wife and my colleagues, and the al co-operation in the economic, states in adhering to the position speech you have just made which trade, scientific, technological and of seeking a comprehensive, fair is filled with friendly sentiments. cultural fields have proceeded and reasonable political settle• For all this, allow me to express smoothly and yielded marked re• ment of the Cambodian question, my heartfelt thanks. sults. To establish full diplomat• thus winning acclaim from the In the past 25 years, under the ic relations on the basis of international community. The leadership of H. E. Prime Minis• the friendly relations and co• Chinese government and people ter Lee Kuan Yew, the Singapo• operation existing between the highly appraise the contributions rean people have chosen a path of two countries represents the com• by the Singaporean government development suited to their na• mon aspiration of the Chinese and and people to the cause of main• tional conditions, and attached Singaporean peoples and a natur• taining regional and world peace. importance to the introduction of al development of history. The Today, China enjoys political advanced science, technology and Chinese government is ready, to• and social stability. With the im• management expertise of other gether with the Singaporean gov• provement of the economic envi• countries while paying attention ernment, to work for the fulfill• ronment and the rectification of to the preservation and promotion ment of this historic mission at an the economic order and the dee• of oriental cultural heritage. They early date in the spirit of mutual pening of reform in the past two have turned Singapore into a new• respect and mutual understand• years or so, the economy is devel• ly industrialized country of rapid ing. I am convinced that with the oping in a healthy way. For over dvelopment and scored unviver- further development of our bi• a decade, our policy of reform and sally acknowledged achievements. lateral relations the traditional opening to the outside world has For some of my colleagues, my friendship between our two peo• been very successful, the people's \e and myself, this is our first ples and the friendly relations living standards have kept on im• jvisit to Singapore. Although we and co-operation between our two proving and China's economic

KiJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 9 INTERNATIONAL strength notably increased. We to the lofty cause of peace and trality. It is a firm policy of the will unswervingly follow this development and will continue to Chinese government to expand road. China will continue to pur• do so in the future. Southeast friendly relations and co• sue an independent foreign policy Asian countries are China's operation with ASEAN countries, of peace and stands for the esta• close neighbours. China supports including Singapore. We will, as blishment of a new international ASEAN in its efforts for safe• political order and a new interna• guarding regional peace and always, continue to work together tional economic order on the basis strengthening regional economic with the ASEAN countries for of the Five Principles of Peace• co-operation and its proposition the maintenance of peace, stabili• ful Coexistence. As always in the of establishing a Southeast Asian ty and prosperity in Southeast past, China actively devotes itself zone of peace, freedom and neu• Asia. • Li Peng Speaks on Kampuchea And Gulf Crisis by Liu Zhengxue hina and Indonesia are in made by Indonesia and other Asked about the Chinese living extensive agreement over ASEAN countries over the years in Indonesia, Li said that most of C the Kampuchean question, to politically resolve the conflict. the people living in Indonesia who Chinese Premier Li Peng told Indonesia proposed that the co- have Chinese ancestors have at• about 100 journalists at a news chairmen of the Paris Interna• tained their Indonesian citizen• conference in Jakarta on Au• tional Conference on the Kam• ship and naturally are citizens of gust 8, puchean Problem invite the four Indonesia. China believes that as "China and Indonesia agree factions in Kampuchea to meet in Indonesian citizens, they should that an early, comprehensive, just Jakarta for consultations on the serve their country. China has no and reasonable political solution formation of a Supreme National intention whatsoever to use them to the Kampuchean issue not only Council and the political settle• to serve China's interests, the pre• conforms with the interests of the ment of the question. China sup• mier stated. Kampuchean people, but is also ports the initiative and wishes it Turning to the Iraqi invasion of of great importance to peace and success, the Chinese premier said. Kuwait, Li said: "China voted for stability in the region," Li said. Both countries also agreed that the UN Security Council's Reso• "Both sides have agreed to sup• all parties concerned should make lutions 660 and 661 and hopes port the documents concerning every effort to urge the four par• that these resolutions will be im• the military and administrative ties in Kampuchea to establish as plemented effectively. We support arrangements in Kampuchea dur• early as possible a Supreme Na• the statements issued by the Arab ing the transitional period, which tional Council headed by Prince League and the Gulf Co-operation were prepared by the five per• Norodom Sihanouk to replace the Council on the event. We hope the manent members of the UN Se• legal seat of the Kampuchean Na• conflict will be settled under me• curity Council through consul• tional Government in the United diation of the two organizations." tations," the premier told the Nations. However, before the set• Asked about China's response journalists from China, Indonesia ting up of the council, Kampu• to the stationing of American and other countries. chea's seat in the UN should be troops in Saudi Arabia at the in• As well, China believes that in preserved as it is. vitation of the Saudi government, the process of seeking a political Finally, Li said that both coun• Li replied: "In principle, we do settlement to the Kampuchean is• tries have agreed to increase their not support the involvement of sue, it is of vital importance to co-operation in the process of the big powers. We don't want to bring the role of countries in the seeking a solution. see the already complicated situa• region into full play, the premier "China is willing to make its tion in the Gulf become more said. due efforts for seeking a solution complicated. However, as a sover• China, Li added, also appre• to the Kampuchean problem and eign nation, Saudi Arabia, out ciates the statement issued by the for the setting up of a Supreme of its own security concerns, has recent ministerial meeting of the National Council, but China can• adopted some defensive measures. Association of Southeast Asian not order anybody to do things," We respect and understand these Nations and supports the efforts Li said. steps." •

10 BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 CHINA

Sino-Foreign Cultural Ties In for a Bright Future —An interview given by Liu Deyou, vice-minister of Culture, to our staff reporter Hong Lanxing. China is set to study and draw on all of mankind's positive cultural heritage, new developments of human civilization and fine forms of art created by various nations the world over.

Question: Please tell me some• China has also held thing about China's current cul• 578 art exhibitions tural exchanges with foreign abroad and hosted countries. 268 foreign art exhi• Answer: With the implementa• bitions. We have also tion of the policy of reform and sponsored such activi• opening to the outside world ties as a seminar and the flourishing of diplomat• on the classic novel ic work, China has established Dream of Red Man• and developed friendly cultural sions, a symposium co-operation and exchanges with on Lu Xun and many countries the world over. Chinese and foreign Mutual visits between govern• cultures, the Weifang mental and non-governmental international kite fes• cultural organizations, academic tival, the Quanzhou groups and performing troupes international puppet have been in full blossom. Be• festival and the tween 1978 and 1989, China Wuqiao international signed 89 agreements with for• eign countries on cultural co• acrobatic festival. operation and 215 annual ex• The publication change programmes in the fields and distribution of of culture, art, education, sports, foreign-language health, publication, historical books have also devel• relics, religion, youth, broadcast• oped rapidly. Now, ing, film and TV. The Ministry books and periodicals of Culture, for instance, conduct• China publishes in Liu Deyou gesticulates while making a point during ed 6,100 such projects involving more than 30 foreign the interview. 50,000 people. For these projects, languages are on sale 68 governmental cultural delega• in 182 countries and regions. tionalities, scenic spots and his• tions and 549 art troupes were They introduce China's politics, torical sites. Some famous works sent to foreign countries while laws and regulations, foreign pol• including The Lament, Selected 222 governmental cultural dele• icy, economy, culture and educa• Works of ''Records of the Histo• gations and 256 art troupes from tion, scientific research, sports, rian" Selected Works of Lu ^ other countries visited China. history, geography, minority na• Xun, Camel Xiangzi and Select-

WUING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 11 CHINA 4th Incident"? If so, why? A: To answer this question, let me tell you a story first. Last year, several Japanese ballet dancers headed by Ohya Masako came to China and per• formed The Nutcracker togeth• er with the Beijing Institute of Dancing. The performance, the first time the entire ballet was done in China, was a great suc• cess. Ohya Masako told me, "Be• fore I came to China, I had been in Paris. Some French friends had said they had been surprised to hear of my co-operation with the Beijing Institute of Dancing. They were concerned for me, asking, 'Do you still want to go to Beijing? Is there still ballet? Are China's institutes of dance still open?" Masako told me that when he went back to Western Europe, he would tell his friends A scene faom the ballet Nutcracker directed by Masam Akamatsu of the Japanese what he had seen in China and Masako Ohya Ballet Troupe and presented by the Beijing Institute of Dancing in show them videos of the group's ]nly, 1990. successful performances. From this story, we can see ed Paintings of Qi Baishi have show at international song com• clearly that many foreigners who been translated and published petitions that the Western music thought that China would cut off for foreign readers. Between world looks at these Chinese sin• cultural exchanges after the June 1949 and 1989, as it imported a ger hopefuls with increasing ex• unrest had misunderstood China. large number of academic works pectations. Ballet is internation• They were unaware of the truth. and cultural books from abroad, ally a symbol of a nation's artis• Of course, some Western coun• China distributed abroad some tic level. Chinese ballet dancers tries have imposed sanctions 20,000 varieties of books and combined national content with against China and unilaterally periodicals with a total of 7.38 traditional ballet style and have stopped inter-governmental cul• million copies. drawn the attention of the inter• tural exchanges with China. But, During this period, China also national dance world. Some for• the people-to-people exchanges participated in some high-level eign dance critics have pointed with these countries have contin• art competitions with good re• out that the combination of ued and produced some excep• sults. From 1980 to 1989, Western form and Eastern con• tional results. China's cultural Chinese artists sent abroad by tent represented a step forward exchanges with many other third the Ministry of Culture alone and a development of ballet. world countries have continued won 53 top awards and 30 Some home-trained young unabated. In a word, our policy runner-up and 24 third-place Chinese ballet dancers have won has not changed. We sincerely prizes at international acrobat• one award after another at inter• hope to strengthen understand• ic, ballet, national dance, piano, national competitions for their ing and friendship with other violin and various vocal and in• artistic excellence. Between 1981 countries through cultural ex• strumental music competitions, and 1989, Chinese paintings and changes. in addition to 200 other indivi• children's works diplayed at In 1989, China sent eight gov• dual prizes. Chinese acrobats more than 100 international ex• ernmental cultural delegations, have won many gold medals at hibitions and competitions have five at the ministerial level, to the Paris "Tomorrow" World won some 800 prizes. more than ten countries in Asia, Circus and Acrobatic Competi• Q: Have China's cultural ex• Europe, Africa and the Pacific tions. Young Chinese singers changes with foreign countries de• region, sent 53 art troupes to per• have also made such an excellent creased since last year's "June form abroad, held 65 art exhibi-

12 BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26,1990 CHINA tions abroad, and received 15 of ancient urban architecture, leads to China's progress in governmental cultural delega• plastic arts, sculpture, glass prod• both the material and cultural tions, 18 art troupes and 25 arts ucts, handicrafts and oil paint• spheres. The world wants to un• exhibitions from foreign coun• ings will also be held in China derstand China and vise ver• tries. later this year. sa. An analysis of China's Foreign art troupes that visited Q: How does China look at cul• 2,000-year history of cultural ex• China in 1989 included a Korean tural exchanges with other coun• changes with foreign countries art troupe, a Soviet ballet troupe, tries? What a position do they shows that Chinese culture has an Italian chamber music group, have in China's policy of opening flourished by enriching its a Cameroon music group, an In• to the outside world? fine cultural heritage with the dian dance troupe, a Mongolian A: The late Premier Zhou En- achievements of foreign cultures acrobatic troupe, a Thai folk mu• lai talked about this shortly after and in this way made its new sic troupe and an Argentine tan• go troupe. Particularly notewor• thy are the Soviet, Korean, Itali• an and Cameroon troupes, and the Japanese singing group led by Sakura. Their performances added lustre to the Second China Art Festival held last September and October in Beijing. Last year the Chinese people also had the opportunity to enjoy the Ja• panese master calligrapher Yan- agide Tai-un's calligraphy show and an exhibition of Japanese calligraphers' works. In addition, last December, Beijing played host to a meeting of chief librar• ians from 13 Asian countries. Q: Can you tell me something about this year's plan for cultural exchanges with foreign countries? A: This year, China plans to send abroad 287 cultural delega• Gronp dancing presented by the Braunschweig Sports Dancing Troape of the Federal tions of some 2,491 people and Republic of Germany in May last year. receive 351 delegations with the founding of New China. As contributions to the world. Only 2,448 people from other coun• he noted, diplomatic work had a culture with national charac• tries. Aready this year, the two primary wings, the economic teristics can get world recogni• Chongqing Acrobatic Troupe, and the cultural. Both played tion it deserves, and fine national the Jilin Peking Opera Troupe, the vanguard role. The purpose, cultures are never produced in the China Ceramic Exhibition, therefore, of China's cultural ex• isolation. Human civilization has the China Dongfang Song and changes is, on the basis of the arisen from the melding of var• Dance Ensemble and the Xin• ious cultures. Five Principles of Peaceful Coex• The opening to the outside jiang Art Troupe have gone istence, to promote mutual un• world has promoted China's eco• abroad. China has hosted the In• derstanding and friendship nomic construction. It has also dian Song and Dance Ensemble, between the peoples of all injected new concepts into the the Indian Textiles Exhibition countries, and to actively learn people's cultural life. I think and the Mexico Castanets Dance and absorb all beneficial ele• China has benefited from cultur• troupe. ments of a foreign culture, while al exchanges with other nations Later this year, the Chinese introducing both traditional and over the past few years in at least people will have the chance to contemporary Chinese culture to five aspects. see performaces by a British jazz the rest of the world as a contri• First, the absorption of useful band, and Belgian, Finnish and bution to the cultural progress of elements of a foreign culture has Cuban ballet troupes, as well as the world community. promoted the development of various kinds of chamber and The opening to the outside our national culture. pop music. Foreign exhibitions world is a basic state policy that Second, contact with the

BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 13 world's cultures of different styles and schools has greatly broadened the horizon of those working in the cultural arena. Third, the public at large has greatly benefited from its ex• posure to different cultures. As people's aesthetic level has ris• en, their own capacity to create works of value has increased. Fourth, cultural exchanges have enabled us to see the many strong points of cultural manage• ment and legislation in foreign countries. We should, as we seek truth from facts, make use of these methods in our own cul• tural work in order to construct China's own socialist culture and ideology. Fifth, cultural exchanges have promoted friendship and mu• tual understanding between the Chinese people and their foreign ZHANG NING counterparts. Mexican actor Gonzalez imitating Son Wukong (Monkey King) backstage when Q: How does China view for• China's Yantai Peking Opera Tronpe performed in his conntry. eign cultures? What foreign cul• progress and development. For Oriental flower." In 1987, for ture does it want to introduce to this reason, whenever exhibi• example, the exhibition of Qi the Chinese public? What part of tions of Chinese culture are held Baishi's 113 pieces of paintings Chinese culture does it want to abroad, they never fail to capture China held for the first time in introduce to the world? Japan was highly acclaimed by A: Culture is a common wealth the hearts of local people. For of mankind. However, in the instance, exhibits such as terra• Japanese inspectors. practice of cultural exchanges, cotta warriors and horses On the other hand, cultural ex• criteria vary from country to unearthed from near the mauso• changes provide China with an country on account of different leum of Qinshihuang, the first access to cultures of other na• social systems, moral concepts, emperor of the Qin Dynasty tions. The Royal Ballet of Bri• aesthetic habits and mores. (221-207 BC), treasures in the tain, Bavarian State Opera of Our criterion is to accept those Forbidden City, artifacts on the Germany and Dance Troupe of which benefit China's material, Silk Road and ancient Chinese US Brigham Young University cultural and ideological progress, dresses, have fascinated count• and world-famous artists suci^ the unity and stability of the so• less foreigners. Performances of as Herbert von Karajan, Yehudi cialist country, the flourishing of China's acrobatics, singing and Menuhin, Seiji Ozawa, Luciano China's cultural endeavours and dancing, Peking opera and other Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and the prosperity of the people's cul• local operas have created "ac• Julio Iglesias, together with ex• tural life. Anything that is ob• robatics craze," "Peking opera hibitions introducing foreign scene or ideologically reaction• craze" and "local Chinese operas paintings, sculptures, books, cul• ary or advocating colonialism craze." in many other countries. tural relics and folk craftsman• and extreme individualism will China's acrobatics are praised ship have received enthusiastic be rejected. as "a crystallization of diligence acclaim by Chinese audiences. China's national culture fi• and wisdom of the Chinese peo• Almost daily, we have also enter• gures prominently in the history ple" and "an art of real thrill" tained the Chinese audience with of world civilization. Our trad• while local Chinese operas are foreign films dubbed into the itional culture is rich and our like "a cup of scented China Chinese language, and classical ancestors reached the pinnacle in tea" or "a trickling stream" and and pop music. many fields, exerting a tremen• Chinese dancing is "the incarna• The mutual influence of cul• dous influence on mankind's tion of beauty" and "an exotic tures involve a complicated pro-

14 BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 A Chinese kite provokes interest with the Chileans. LIU ZHONGYA^ij gress of analyzing, choosing, and imitate others without striving to cultural exchanges with foreign digesting the material offered. create something new brings us countries. More and more The process must be done nowhere and will never land you Chinese art troupes have been thoughtfully if the traditional on the pinnacle of arts. Only giving commercial performances culture is to preserve its own by combining both foreign and abroad, a new step in non• characteristics. Chinese cultures with the fine governmental cultural contact. Q: Could you be more specific traditions of our national culture Q: What will you see when you on this point? For example, what can we improve the quality of look ahead at the cultural ex• do you think about foreign pop Chinese art and scale the top of changes between China and for• music? art. eign countries? A: A specific analysis is need• Q: What concrete methods does A: Under socialism and as ed to judge foreign pop music. China plan to adopt for cultural China opens itself to the world, Music that is popular with the exchanges with foreign countries? we should be global-minded and Chinese people should not be re• A: There is a multitude of more active to assimilate foreign jected out of hand. Performances by French singer Matil and Ja• channels and forms. At pre• culture. We should study, introd• panese singers Saburo Kitajima sent, there are visits between uce and learn from mankind's and Ryotaro Sugi who visited government-run cultural organ• positive cultural wealth and the China a few years ago were quite izations, non-governmental con• new achievements of human civ• a success in China. However, the tacts and exchange programmes ilization and fine forms of art obscene and vulgar elements in sponsored by a variety of compe• expression created by all nations Western art and music, found in tent authorities or between the the world over, be they ancient, such forms as striptease and sex sister provinces, cities, regions modern, or contemporary. ilms, -must be strictly forbidden and counties. The most impres• This is our consistent attitude Vid rejected. sive area, however, is the expan• towards cultural exchanges. I'm At the same time, we must re• sion and development of non• sure that, with the passage of member that we introduce and governmental contacts. In China, time, China's cuhural exchanges absorb fine foreign culture in or• non-governmental organizations with other countries will further der to enrich and develop our and associations play an increas• expand and develop. The future own national culture. To simply ing role in promoting China's is bright. •

BEUINGUVIEW, AUGUST 20-26,1990 15 CHINA

A Dieam Comes Trae for a Gemum Girl * by Our Guest Reporter Xiong Sihao

hile many young students from all parts of the W world go to the United States to realize their "American dream," a German girl chose a different direction. Five years ago, Sabine Da- bringhaus went to China to study the history of Chinese nationali• ties during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Now, she has be• come the first foreigner ever to win a history doctorate in China. Sabine Dabringhaus, or Dasu- bin in Chinese, was dressed in the style of Chinese college stu• dents—a T-shirt, running shoes and cotton slacks—and spoke Chinese softly and fluently dur• ing an interview with reporters. In 1981, Sabine, a quiet girl from Freiburg, West Germany, enrolled in Freiburg University and majored in politics and his• tory. There, she sometimes at• tended Chinese classes. Because she was interested in Chinese his• China. She enrolled in the His• spicy food. Sichuan's scenic spots tory and longed to go to China, tory Department of Shandong also left an unforgettable impres• she transferred her major to University in Jinan, Shandong sion on her. In August 1984, she Chinese. Province. began her studies at Shandong "I read some novels on She was so eager she arrived University and to collect materi• Chinese history when I was 12 early at the university, which als for her master's thesis. years old," she said. "One of was closed because the students "That year was an important them written by Pearl S. Buck were on their summer vacation. year for me," Sabine recalled impressed me greatly. It talked While waiting for it to open, she with deep feeling. "I lived and about Cixi, the Chinese Dowager went to Sichuan Normal College studied with the Chinese people. Empress. It was that book that in Chengdu in Sichuan Province, My oral Chinese was further im• triggered my interest in China." where one of her friends was stu• proved, and I made many friends In 1984, her Chinese dream dying. In Chengdu, she learned there, those who greatly helped came true, when she got a one- some Sichuan dialect and got me with my studies." year scholarship to study in used to eating the traditional hot. When her year was up, she re-

16 BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 CHINA

turned to Freiburg University men and very quickly could award her a history doctorate.. and completed her master's thes• speak everyday Mongolian. As early as in 1988, Sabine and is on the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 "She also got along well with her tutors took part in the "Sym• in northern China. After she ob• the people at the institute," posium on Chinese Frontier His• tained her master's degree, she said associate director Cheng tory," on which she made an aca• wanted to do further research in Chongde. "She lived with the demic report. In the same year, Chinese history, so she got in families of her Chinese teachers Sabine, co-operating with two touch with the Chinese Educa• and cooked Chinese dishes on other people, finished a research tion Commission. Eventually, in holidays. She took part m all the paper entitled "A Comprehen• 1987, she enrolled in the Insti• activities organized by the insti• sive Survey on the History of tute for the Qing Dynasty in tute. Chinese Frontiers." the Chinese People's Univers• "She is familiar with many "We were surprised to find a ity, where she majored in the people here including repairmen, foreign woman student who was Chinese history of nationalities. vendors, drivers, even kindergar• so enthusiastic about Chinese Her tutor was a well-known pro• ten children," he added. "Every frontier history and had such a fessor, Dai Yi, the executive day many passersby said 'how sound foundation in Chinese his• chairman of the Society of are you' to her, and she said the tory," said Duojiechaidan, the se• Chinese History and honorary same in fluent Chinese." cretary of the China Centre on director of the institute. "With my Chinese friends the Study of Tibet. "We believe Dai described Sabine as "a here, I feel I am just one of them that she will become a No. 1 tibe- very diligent student." instead of a foreigner," said Sa• tonologist in the 21th century." During the first two years, Dai bine. Outside the classroom, Sabine said, she surmounted the lan• Seeing that she was quite in• is a dutiful girl. While studying guage barrier and mastered an• terested in Mongohan history. in China, she often missed her cient Chinese, an exceedingly Professor Dai selected Song Yun parents. Once she didn't receive difficult language, with the help to be the subject of her thesis. her parents' letters for about a of her teachers. She took many Song Yun was a Mongolian who month and was so worried she courses and scored high marks in was appointed governor of Tibet cried. She admitted that she was every subject. in the late 18th century. greatly influenced by the devo• "At that time, I really wanted Sabine relied on a lot of source tion exhibited by the Chinese to to pack my luggage immediately material written in Chinese, their parents. and go home to West Germany Manchu, Tibetan and Mongoli• because the ancient Chinese was an. Finally, she wrote her "She is really a student of good too difficult for me," said Sabine. 100,000-word thesis in Chinese. character and scholarship," said Associate Professor Wang Jun- "The thesis, a Research on Wang Junyi. yi, director of the Qing Dynasty Song Yun's Tibet Policies, is a When asked whether she had a Institute, said that Sabine started successful one of high academic boyfriend, she replied: "I am an to lose weight. value and deep practical signific• introvert. I believe in luck by "She got up at 5 o'clock every ance," said Professor Dai with which my future boyfriend will morning and studied late, until pride. "We sent her thesis to 20 be brought to me." 12 every night," he said. "To specialists on the study of mi• Sabine left China at the end of avoid the noisy night life, she nority nationalities all over the July. She said she planned to go moved from the Foreign Stu• country. All of them share the to Harvard University where she dents' Building to a quiet simple same view, thinking that the would exchange ideas with her single-storey house." thesis is a very successful one counterparts. She intends to look To master the Mongolian lan• with rich materials and original for a university in Hamburg or guage, Sabine spent a summer in ideas." Munich to continue her research. the Holunbel Grassland of the July 6 is a day that Sabine will When asked whether she will Inner Mongolia Autonomous never forget. On that day a group be back to China, she said: Region where she ate and lived of historians and specialists on "China is my second home. The and worked with Mongolians. the study of Tibet and the fron• Chinese People's University is She got up at 5 o'clock every tiers formed a reply committee. my alma mater. I'll certainly be morning and miii&s,

BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 17 CHINA

On May 15 and July 6, He Xin, research fellow with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, was interviewed by Guy Sorman, a special reporter of "Figaro" of France, and Barbara Alighiero from the Ansa News Agency of Italy. During the interview, Mr He answered questions on developments in China which are of interest to many of our foreign readers. He Xin is a well-versed Chinese scholar with his distinctive views. Mr Sorman is a famous French political commentator and Barbara Alighiero is long familiar with China. Their conversations, conducted in Chinese, were free, frank and wide-ranging; and, as Mr He said, he aired his views on behalf of himself. With his approval, we have translated the recorded conversations into English and present them to our readers.—Ed.

China's Democracy and Future —He Xin's Conversation With Guy Sorman

Sorman: Mr. He, recently I read an article in the Can you talk about it? New York Times on your views and unique He: Could you specify which of my views would judgment on the Tiananmen incident last year. interest you most? I myself have written a series of articles on the same subject. Therefore, I wanted very much to meet you. He: Glad to meet you. I also read that New York I. Democracy and China Times article you mentioned. There was a ten• dency in it that I didn't like. It described me as Sorman: First of all, I'm interested in your views a political figure but, in fact, I'm just a scholar. on Chinese democracy. I want to know if there is no compatibility at all between Western demo• Sorman: Maybe. (Laughing) cracy and China's traditional civilization. For He: I was originally interested in cultural topics, example, were the democratic demands raised by but in recent years I have had to air my views students a year ago completely out of a foreign on some major political and economic issues. influence? Without any connection to the inher• This is just because I cannot help but feel con• ent Chinese political heritage? Does this also cerned about the fate and future of my mother• mean that China will always be a benevolent land, which for a time became worrisome. dictatorial Communist country? I'd like to make myself more clear. I'm con• Sorman: This is exactly what I'm interested in. cerned more with Chinese democracy as a cul-

18 BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 CHINA tural attribute. Just like you, I'm not interested paradise of "universal democracy"? in real politics, because politics is constantly Once China and the Soviet Union are exhaust• changing. What I'm concerned with is whether ed with internal disturbances or even a civil war the spirit of democracy, as a symbol of man• and disintegrated by ethnic separation, what kind's persistent pursuit, is a tradition peculiar country in the world then is able to rival the only to the West? In China's future political United States economically, politically and mil• structure, how much is the possibility of Western itarily? Isn't the United States then going to be democracy being transplanted in China? the indisputable world leader in economic, pol• He: You have posed so many tough questions. itical and even ideological areas? Is this world a Democracy has become a worldwide concern as pluralistic, democratic world or a monopolar if it was the only major issue of our times. I've world centred around the United States? Is it pondered on this question for a long time. I going to be a new era of universal democracy or cannot but notice that democracy in the current a world empire? international political context is not merely an I use the term "world empire" because it al• issue of value. Nor is it merely an abstract ready appeared in the works of US strategists cultural question. Rather, it is a very politi• (for example, Zbigniew Brzezinski). I can ad• cal question. To be exact, in the contempor• duce many facts from their books and from the ary world, it has become a means for interna• US strategic and military position in the world tional strategic contention. It has transcended to support my assertion that there is such a the scope of values or political system of a single blueprint — a world empire headed by the Un• country. ited States — in Washington's strategic plan. Therefore, proceeding from the context of inter• Sorman: Oh? national strategic rivalry, I think the question of He: Yes. Several American reporters inter• democracy has obviously strayed off the direc• viewed me recently and they all raised the ques• tion of democracy. But I want to ask my ques• tion that intellectuals usually pursue, seeking it tion, too: Do the decision makers in Washington as a value, an ideal. care about Chinese democracy out of the pursuit of a spiritual value or out of potential strategic Sorman: Oh! interests? If there is a motive for interests, then He: I think as an economist, you won't deny whose interests is the US government fighting the cruel reality of the political and economic for, the Chinese people's, or Washington's? inequality of countries in the world today. Not It would be very funny if the United States every country has equal opportunities on the supports "democracy movements" in the world road to prosperity, wealth and modernization. purely out of a spiritual pursuit. In a world in Not every big power is willing to see other coun• which countries contend severely for their own tries become prosperous and modernized. interests, how come the United States, which has Today's world is no longer the romantic one all along been pragmatic, suddenly turns into an during the French Revolution. If a country altruistic Robin Hood who cares only about oth• plunges into internal chaos, it will destroy itself, ers' interests? completely losing the opportunity to participate in international competitions. It seems that to• Sorman: Oh?! day nothing can more effectively destroy a de• He: I wonder if you have noticed that the veloping nation from within than wielding the world's strategic posture in the late 20th century banner of "democracy." Because developing is evolving into a very interesting situation. Peo• countries are economically and politically imma• ple used to describe the world as bipolar. Later ture, it is true that democracy is not soundly they said it became tripolar. Lately people are developed there. Therefore, my view is that de• saying that the world is heading towards multi- mocracy is loveable, but watch out: in today's polarization. But I'd like to ask: Is the world world politics, which is full of ruthless competi• heading towards multipolarization or monopo- tions, the banner of democracy has become a larization? Now the Soviet Union is facing eth• powerful leverage in international strategic con• nic separatism and grave difficulties. If China tention. sinks into a breakup and chaos, what would the world be like? Will humankind then enter the Sorman: Oh!

BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 19 CHINA early division of China's territory that will result II. If China Is Divided in the Chinese people becoming destitute and homeless? Is this the strategic plan that some He: In the last decade the United States has international strategists have meant to carry out constantly preached about American-style de• in China or something that comes out of their mocracy to the Chinese. Incidentally, I have no political innocence in considering too much intention of commenting on US democracy it• about the concept of value? self. But I do confirm that it is in a sense a I am Chinese and I love my country. I don't valuable modern political culture. like and cannot bear to see China fall into such However, is it feasible to transplant this sys• a situation as I just described — even in the tem into China? The United States recommends name of pursuit of democracy. This is why I such a political system to China. But because cannot agree with some Chinese intellectuals China has an entirely different economic and who are now living in exile in the West. political foundation, this type of system, if prac• tised in China, would result in the creation of a politically weak, lax and extremely pro-US "mol- luscan" government unable to unite the nation. III. Does China Have a Can such a "feeble" government resolve the Democratic Tradition? current compUcated and tough social problems in China? Can it prevent internal strife and the Sorman: Can it be understood that you agree country from dividing? If Xinjiang and Tibet that China will pursue an enlightened autocratic broke away from China, China's territory would system? shrink by a third. Already, the majority of the He: I notice that you have twice mentioned this population is densely concentrated in the re• concept. I don't agree with the concept. I also maining areas. notice that you have just mentioned that China In China's coastal and inland provinces, in• seems to have an inherent autocratic tradition dustry is comparatively developed, labour is and it appears the democratic tradition is solely abundant, technology advanced, capital is suffi• peculiar to the West. As for this, I cannot agree cient and educational and cultural levels are with you. First, I cannot accept the ethnocentric high, while outland Xinjiang and Tibet lack assertion that Western civilization is central and manpower, advanced industry and technology I feel that some Westerners share a racial and and capital to meet their needs for economic cultural sense of superiority over the Chinese. modernization. However, they are rich in un• I realize that China today is still backward. derground and mining resources. If they broke However, on the basis of China's 5,000-year-old away from the motherland, Xinjiang and Tibet civilization, it is not necessary for the Chinese would lose vital seaports and become isolated, people to feel inferior. Even on the question of backward landlocked regions separated from the China's democratic tradition we do not have to world. This would shrink China's internal mar• feel inferior. I notice that Western political theo• ket and reduce its reserve resources. China's ry differentiates between "substantial" democra• economic development would lose the room to cy and "formal" democracy. Such a differentia• manoeuvre and would not retain a balance. And tion is better than general talk of democracy. what benefit would that be to Xinjiang and There are no such Western-style democratic Tibet? A divided China (whether it be areas forms as multi-party or parliamentary systems involving the Han majority or ethnic minorities) in China's tradition. But it doesn't mean that the will have to lose the last opportunity and hope tradition of China's civilization has no demo• of catching up with and outstripping the devel• cratic ideas, nor does it mean that democratic oped countries. function was totally absent in China's ancient Therefore, whenever I read in newspapers that politics. Western politicians, in the name of "democracy" and "human rights," agitate for China's national Sorman: What is the "substantial democracy" division and oppose its population policy, I am you have referred to? perplexed over whether they love China or gen• He: "Substantial democracy" is a concept by uinely hate it? Are they concerned about China's which to judge whether a system has a democrat• development and progress or do they hope for an ic function. There are two parts. First, to what

20 BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 CHINA degree does policy, legislation and law of a gov• China has a democratic tradition with its own ernment embody the fundamental and high in• characteristics. However, since the "cultural re• terests of the majority of the people? And se• volution" starting in 1966 when a nihilistic cond, can the people's will, aspirations, hardship trend of thought characterized by its negation of and demands be communicated to the decision• Chinese national culture prevailed, the brilli• making organizations through a responsive, ef• ance and the political spirit of China's ancient fective and orderly mechanism and finally democracy have been entirely obliterated and affect, penetrate and embody the government inundated. This tradition needs to be further legislature, policy and law? If there is such a developed and recognized again. mechanism in a political system, the actual de• Naturally, I am aware that some initial demo• mocratic level it has reached is not affected by cratic functions in China's ancient societies were its political form, no matter what it may be. not as complete as the theory and system which Therefore, even if we do not take into consi• the West has developed in modern history. For deration the fact that many statesmen in Chinese example, China had legalists in ancient times but history had given numerous expositions of their no such figures as French philosopher Charles views on civil rights and democracy (which are Montesquieu. actually China's classic democratic theory) and that some legislation and political systems which had Chinese characteristics and embodied demo- cractic spirit including one which controlled, IV. An Ancient Monarchy supervised and impeached emperors and offi• cials, I don't agree to the assertion that China Doesn't Mean an has only autocracy but no democracy. Absolute Despotism Sorman: In your opinion, which periods in Chi• Soman: Thank you for mentioning Charles na's history were democratic? Montesquieu. He: The Spring and Autumn period (770BC-476 He: (Laughing) I'm impressed by your cultural BC) and the Warring States period (475-221 EC) patriotism. Some people take it for granted that were times in China's history that were full of China has consistently practised autocracy on vigour and democratic spirit. If there hadn't the grounds that China's ancient political system been such a democratic climate at the time, had been a monarchy. In fact, looking at modern the many schools of thought could not have politics, it seems there is no absolute contradic• emerged. There were also periods of political tion between a monarchy and a democratic sys• purity, when knowledge was vigorously pursued tem and this point of view has been supported by and when societies were brilliant in economics situations in some constitutional monarchic na• and culture. Those occurred during the Han, tions. I can assert, based on the historical mater• Tang, Song, Ming and Qing dynasties. ials that I have collected, that some practical France in the 17th century under Louis XIV systems in ancient China were similar in form to and England in the 18th century under Queen a constitutional monarchy. In recent years, the system already established a modern style of West has been driving to introduce to China the parliamentary democracy. But the envoys and concept of "division of power into executive, missionaries sent by the two countries to China legislative and judicial levels." Ancient China couldn't help but be surprised at and expressed had no such perfect theory. But I have found, by admiration for the effectiveness, rationality and examining the systems of the Ming and Qing superiority of politics and culture of the Qing dynasties, that the legislative and decision• Dynasty under Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong. making power fell into a joint conference attend• They even suggested that Westerners learn from ed by nobles and high officials trusted by the the Chinese. emperor, not the emperor himself. The prime Of course, I'm not saying that the politics of minister or the head of the Privy Council of the ancient China were always democratic, nor do I Emperor controlled the executive power. The think that the democratic function of China's judicial power was relatively independent and ancient politics is complete or it is still useful cases were tried by the Dalishi (the Grand Court today. I'm only saying that the West has a de• of Appeal) and the Ministry of Punishment mocratic tradition in a Western style and that (the supreme procurator ate) according to writ-

BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 21 CHINA ten laws and common laws. Besides that, there was the Duchayuan (the Court of Censors), Soman: What is the essential democratic right? which was in charge of violations of the law by He: Essentially, political democracy is aimed at officials and unjust activities of the judicial or• allowing the people to enjoy sovereignty over the gans. The judicial and supervisory departments administration of state. Indeed, democracy is were independent from other branches and were just a means, not a purpose — as Mao Zedong directly responsible for the state. In theory and correctly described. practice, the cabinet conference, the prime min• The supreme goal of a state is to seek happi• ister and the censors had the right to advise, ness for the people. In history, to devise demo• criticize and even impeach the emperor. In cratic systems is always to prevent the people many cases, the emperors only dealt with rites with power from abusing and misapplying that and functioned as symbols of power. (In China's power in their pursuit of personal gain. history, the fact that some child emperors per• The long-term goal, as China pursues its de• formed the duties of an emperor was a reflection mocratic road, I think, is to devise and make a of this politically symbolic role). host of institutions and legislations to guarantee I'm not deliberately trying to justify monarch- that the state's political and economic decision• ism in ancient China. Instead, I just want to making conforms with the basic interests of the point out that the Greek model of democracy is vast majority of the people. People should be not an absolute standard to be used to judge the able to more effectively choose, recommend and real level of democracy. Some European cities appoint excellent leadership that is loyal to the carried the ancient Greek city-state democratic interests of the state and people. The supervision system into the Middle Ages. But they were not and impeachment by the people over the offi• immune to the dark autocracy of the Middle cials at all levels should be substantially im• Ages, like other regions in the West. Even West• proved. And officials who are derelict in their ern religious organizations at that time were duties or are incapable of performing their du• organized in a way similar to the modern parlia• ties should be dismissed from their posts accord• ment. By the way, if my memory is correct, the ing to law, and this should be done without 17th century Italian philosopher Giordano Bru• delay, in a bid to foster and strengthen an offi• no was brought to Campo di Fiori to be burned cial's sense of responsibility and sacred sense to alive through a majority admission of the In• the people and their posts. In addition, more quisition. His savage killing was supported by channels and institutions should be established thousands of people in the square. This clearly to smoothly and closely link the decision-making shows that sometimes the formal majority is not groups and governments at all levels with the reliable. people. Thus the public opinions, situations, as• pirations and criticisms can be expressed more freely and reported to the decision-making centres more rapidly, and the rational elements V. Direction of China's should have more influence on the state's Future Democracy decision-making and policy. With the expansion of China's democracy, I believe, the way in Sorman: Do you acknowledge that China has a which the political leadership is exercised will problem with democracy? And what's your ideal improve and bring with it more rationality and democracy? flexibility. He: Do not misunderstand me, Mr. Sorman! Of course, I think China needs more construction, Sorman: Oh! enhancement and development of its democracy. He: I have often admired the national spirit of I think this problem has become even more the Japanese people. Japan has created an effec• pressing in China than before, especially after tive democratic capitalist system by carrying last year's "lune 4 incident." In my opinion, it forward some of its own traditions in its political would be better for China to build its democracy civilization (such as the emperor system) and by expanding and improving essential democrat• borrowing useful bits from ancient China and ic rights that are available to the people than the modern West. This system has guaranteed blindly copying or emulating some democratic Japan's long-term social stability and economic model of the West. prosperity.

22 BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-2«, 1990 CHINA But it is widely known that though this system nated now, China would be thrown into serious possesses some outside forms and functions of political chaos and there would be no unity of modern parliamentary democracy, it is charac• the people. This would certainly bring disaster to terized by Japan's politics and culture. There is China. By the way, I am not a member of the an obvious distinction, both in form and content, Chinese Communist Party. between Japan's system and the capitalist demo• cratic systems of America and Europe. Sorman: Oh, why? He: Because I have not applied for Party mem• Sorman: But Japan practises a multi-party sys• bership. I have said I have no intentipn of parti• tem and it does not allow the Communist Party cipating in politics. to enjoy a special position. He: In China, the special position and role of the Sorman: You said just now that the Chinese Communist Party has been a result of China's Communist Party will complete its political history. When the Party came to power in 1949, function. What does that mean? it was broadly supported by the Chinese people. He: (Laughing) I meant it in a classic sense. Mao As for the multi-party system in Japan, I Zedong once said that when China realizes its notice that the Liberal Democratic Party has socialist modernization and has evolved into a consistently held power since its founding and society that is superior to socialism economical• climbed to power 35 years ago. This shows that ly, politically and culturally, the mission can be the Party also enjoys a special position and role said to have been accomplished. in Japan's political life. Also, I have noticed that the party has under• Sorman: I see that the Chinese Communist Party gone both crises (in the 1950s and 1960s, for plays a great political role in China. But what example) and successes. Corruption, scandal and role does Marxism play in Chinese society as a inside stories of plots have often been exposed in kind of ideology? Why did it fail in Eastern the Party and in the political arena which have Europe? And will it last in China? shocked the government and the public. But it He: I think you have seen that Marxism in seems that no criticism over Japan's undemo• China is greatly different from Marxism in the cratic politics has been heard from the West. Soviet Union and Eastern Europe since the time of Mao Zedong. Marxist tradition in China is more flexible in theory and has more vigour and creativeness, while it is more realistic in practice, VI. Significance of Marxism paying more attention to integrating theory with to China practice. Soman: Do you think that the Chinese Com• Sorman: Yes, I have. munist Party will enjoy its special position and He: I am not surprised at what happened in play a special role forever? Eastern Europe, for I made a prediction in my He: I remember Marx, Lenin and Mao Zedong article which was published on May 19, 1989, in all said that no political party will exist forever. the Guangzhou-based journal China Jinbao. As Just as it was born, it will die. for the question of the role of Marxism in China and the significance of incidents in Eastern Eu• Sorman: Yes, that is what they said. And when rope, I have deeply compared and pondered will it wither away? them again and again. He: It is natural that it will go along with the history; the Chinese Communist Party will with• Sorman: What's the conclusion? er away after it has completed its political mis- He: China has its own problems today, but I rsion and function. However, I don't agree that it believe that the situation in Eastern Europe is will wither away today and I also don't think it unlikely to happen in China. will this time. Without the Chinese Communist Party, Chinese society would again be in a state Sorman: Why? of disunity. China would lose a core political He: Because Marxism has suited the historical rgauization that has the ability to unite 1.1 needs of China's modernization, and it has not Chinese people. If the Party was termi• been introduced into China by outside forces.

MUINGKVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 23 CHINA For the Chinese people who suffered so much in the 20th century, Marxism, first of all, was an VII. The Tiananmen Incident ideological weapon for them to oppose colonial• of 1989 ism and imperialism. It encouraged the Chinese people, then facing the crisis that the country Sorman: Last spring and summer, some college would be carved up and conquered, to carry on students and other people demonstrated in Bei• a victorious national liberation war and save jing and some other cities in China. Can you China from splitting up. As a psychological explain why they did this? Did they cherish strength, Marxism played a singular role in pro• illusions? Or were they manipulated by others? tecting China's national economy and revitaliz• How do you explain their actions? ing her national spirit. He: About the incident last year, Mr. Sorman, I Second, Marxism advocates the realization of was not taken by surprise. Two years earlier, I state-ownership (public ownership) and plan• had pondered whether a turmoil would occur. ning of social capital and resources. Such a theo• ry enables backward countries to rapidly con• Sorman: Really? centrate and accumulate their capital for in• He: In November 1988, I published a series of dustrialization and to resist economically and articles in the Hong Kong Ming Pao (a monthly technologically powerful nations on the interna• magazine), in which I discussed the idea that tional market. China would experience turmoil. I supposed that Third, Marxism, as a theory to safeguard the turmoil would result in military control. workers' and poor peasants' interests, advocates And if the turmoil was difficult to stop, China to decrease the gap between poor and rich people would fall apart and even become dependent on and provide the poor with a social guarantee some big countries. mechanism. Formulated under the guidance of this theory, China's policy in the 1950s, when Sorman: But you have still not talked about the the country tried to realize industrialization, reasons for this. enabled China to avoid the brutal deprivation He: Since I predicted the incident, I, of course, which had generally happened in the period of thought about the reasons. I suggest you read my primitive accumulation of capital in the West articles, in which I tried to make an objective (please look back on Britain's enclosure move• and level-headed analysis of some social prob• ment, the black-slave plantation system and the lems and policy faults in China. Now, I have bloody Westward Movement in North America, only one point to add. As for the reasons for the and the cruel labour system in the United States incident, some foreigners only saw what's on the in the 18th-19th century). surface and then jumped at conclusions. Some Fourth, under the guidance of Marxism, the Western figures, for example, regarded the inci• Chinese Communist Party was formed and a dent as a symbol of the failure of China's social• large-scale social movement for the country's ist system. They said the incident showed that modernization emerged so that the Chinese na• most of the Chinese people want to abandon tion, which had suffered from invasion by West• socialism. ern forces, gained strong political and mental strength for unity, thus promoting China's eco• Sorman: Oh, is it not the case? nomic and political modernization process. He: No, it isn't. I noticed that grievances of the No matter what mistakes have been made by masses at the time were concentrated on run• the Communist Party since 1949,1 think no one away inflation, an imbalanced social distribu• who is fair-minded can totally deny the above- tion and officials' corruption and privilege seek• mentioned four points. In fact, at the end of the ing. Many people were also upset by the rapid 1950s, China tried to learn from lessons from the social polarization, the feeling that social values Soviet experience. Although such a great tragedy were being lost, money worshipping and its in• as the "cultural revolution" occurred, China was fluence on political activities. These grievances one of the world's nations which saw a rapid were the main reasons pushing people out on to development in its economy and culture in the the streets to demonstrate. This is precisely a past 40 years. Surely, if those mistakes could sentiment to resist capitalist values. have been avoided, the condition would be better Personally, I opposed their actions from the than now. beginning, that is, I did not agree with people

24 BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 CHINA expressing their opinions in a way which was if China permits people to form parties freely, I irrational and violated the law. But I can under• think, the chaotic situation will reappear. stand their grievances. However, those good and honest people did not know that behind the scenes, the instigators had political intentions quite contrary to the will of the public. If they VIII. Will the 'June 4 had taken power, they would certainly have Incident' Be Reappraised made a series of policies that would have further by History? promoted this irrational behaviour. So, it was an absurd situation in which the masses showed a Soman: Did you speak on the relations between tendency to resist capitalism but the people be• the Tiananmen incident last year and the "cul• hind the scenes had political intentions to dee• tural revolution?" pen and develop capitalism. In this sense, He: (Surprised) Oh, yes. How did you know weren't the aspirations of the masses, their griev• that? ances and indignation, used by these schemers? In my opinion, any mass movement, if unlim• ited by laws and reason in the process of devel• Soman: At the beginning of our talk, we re• opment, will become more politically complicat• ferred to the question of political reform. You ed as it grows larger in scale and hence more said that some systems and channels need to be inclined to be manipulated by careerists and set up so that people can convey their opinions intriguers. This is nothing new in world history. and demands to the policy-makers. Can you For example, in the early period of the "cultural explain specifically what concrete concepts they revolution," the clique headed by Zhang Chun- are? qiao and Jiang Qin made use of the people's He: On political reform, it is easier said than worship of Chairman Mao Zedong and incited done. First of all, China is a big country. In the the mass discontent towards some senior cadres eyes of outsiders, it seems that all Chinese are who sought political and other privileges. They identical. But in reality, the political, econo• promised to the people that by following them, mic and cultural development differs through• the people would be led to a paradise where there out China. The political level of the masses is would be no corruption or irrational phenomena. also uneven. Any model of political reform in They launched a series of large-scale radical, China must consider this complicated national crazy mass movements. (Some of them looked condition before anything else. Currently, the similar to the 'June 4 incident.') state focuses on the political and ideological With the help of Lin Biao, the clique at last education of its citizens, and gives priority to usurped high positions of the country. Not until resolving problems of wide concern, such as cor• then did the people realize that they had been ruption and bribe-taking among some cadres. made fools of. Seeing the disastrous effects of the These measures are timely and appropriate and clique's policies, they began to hate them. But it they are concrete steps in the political reform. was too late. Whenever Westerners talk of China's political reform, they focus on whether China will em• Sorman: Do you think that people will take a different look at last year's incident in the fu• brace a multi-party system. ture? Actually, more than 20 years ago during the He: I know that people with different standings "cultural revolution," the Chinese people were both at home and abroad hold different views on allowed to form parties and factions freely. As a the incident. However, I believe it is highly result, a dozen or more political organizations unlikely that history will reappraise the move• including rebellious alliances were set up in ci• ment no matter in what direction the situation ties, villages and trades. They debated endlessly, will develop. I have noted that some people are and even resorted to violence, causing major trying to compare the incident with the 1976 turmoil throughout China. In-fighting between Tiananmen event. Although similar in appear• the different factions scarred individuals emo• ance, they are two completely different things. tionally. That situation, in a certain sense, was a The 1976 Tiananmen event was basically a type of multi-party or multi-faction system. Un• spontaneous popular movement aimed at ne• der the current social political climate of China, gating the "cultural revolution" and supporting injlNGXEVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 25 CHINA

Deng Xiaoping as the leader of the country. So disaster to the Chinese people. Tens of thousands the movement was just and conformed with the of them will become homeless refugees in civ• will of the people. It proved to have promoted il wars and turmoil. The positions of overseas the country's great transformations and reforms Chinese will also greatly decline. in the political, economic, ideologicaland cultur• In that case, the 1989 incident will not become al fields. a glorious page in history, either. On the con• The incident last year was quite different. It trary, it will be viewed as a prelude to a series of had been manipulated by various political forces historical disasters. Because China is such a big, from the very beginning and was clouded in a important country with such a large population, conspiratorial atmosphere throughout the inci• no one country has the political and economic dent. power to control it if it sank into chaos. The Apparently the movement asked for democra• problem of refugees alone would cause great cy. But the real scheme and aim behind it has problems to the world. been kept in the dark. I have met some innocent Therefore, I can hardly understand why some people who were involved in the incident last Western intellectuals feel so elated and inspired year. They all feel they have been fooled. by such an ominous incident. Is this a rational The 1989 incident took place at a time when reaction? China, though confronted by complex problems and mistakes after 10 years of reform, was still Sorman: I do not want to explain to you why advancing on both political and economic fronts. Western intellectuals reacted so positively to the It was a period full of hope for China. The Tiananmen incident. However, I suggest that incident cast a vast shadow over the future de• you exercise tolerance and understanding to it. I velopment of China and caused enormous eco• hope you can see this issue from a broader nomic and political losses. It can hardly be said perspective in the future. that its consequences have been completely eli• He: (Laughing) From the point of view of ideal minated. Western values, I can naturally understand it. However, although ideals are always wonderful, the realities of survival are grim. I remember that after the drastic changes in Eastern Europe, IX. China's Prospects for the some Western politicians were extremely optim• Future istic about the world's future. It was as if human• kind would enter a brand new era of universal democracy and enduring peace. Sorman: Oh! What do you think of the future of China? He: There are two possibilities. The first one is Sorman: Yes? that the present stability and unity will last well He: Unfortunately, I haven't seen any prospects into the future so that the Party and government of such a bright future. On the contrary, I felt at will have enough time to correct the mistakes in the time that something ominous was looming. I their work and avoid making new ones. In such felt that some of the political pillars which had a way, China will become a prosperous and bolstered world peace through the past 40 years modernized country at the beginning of the next had collapsed and the balance of power in the century. When we look back and review the world was being broken. Do the stock exchange incident then, we will probably feel sad about it, crises, high inflation and economic stagnation but it will not be a glorious event. that have beset developed countries in recent The second is that the domestic and foreign years signal a worldwide economic crisis? Ethnic forces will succeed in their attempts to sabotage conflicts are sharpening in some areas, and new the stability and unity of China. If that happens, local and civil wars are looming. Is the world China will again be thrown into great disorder heading towards an era of lasting peace or an era and torn apart by warlords and foreign forces of repeated, widespread social turmoil and inter• just as during the period following the 1911 locking local wars of medium and small scale? I Revolution (the Chinese bourgeois democratic think everyone who sincerely wishes a brigh• revolution led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen which over• ter tomorrow for humankind should be vigi• threw the Qing Dynasty). It will be a great lant over these questions. •

2« BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 CHINA

Economic and Political Reforms —He XIn's Conversation with BartKira Alighiero

Barbara: Mr He Xin, I've read some of your some background information based on my per• articles. sonal experience. He Xin: Oh, what are they? B: I'm very interested. B: One was your recent talk with Guy Sorman, a reporter with Figaro. But I have also read an article you wrote for the reference of leaders of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau. I. A Meeting in Zhongnanhai The article was about the student turmoil last year. In it you raised some moderate proposals. H: Do you mean the one translated by someone H: A special meeting was held in Zhongnanhai called Geoemie Barme and carried in a publica• (site of the government—^li.) on June 1 last tion of the Australian Ministry of Foreign Af• year. Please note that the date for the meeting fairs? was two days before the "June 4 incident." B: Yes. I'd like to know what drove the hard• The meeting was summoned and presided over liners in the Chinese government to refuse your by Premier Li Peng. The participants included proposals? leaders from the State Education Commission, H: I don't know what you mean by "hard• the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central liners." Committee and the Party committee of the Bei• B: Everyone knows, such as Deng and, also, Li jing Municipality, as well as some specially in• Peng. vited experts and scholars. I was one of them. H: When I said I don't know what you mean by Premier Li Peng said that the meeting would "hard-liners," I mean the political implication of discuss two questions. One was how to distin• the term is ambiguous and unclear. guish the students and masses who took to the I believe every Chinese state leader will be a street out of love for their country and opposi• hard-liner when it comes to China's independ• tion to corruption from the "tiny handful of ence, unity and state sovereignty. None are will• people" who plotted subversive activities behind ing to be condemned through the ages for the scenes; the other was how to find a safe and betraying the interests of the nation and temperate way to reverse the worsening course motherland. of events. With regard to the event last year, I hold that Prior to this meeting, the premier had pre• the standard used abroad to divide the so-called pared a document for participants in order to "hard-liners" from the "moderates" among the solicit their opinions for amendments. From my Chinese leadership is very questionable. Is it recollection, that document spoke firmly and really true that the leadership was divided be• favourably of the patriotic spirit displayed by cause some took a fairly moderate attitude to• most students and the masses. All the partici• wards the students while others took an uncom• pants took the floor at the meeting, airing their promising stand? views from different perspectives. Some of them I'm not very clear about the differences stood for a moderate attitude and some others among the top echelon of the government. But, stood for a hard line. according to my study of the changes in the I observed Premier Li Peng from beginning to Chinese economy, politics and policies, I believe end and discovered him to be very attentive to that it is superficial and meaningless to use such the others' statements. He took detailed notes of physical terms as "hard-line" and "moderate" to our opinions. I didn't find any hint of a jaund• portray political and historical events. iced attitude on his part towards what was hap• In order to elaborate this, I'd like to give you pening outside Zhongnanhai.

BEIJING KEVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 27 CHINA I think you still remember the atmosphere they are glad to see an enfeebled, divided China. prevailing over Tiananmen Square outside For instance, some people in the West support Zhongnanhai. Posters such as "Down with Li independence for Tibet.... Peng" could be found along Changan Boulevard. B: Who said that? It is not true at all. Some lampooned Li Peng as a fascist military H: Nobody in the West supports independence officer. My eye-witness impression of Premier Li for Tibet? Peng, however, is that of a modest and self- B: No. They only want to protect Tibetans. They disciplined man who is ready to listen to others. are only showing their solicitude for the issue of I remember that at the meeting, some criti• Tibet. cized the government for the ineffective enforce• H: I think that they do not need to show their ment of martial law, its weakness and comprom• solicitude (laughing). ises, because of which the troops were prevented B: There is a difference. They don't stir up from entering the city and for many days social trouble. This is the same as we support the order could not be restored. They also said it was democratic movement that took place in Hun• better for the government to lift martial law if it gary and Romania. By the way, have you ever remained ineffective. With a sense of humour been to Tibet? and a tolerant smile, the premier said: This is H: Not yet. Chinese-style martial law, isn't it? B: You'd better go and have a look. There you At the meeting, I did not spot any sign of may find the reasons behind the conflicts be• "high-handed suppression." At that time, mar• tween the Chinese and Tibetans and then you tial law had been imposed for a dozen days. may not talk about schemes of foreign countries. Judging from the document which was to be If you find how many people show sympathy for circulated nationwide, the central government the activities, you may see clearly that it's not was still patiently seeking to persuade the major• foreigners that support independence for Ti• ity of the people in order to change the situation bet.... I have never heard of a foreign govern• in a peaceful way. ment wanting Tibet to be independent, only Therefore, I'm deeply convinced that if there Tibetans. had been no sudden change in the situation the H: You say that you didn't support independ• next day and if no unexpected events had taken ence for Tibet, but just now, you separated the place there would have been no unfortunate Tibetans from the Chinese. Are Tibetans not incident later. At the time, those swollen-headed Chinese? Are the matters occurring in Tibet not people miscalculated China's political situation Chinese affairs? and stirred up troubles, doing everything to ag• B: But no country wants Tibet to be indepen• gravate the situation in an attempt to overthrow dent. the government. H: Didn't the European Parliament make a de• B: People weren't aware of the meeting. claration on Tibet? Didn't the American Con• H: Right. No reporters were sent and no cover• gress publish similar statements? Certainly, at age was given to the meeting in the Chinese present, no country dares to publicly support press. But I think the participants, including independence for Tibet. They pull strings behind such famous intellectuals as the linguist Xu the scenes. Strategically, they want to do so in Guozhang and economists Tao Dayong and Wu . two steps. At present, when the Chinese govern• Shuqing, are witnesses to this historic event. ment is strong, it is impossible for them to fla• grantly support Tibetan independence, for such a step would inevitably damage their relations with China. So the best they can do for the time being is to create public opinion and engage in II. The Issue of Tibet secret activities. Using some internal problems as a pretext in their open statements, they work B: You once mentioned foreign subverters in to sow dissension between Tibetans and the Hans your report to the Politburo members. Now and between the central government and the you also mentioned "a tiny handful of people." Tibetan regional government. Could you tell me who you are talking about? But if it happens that the Chinese govern• Do you think foreigners really want to invade ment's strength and control ability is weakened, China? some Western strategists' attempt to separate H: By foreign subverters I refer to the countries Tibet and other ethnic minority regions from the with global strategic ambitions. In my opinion. Chinese nation may be openly placed on the

28 BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 CHINA agenda. To them this is a matter of time. What as the centre and the other takes the Soviet they do today are preparations for their goal Union as the centre. Both are very interesting. tomorrow. Can't we see the relationship between B: Yes, I krrow. these two steps? H: From these two books, I got some idea of the global strategy of the United States. In my op• inion, America's position in the present-day world has three basic characteristics: III. The World Strategy of 1. The United States is the leader of developed the United States countries in the West. 2. The United States has always striven to i become a world overlord and global leader. In 1 B: Do you think the "June 4 incident" was the past 50 years, it has been an economic, caused by Western schemes? political, military and ideological superpower. H: (Laughing) I can assure you that this is not 3. Since its defeat in Viet Nam, however, the my idea. United States' national strength has been on the About domestic reasons behind the event, I've decline, a decline in the absolute sense of the said much in my conversation with Mr. Guy term. The key reasons for such a decline are Sorman. So, I think it is unnecessary to repeat it. its problematic economic system, low economic B: But in your previous statement, you indicated growth rate and huge deficit. There are too that some foreigners wanted to split China. many difficulties for the United States to cope H: Yes, because I have evidence. with. The other reason is the rapid rise in the I have studied works written by some Western economic positions of other countries including \ strategists. During the American Roosevelt time, Japan, the Federal Republic of Germany and | there was a senior adviser as well as a famous China and their increasing role in world political geo-strategist named N.J. Spykman. In the late affairs. stages of World War II, he designed the postwar These three characteristics have hampered the i American foreign policy and wrote a book enti• global strategy of the United States and threa• tled The Geography of Peace. When discussing tened to throw it into panic. While consolidating the East, he said that after Japan was defeated, its present position, the United States has tried the United States must guard against China its best, without so much as to betray its real becoming a strong, unified and industrialized intentions, to check the rapid emergence of those country. countries as a potential threat to it. He held that the formation of such a new In the overall strategic plan of the United power centre in the East would be harmful to States, I think China was considered a key link. American security and world interests. He con• I think that in the past ten years America's sidered that the best policy was to divide and China policy has been a systematic one which rule China and so he put forward a policy of was worked out after careful considerations. \ containment. In regard to the global goal of the For instance, the United States has spent a lot i United States, he believed that a world govern• of money on cultural and ideological infiltra- j ment was inevitable when the whole world was tion. On the one hand, it encouraged a corrup- I integrated. In order to guarantee American in• tion of the Chinese cultural mores, and, on the \ terests, however, the United States had to main• other, it guided and supported certain intellec• tain its dominant position in the world. tuals in an anti-system movement in the name of In addition. Professor Zbignien Brezinski has "democracy." In some Chinese's minds, the Un• written a book entitled Game Plan. ited States is so perfect, so strong that it looks B: Yes, I know. I've read the book. almost like a god. In the June incident, for H: This book was written for highly placed example, didn't some people regard the United politicians in US Congress. The author begins by States as a goddess out there to protect China's saying that the contention between the United "democracy"? States and the Soviet Union is not anything Some American economists have meticulously between different ideologies or social systems, created the myth of a perfect American laissez- but a scramble for territories. In other words, the faire market economy, which they have extolled question is who will establish an empire to rule to the skies and want China to copy. the world. In a word, it is a whole complex strategy, yet j You might remember the two maps printed in it is executed in such a clever fashion that no j the book. One is the world with the United States trace of real US intention is betrayed. i

BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 29 CHINA force their version of "economic reform" down IV. The Question of the the Japanese throat. Market Economy What is behind the Japanese-US trade fric• tion? To put it bluntly, it is nothing short of the United States using its political strength to com• B: The market economy can generate high eco• pel Japan to reduce its industrial efficiency and nomic efficiency. Without it, you would not weaken its competitiveness on the market so as have the economic reform today, would you? to protect the US industrial technology that is H: I am not opposed to introducing market trailing behind day by day. Thus the American mechanisms into China's economy to an appro• "invisible hand" suddenly becomes visible. priate degree. Rather, as I said in a recent essay, Since China is economically backward, the it is because China introduced the market me• United States peddles its economic pattern by chanism into its planned economy earlier than playing up its "invisible hand." Since Japan is the Soviet Union that China's economy has be• economically developed, having the strength to come more vigorous and successful than that of overdo the United States, the United States the Soviet Union. urges Japan to "reform" and "transform" its However, it would be absurd if China took the economy by administering a dose of its own US type of free market economy—the much- economic formula. Is it reasonable that the Un• vaunted omnipotent "invisible l^and"—as the ul• ited States tries to transform the whole world timate goal of its economic reform. along its lines rather than transforming itself? The problem is that the United States' econo• In my opinion, creating and propagating the mic system is not as good as it has claimed to be. mystery of a free-market economy is a strategic Far from it. If it were really so good, the United step by the United States in order to lord it over States' economy would not go downhill and no the world. The United States wants to establish Americans would say that there are lessons to be a global economic system of free markets fa• learnt from Japan. vourable to itself, a system in which all markets B: Japan also practises capitalism. are open to the United States while the US H: Yes. Their means of production are privately market is not necessarily open to other countries. owned but, as is known to all, Japan's economic Here, I do not mean that China's economic system, as is Germany's, is quite different from system does not need a reform and that China's that of the United States. economy is free from problems. Just like when Japan's economic system is subject to a good treating a patient, we cannot prescribe medicine deal of guidance and control by the state's indus• without a proper check-up. If I am suffering trial policies; it is a "mixed" system that blends from chronic indigestion, only a doctor who the advantages of planning and market mechan• wants to kill me would recommend a complete ism. Germany's is similar. The Germans praise blood transfusion. their system as "a social market system" in order It is strange indeed that in recent years many to set it apart from the American economic socialist countries have asked US economists for system of free market. a hand to remedy their economies. Is it that Japan and Germany both refuse to copy the some people have forgotten that the United US economic pattern. I think this spirit of inde• States is not only a political and ideological rival pendence is one of the reasons behind the rapid of socialism but also its economic rival? In ap• growth of the postwar economies of Japan and pearance, the cold war is a war of politics and a Germany. war of ideology. Looking deeper, however, one That the United States is now forcing Japan to will see it also embodies an industrial war, a "restructure its economy" is really interesting technical war, an economic war and a war in• and thought-provoking. Since the United States volving national interests. has always advocated an economy of free market The United States looks so smart that many and free business competition for the fittest to socialist countries ask it for prescriptions. The survive, how is it that United States now forces doctor says that your disease is low economic Japan to restructure its economy? efficiency and the remedy is a market economy. Japan's highly efficient economy has invaded The first dose is liberalization and privatization the turf of the United States. Therefore, it is of the economy. It is said that this cure-all can (according to the Japanese) America, not Japan, bring everything back to life. If the dose is taken which should restructure its economy. However, and the disease is not gone, then he will give the United States is trying by might and main to another dosage of the same recipe: liberalization

30 BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 CHINA and privatization of the economy. He then will Italy is also a capitalist industrial country. say the first dosage is not big enough to produce However, it is only a country of regional propor• an obvious effect. Therefore, it is necessary to tions and part of the European Economic Com• repeatedly increase the dosage until the state- munity. Italy is not globally oriented and so far owned economic system of a socialist country has no worldwide political intentions. That may completely falls apart. be the reason for the difference between Italy's The outcome of this is that the national econ• global policy and the United States' global stra• omy goes bankrupt; factories close down; work• tegic goal. ers are laid off in great numbers; and the coun• B: Absolutely different. try is buried deep in internal and external debts H: However, your two countries do share the and bogged down in runaway inflation. By then, same ideological and cultural background. And, the US economic doctor goes away in silence. between your two countries, there are intricately When you ask him for more help, he will admin• complicated ties of economic and political in• ister another prescription for you: Endure the terests. pain, please, he will say, because this is the price The United States has kept saying it cares for and investment you have to pay for the transi• and supports China's modernization programme. tion from a less efficient to a highly efficient In the past decade, however, how much assist• economy, from a backward to an advanced sys• ance has the United States really given China for tem. You will have to endure the pain and tide its economic construction? over the difficulty. After all the pains, you will B: Do you know how much foreign countries reach the Land of Promise. have invested in China, exactly? However, only God knows how long the prob• H: It is not difficult to provide the figure. Right lems will last and how high a price must be paid. now, I do know the figure from two years ago. As everyone knows, some Latin American coun• By 1987, the West's direct investment in China tries have plodded along this road for decades, reached some US$2.2 billion, mainly from for• and their debts have reached astronomical pro• eigners of Chinese origin. To know what is be• portions. They can hardly keep their heads hind this figure, we have to make a comparison. above water. At the time, China's total investment in the The problem is that no one can promise the state-owned sector's fixed assets amounted to people of a country that paradise lies ahead after more than US$110 billion, some 2 percent of paying a certain price. People of some socialist which was foreign investment. I still remember countries who have made such an attempt may quite well that in the 1950s and 1960s Taiwan regret their action. Once you get on such a road, got approximately US$10 billion in aid and in• however, there will be no return. vestment from the United States and other coun• tries, assistance which played an important role In my opinion, it was the United States that in Taiwan's economic growth. The mainland's benefited the most from last year's unrest in the population is 50 times bigger than Taiwan's. world arena. It destroyed a group of potential However, the economic aid it received from for• rivals and weakened another group. Isn't this eign countries may be much smaller than that proof of the success of the United States' stra• received by an African country. tegy? As a Chinese saying goes, "An empty promise is no better than paying lip service." I wonder whether this can be used to describe the attitude V. Why Foreign Investment of some developed countries towards China's modernization drive. Cannot Go to China on a B: Do you know about the problems and trou• Large Scale? bles foreign investors have encountered in China? H: I have talked much about such problems with B: (silence) But the United States cannot repre• some Westerners. I know some of their com• sent the West as a whole. plaints are reasonable, such as bureaucracy in H: The United States is the leader of the West• some government departments and the incom• ern world. Of course, the interests of the United plete infrastructure. States do not cover those of the entire West. The But I don't believe these are the real or major United States' policy is different from those of barriers preventing foreign investors from enter• other countries. ing China en masse. I think most of the develop-

BEUING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 31 CHINA ing countries in the world, say Southeast Asian, eliminate the differences between the various African and Latin American countries, share the social strata. But, if you look carefully, you may same or similar problems. If viewed from its find that the differences between various social political and social conditions, maybe China has strata in China are fairly small. For instance, the more advantages in many aspects, not to men• monthly salary of China's top officials is only tion the fact that China is striving to improve its several hundred yuan; this, plus the cost of I investment environment. housing, car and telephone, amounts to around I In my opinion, the failure for large sums of 1,000 yuan. The figure is much lower than that capital from the West, the United States in par• earned by some businessmen and entrepreneurs ticular, to enter China may stem from strategic who have their own businesses in this country. and global considerations, just like in the case of The lowest monthly income of China's urban the Soviet Union, which has also been prevented dwellers is 50 yuan, 20-fold less than that of from receiving Western investment in large vol• senior officials. In Western society, however, it umes. is common to find 1,000-fold, 10,000-fold and 100 million-fold differences between the highest and lowest incomes. The annual income of a US president is several hundred thousand dollars VI. Social Turmoil: A Bane to while that of a senior professor is only 30,000 to 50,000 dollars, to say nothing of ordinary wage Economic Development earners. If we talk about a campaign against bureaucrats, privileges, differences and inequi• i B: Don't you mean that America's present poli- ties between social strata, which country most ; cies towards China are like those of China to- deserves revolution and rebellion? I wards the third world countries in the 1960s? B: (Silence). 1 Does the United States, in your opinion, really H: I see clearly the numerous problems in our want to export revolution to China? society but I believe we cannot rely on rebellion H: (Laughing) What you said is quite interest• and disturbances to resolve them. Disturbances ing. will only suspend and disrupt the continuous This kind of "revolution," just like last year's development of the economy and cause enor• disturbance in China, is to some plotters a polit• mous losses. The various social problems can ical movement designed to subvert China's exist- only be resolved step by step through the devel• i ing system and policy. It is true that the United opment of the economy, the constant growth in I States is exporting "revolution"—anti-socialist national wealth and the firm and steady reform j "revolution"—in the name of "democracy" to of society. not only China but many other third world countries as well. The United States is playing the energetic role of a democratic fighter and a world policeman. VM.On In my memory, the United States used to be against any mention of "class struggle" in the Neo-Authoritarianism ideological field. But, during last year's turmoil, the VGA's broadcasts to China urged Chinese B: You said just now you expected to resolve almost every day to go in for "class struggle." China's problems through social reform. But B: In fact, Mao Zedong was also opposed to how will the economic reform be promoted with• China's bureaucrats and the privileged class, out political reform? During the ten years of j H: Don't you mean that China needs another reform, the economy has developed, but political "cultural revolution" and a "rebellion"? reform has not followed suit. Obviously, the Why don't you first go back and make a latter has fallen behind the former. revolution and rebellion in Italy? Aren't there H: This used to be a fashionable theory advocat• millionaires, bureaucrats, persons who enjoy pri• ed by Yan Jiaqi. I've never accepted this theory. vileges, and paupers in your country? Again, B: It is not only Yan Jiaqi who has this point of why don't you go to the United States to insti• view. gate rebellion? Is the American society so excep• H: I know some American scholars also hold tionally equal that it does not have all these similar viewpoints. They claim China's econo• things? mic reform is a failure because, when it touches To date, no country in the world is able to on the fundamental question of the ownership

BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 CHINA system, the government draws back. They say it Who would have imagined such a ludicrous, is the political system that impedes China's re• naive and terrible theory was almost put into form. political practice? B: Isn't this the case? H: Let's first have a look at the Soviet situation. In the last two years, the Soviet Union has done many things in its political reform. For instance, VIII. The Myth of the Market they have introduced the presidential system and they seem about to try a multi-party system. They have put into practice the theory of letting B: But what about you? Don't you, now, also political reforms lead economic reforms. But, propose dispensing with democracy in favour of has this solved the Soviet Union's social prob• strengthened government authority? lems, particularly its economic problems? Are H: When did I say there should be no democra• people optimistic about the future of the Soviet cy? During my talk with Sorman, I explained in Union? detail my views about China's democracy. You B: But the Soviet Union never practised any may want to have a look at it again. economic reform. I am only against indiscriminately introduc• H: Did the Soviet Union never practise any ing Western political forms into China even economic reform? I think you need to read up though they are unsuitable to China's national on its history. Khrushchev, Liberman and Kosy- conditions. As we know, the so-called "freedom gin, in different ways, all attempted to reform and democracy" are not just political demands; the Soviet economic system. they are also closely related to the social and B: There is indeed a neo-authoritarianism, don't economic system, economic policies and econo• you agree? mic concerns. H: No, I don't. I very much despise this kind of For instance, in considering such a question, naive political theory. if China directly copied America's political and B: Why? economic system, one needs to ask what would H: Some people dished up this theory in 1988 for immediately happen in China's rural areas. two purposes. What demand would the farmers raise? First, at the time, some people attempted to B: To have more children. bring forth a person who arrogated all powers to H: (Laughing) What else? himself, an autocrat. It was said that this person B: To build houses without restriction. could be counted on to reject varied opinions, H: No, this is only a secondary question. If we smash the resistance of conservatives and immediately gave up state planning and control middle-of-the-roaders, and enforce the economic over society and the economy, the farmers—not reform line. to mention people of other social strata, who Second, the reform the neo-authoritarians ad• would raise their own demands—would quickly vocated was nothing abstract. Their plan for demand three things of the government. reform was very clear: to go full steam ahead 1. Allow free birth. towards the privatization of the economy and a 2. Abolish the permanent residence system free market. and allow the rural population to freely move to As I said just now, to set the establishment of cities. " the private free market economy as the target of 3. Grant freedom to grow what they want to China's economic reform is, in itself, a matter of according to market prices. The price of farm grief. What is even stranger is that there were produce would be dominated by the market and people who openly advocated the use of autocra• farmers allowed to sell their products to anyone, cy, totalitarianism and despotic rule to prom• at any price and in any place as they wish. ote this kind of economic reform. A neo- In an abstract sense, some of these demands, authoritarian once made a speech at Beijing such as abolishing restrictions on urban and University saying that neo-authoritarianism rural permanent residence registration, are not meant the practice of private ownership and that necessarily unreasonable. With the passing of those who oppose it would be shot to death. time, these restrictions will be abolished sooner Somebody then asked him about democracy. He or later. But if you put it into practice tomorrow said it would not be too late to consider "demo• and allowed people to migrate and settle freely, cracy" after the market mechanisms were fully I'm afraid tens of thousands of rural people installed. would pour into the large cities. In terms of

*BING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 33 CHINA housing, employment, food and even water sup• determined by the cycle of productipn. With ply, however, the population in many large and regard to grain, the cycle is about one year, but medium-sized cities has almost reached the sa• people will go hungry without eating for a single turation point. This demand alone could throw day. In other words, even if we are convinced China into turmoil. that the law of the market can ultimately regu• B: How could that be? late supply and demand, there will be a famine H: How could it be otherwise? I would be glad and many people will die of hunger as we wait if you have better solutions. for the market regulation to take effect. It is known to all that abolishing the family B: But has this anything to do with democracy planning policy will harm China. With regard to and freedom? free plknting, China is a country with a huge A: Yes, it is directly related to your version of population and limited land and, so, the fact that "democracy" and "freedom." My point is that the Chinese people, more than 1 billion in popu• China cannot follow the economic system of the lation, have just enough grain to eat is closely free market. Agriculture alone determines this. related to careful agricultural planning and the Once agricultural production completely breaks state monopoly for purchase and marketing of away from the guidance and overall control grain and edible oils. To abolish these policies within the framework of state plan, the Chinese and let agricultural production be regulated people will go hungry. This is determined by the through the market would permit a lot of culti• fact that China has a huge population but limit• vated farmland to be used for cash crops such as ed arable land and the fact that its agricultural fruit and oil-bearing crops, whose prices are as a productive forces are still low. It is a fairy tale rule higher than those of grain. In that case, that China can completely rely on an ideal mar• China would soon become a grain-deficient ket mechanism to regulate the entire economy. country, and hundred of millions of Chinese If such mechanisms were imposed on China, it people would go hungry. would lead to utter social chaos. B: Some problems may crop up at the outset. Those whose fetish is the myth of the market However, the short supply of grain will mean a economy don't know that there is a more pro• rise in the grain price. Automatic regulation found meaning behind it. The aim of those who through the market would encourage the farm• want to export the Western market myth to ers to grow more grain the following year. China is to ensure that China's economic life• H: Again, you're talking about the "invisible lines will ultimately depend on a world market hand." But, first of all, the market price can under the control of developed Western coun• regulate production only when there are ample tries and put China at their beck and call like home supplies of the materials essential to rais• many poor countries in Asia, Africa and Latin ing the output; or else enough imports should be America. guaranteed. But as things are, China is short of arable land as well as funds for developing agriculture. When grain is in short supply, so will other IX. Empty Talk Can Only agricultural products (because of expanded con• sumption and ©ther reasons) and prices will go Hurt China. up. Under these circumstances, farmer judg• ment of the market demand is blind at best, and B: But democracy and freedom have other as• there is no knowing whether they will grow more pects. grain the next year to meet market demand. H: You know that I believe in this tenet of Second, even if the international grain market Marxism. That is, the economic base will restrict can be relied upon, China's foreign exchange and determine the superstructure. income and reserve are limited. Enormous im• People may wonder what empty talk means. ports of grain will naturally handicap the import Empty talk may appear impressive and convinc• of other products, and, consequently, industrial ing, but acting in accordance with it will lead to and technological development. If grain is in great chaos, to the detriment of the country and short supply for China's several hundred million its people. people, who on earth would be able to make up In recent years, there has been no lack of such for it? armchair-strategist talk. Recently, I received an Third, supply through market regulation anonymous letter from someone, apparently a needs a "buffer" period, the length of which is colleague in the academic circles, who told me

34 BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 CHINA

not to worry that China would find itself in apart. Ask our folks if this is what they really turmoil. want. He said if I recognized that China was in a structural crisis, then only a structural transfor• mation could solve the crisis. He also noted that disturbance only stemmed from unorgan• X. Price Reform ized forces constantly coming out of the old And Inflation structure. To him, turmoil is a good thing be• cause it provides the force needed to revamp China's structure. The reason why China is so B: In 1988, you foretold the political crisis. What slow in progress is that there has never been a is your opinion about the current government? disturbance that is thorough enough. A turmoil H: I think the crisis is over. The current Party of ten to 20 years is needed, he said, to clean Central Committee and government are more China of all the corrosive factors which have sober, prudent and practical than before June 4 accumulated for several thousand years, and last year. They are also more enlightened in only thus can the nation dispose of several some aspects. I think China's political situation hundred million inferior people and overhaul is stable. The fact is that the current government the old social structure and rebuild a new one. policies enjoy broader popular support than be• Only thus can China move from disorder to fore the turmoil. I can understand, also, that order and create the prerequisites for mod• Western observers may not be happy to see this. ern democratic politics and economic moder• B: But I believe it. If you don't jack up prices, nization. the policies will surely win support. B: (Laughing) This means it is right to rebel H: To control inflation is just one aspect of the against reactionaries. current policy that has won support. There are H: It is precisely this theory that sounds so other causes, but in my opinion, the key is that appealing with so many catchy phrases. But, in the policies are moving in the right orientation. my view, it doesn't hold water. The other day, With regard to prices, they have been adjusted when I was making a speech in a university, I this year. From a long-term point of view, the read out the letter and, to my surprise, some reform of the current price structure is inevit• people clapped hands to show their approval. I able. responded by saying that my theoretical level B: Are not price hikes and inflation the same was rather low and that I didn't quite under• thing? stand the so-called structural problem. Now, H: Price reform and inflation are certainly not would you people who have clapped your hands the same thing. The price reform entails read• in approval please stand up and put the theory justing the prices of some commodities in a into practice. The theory said that the surplus planned, selective, controlled and limited way, population will be eliminated through turmoil. I while inflation means the failure of the price think the surplus population can be eliminated policy and loss of government control, resulting without turmoil. Those who advocate the theory in runaway spontaneous rise in prices. If cyclical should set an example, however, by taking their price rises occur, galloping inflation will be the own lives, so as to implement the theory of result, bringing untold harm to society. self-elimination of the population. Otherwise, I think people can distinguish price reform who has the right to decide who should be elimi• from inflation. Judging from the economic his• nated in the turmoil and who should be pro• tory of various countries, a period of ascendant tected? economy is almost certain to be accompanied I told the audience that I was a mediocre by price increases. So long as the government person who thinks of problems in practical adopts proper measures the populace will be glad terms. The theory tells me that after decades of to accept the moderate reform of the price struc• turmoil, China will become as good as a parad• ture. ise. I am so shortsighted that I am always afraid Before I finish this conversation, I must say that I cannot see what will happen decades from that I am not an official. I am only a scholar who now, but I do know that if things are handled ponders and studies the problems of the contem• porary world. My \yords have no policy implica• the lap of turmoil and the chaos of war, millions tions, and I only air my views on behalf of \g wilto l yoube rou theoryt of wor, Chink ana dwil deprivel soon db eo if na n educa• myself. • tion, numerons families will go homeless and fall

BUINGMVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 35 BUSINESS / TRADE Asian Pacific region. The con• yuan, and the output value rose Jiangsu's New tract value was US$7,278 mil• from 150,000 yuan to 9 million Investment Boom lion, an increase of 120.48 per• yuan. Over the past decade, it cent over the same period last earned a total profit of 3 million According to the Jiangsu Com• year. On the other hand, there is yuan, 3 times the total invest• mission for Foreign Economic also a new development in la• ment. Relations and Trade, the prov• bour co-operation with the So• The two partners have decided ince continued to enjoy a boom• viet Union. In the second quarter to reinvest 2.16 million yuan in ing economic and technological of this year, for example, Jiangsu profits without distribution for co-operation with foreign coun• signed contracts for seven con• the expansion of production, tries in the first half of this year. struction projects and sent out by Li Zhuqing and Zhang Xiaodi By the end of last June, a total of 563 laborers to the Soviet Union. 179 projects had been newly ap• proved with a contracted value of US$124,227 million. Of this WFP-Aided Grain figure, 127 are foreign-funded enterprises with an investment of Project Goes Well US$74,219 million. Yanhua Co. The Grain project aided by the Investors come from a dozen Extends Time Limit World Food Programme (WFP) or so countries and regions such is all proceeding smoothly. as Japan, the United States, Sin• Good economic returns have The project coded No.3557 is a gapore, Thailand, Canada, the brought brighter prospects for a comprehensive project to devel• Federal Republic of Germany, co-operative arrangement of the op irrigation in Wulan County of Italy, Australia, Switzerland and Yanhua Electrical Equipment northwest China's Qinghai Prov• the Netherlands as well as Hong Co. Ltd. (YEEC). Before the ex• ince. Begun in July 1989, the Kong and Taiwan. Jiangsu ap• piration of the contract term, the first stage of the project will take proved the establishment of four two partners in mid-July signed 13 million man-days in four enterprises overseas. At the same an agreement to extend it for 10 years. WFP offered 35,000 tons time, it actively helped 302 years. of wheat worth US$5.4 million foreign-funded enterprises now Located in the city of Shijia- and Qinghai Province provided in operation to resolve difficul• zhuang, the YEEC, Hebei's first 40 million yuan. ties in their production and man• joint venture, was established in Located in the Qaidam Basin, agement. This resulted in the ex• 1980 by the Shijiazhuang No. 17 Wulan County is a dry land with port growth of foreign-funded Radio Factory and the CNT Httle rainfall. Water evaporates enterprises. Statistics indicate Electronics Co. of Hong Kong. at a rate 14 to 40 times rainfall. that their export value has al• Over the past decade, the com• This, combined with poor irriga• ready reached US$68.76 million, pany, by importing and making tion facilities, has resulted in low an 81.77 percent increase over full use of advanced technology, and erratic grain output. the corresponding period last had developed more than ten The project is designed to im• year. new products including radio prove the living standards for There has also been a new de• movable communications facili• more than 50,000 farmers in 84 velopment in labour service con• ties, safety-protection devices villages. The first stage of the tracts signed with foreign coun• for civilian purposes, differ• project will include building two tries. In the first six months of ent buckle-type alkaline elec• reservoirs on the Dulan and this year, for example, new con• tric cells, large capacity and dur• Saishike rivers which pass tracts worth US$37,824 million able lithium batteries, some of through the county, building were signed, an 81.77 percent in• which were sold on the interna• more than 120-kilometre water• crease over the same period last tional market. At the same time, proof ditches, repairing more year. Some new features have ap• some foreign businessmen asked than 190-kilometre village roads, peared in labour service for for• the company to transfer technol• afforesting 416-hectare wind- eign countries. For instance, the ogy patents for some products or breaking green belts and expand• market has been shifted to the to act as overseas sales agents. ing the irrigated area to more Asian Pacific region from the Good business brought rapid than 4,000 hectares. In the se• Middle East. In the first half of development. At present, the cond stage, farmland of another this year, the province clenched company's fixed assets increased 1,500 hectares will be irrigated. 18 new labour contracts with the from 72,000 yuan to 1.2 million

3« BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 BOOKS The 'Chronicle of cere care for comrades and for adhering to the four cardinal friends and strict demands on principles (upholding the social• Zhou Enlai* himself, and from his revolution• ist road, the leadership of the ary practice and theoretical for• Communist Party of China, the r • ihe Chronicle of Zhou Enlai, mulations to his life in war-torn people's democratic dictatorship I edited by the Party Liter- China and during the making of and Marxism, Leninism and J- ature Research Centre of New China. Mao Zedong Thought), emphas• the CPC Central Committee and Zhou was a leading member of izing the political and ideologi• co-published by the Central Par• the Communist Party of China cal work, opposing the mistaken ty Literature Publishing House and the People's Republic of ideological tendencies, construct• and the People's Publishing China and one of the key foun• ing both socialist material civili• House, has already been distri• ders of the Chinese People's Lib• zation and socialist culture and buted both in China and abroad. eration Army. The publication ethics and restructuring China's With its rich variety of first• of his chronicle can thus help political system. He calls on Par• hand material, the biographic give readers not only a better ty members to observe organiz- chronicle is believed to be the understanding of Zhou's life and tional disciplines and says that most up-to-date resource and achievements but also a new per• correcting the Party's work style most substantial in content spective on modern Chinese his• is the key to improving the ge• among the books published on tory and on the history of the neral social atmosphere. He as• Zhou Enlai up to now. Historical Communist Party of China. It is serts that the Party should tacitly documents from the CPC Cen• a valuable reference book for re• lead the people and purify its tral Committee, conference re• searchers in China and abroad own ranks. • cords of the Party's secretariat, interested in Zhou's life. • Politburo and its standing com• mittee, and telegrams which in• dicate contacts between Zhou and the Party's Central Commit• Documents on tee and other leaders including *Deng Xiaoping on World Communists Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi and Party Building* Zhu De are extensively quoted. o-edited by the Research Manuscripts, reports and letters eng Xiaoping on Party Centre and Literature Ed• written by Zhou, as well as his Building, edited by the C iting Centre of the CPC diaries, essays and school com• D Reference Office of the Central Committee's Interna• positions are widely cited in the Bureau of Secretaries under the tional Liaison Department and book. General Office of the CPC Cen• the Shandong Academy of Social The Central Archives, the Mu• tral Committee, has been pub• Sciences, a large-scale reference seum of the Chinese Revolution lished by the People's Publishing book Selected Documents of the and the Zhou Enlai Research House. World's Communist Party Con• Institute at Nankai University Since the Third Plenary Ses• gresses in the 1980s (in Chinese) provided relevant materials and sion of the Party 11th Cen• was published recently by the the No. 2 Museum of History tral Committee in 1978, Deng China Radio and TV Pubhshing offered pre-1949 minutes of the Xiaoping, faced with a new situa• House in Beijing and is to be Kuomintang (KMT) regime. tion under the policy of reform distributed both domestically Hundreds of Zhou's comrades- and opening to the outside world, and abroad. in-arms and friends presented has made profound expositions The book is the first of its kind their memoirs for reference. on Party building. The book is a and will help readers understand Many experts and scholars collection of 39 articles, speeches the programmes and policies of showed their concern for the sub• and talks on the subject. the communist parties in various ject matter by providing invalu• In the book, Deng touches on countries in their study of the able help in the book'a compila• such important questions as how international communist move• tion. to understand Mao Zedong's ment. The 2-volume, 7 million- The chronicle was completed thoughts on Party building fully character book is a collection after ten years of painstaking ef• and succintly, restore and carry of reports, programmes, constitu• fort. It presents a faithful des- forward the Party's fine tradition tions, statements and resolutions ^cription from Zhou's early fami- and workstyle, and uphold the adopted by the world's 62 Com• my Me and relationship with his Party's guidline and improve its munist Parties at their congress• J jelatives and friends to his sin- work. He notes the importance es held in the 1980s. •

HaiNG »mEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 37 FROM THE CHINESE PRESS on education in Tibet has in• tells us that the natural growth Modem Education creased steadily, reaching 143 rate of the population was not Flourishes in Tibet million yuan in 1989. After affected by the 'wrong criti• 1959, the state has allocated 950 cism."' REMIN RIBAO million yuan to Tibet, guaran• In his article carried in (People's Daily, Overseas Edition) teeing improved conditions in Yangcheng Wanbao on May 11, ince the peaceful liberation education. Today, Tibet owns six Zhang Ming, also a demog• of Tibet in 1951, educa• ground receivers for educational rapher, queried Bian's query. S tion has undergone a fun• satellites. Some schools of higher Bian Houze said that the learning, polytechnic and mid• wrong criticism had not any ef• damental change. The old edu• dle schools are now complete fect on the general situation of cational system having religious with modern libraries, language China's population increase; the doctrines as its main theme has training rooms and computer birthrate had dropped continual• been replaced by a modern sys• centers. Middle schools have ly because of natural and man- tem that emphasizes scientific been equipped with TV sets, la• made calamities. According to and technological knowledge. boratories for classes of physics, the fact that China's birthrate Currently in Tibet, there are chemistry and biology and other dropped between 1957 and 1961, 2,538 schools. They include teaching facilities. Even the key Bian concluded that even if three higher educational institu• primary schools have moder• China had not launched a tions, 15 polytechnic schools, 68 nized their teaching facilities. "wrong criticism," its population middle' schools and 2,398 pri• (July 4, 1990) would have greatly increased mary schools. Of the 170,000 anyway more than 20 years la• students, minorities account for ter. 88.6 percent. But in fact, it was the wrong To promote the development criticism along with slogans like of modern education, the state The Query Is "More people to do things bet• has allocated money for scholar• Queried ter" that caused the rapid in• ships. Therefore, all the students crease of population in China in are receiving an education free YANGCHENG WANBAO of charge. (Guangzhou Evening News) the following years. Special attention has been In 1963, the growth rate of paid to teaching students in the n an article carried in Chi• China's population hit 38.33 per Tibetan language, with edu• na's Population Newspaper, thousand. In the following 10 cation in primary schools mainly I demographer Bian Houze years, the rate ranged between conducted in Tibetan. The cur• questioned the truth of the state• 20.89 per thousand and 28.38 per riculum of middle schools in• ment "wrongly criticizing one thousand and didn't drop to less cludes courses in the Tibetan person has resulted in an in• than 12 per thousand until the language and literature. Tibet's crease of 300 million people." year 1980 when China's fami• universities and colleges provide (See Beijing Review, issue No. ly planning policy had been in classes in the Tibetan language 17, 1990) "I have no doubt about force for several years. and hterature, history, medicine, the final conclusion that Profes• Bian had also argued that religion, art and astronomy. sor Ma Yinchu was wrongly cri• China's large population—the Since 1984, the state has prov• ticized," Bian said. world's largest—was the result ided funds to start more than Bian was referring to Mao Ze• of "its profound political, econo• ICQ classes aimed specifically at dong's criticism of Ma in the mic, cultural, historical and biol• training professionals for Tibet 1950s for his population theory ogical background" and that this in some universities in the hin• arguing that China's population situation could not be imme• terland. More than 6,400 stu• was increasing at an alarming diately changed by the criticism dents who come from Tibet are rate and that steps should be of one or two persons. studying at universities and col• taken to control the population It is true that China's popu• leges of other provinces and growth. lation problem is the result of municipalities. Several universi• However, Bian said, "it was many things. However, we are ties and colleges throughout unfair that the increase of 300 blind if we don't see an error China have established ties with million people between 1957 and in policy-making resulting from Tibet in order to help train peo• 1979 can be attributed to the the "wrong criticism." If we had ple for the autonomous region. 'wrong criticism' of professor taken a positive point of view of The amount of money spent Ma. The history of that period Professor Ma Yinchu's popula-

38 BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 FROM THE CHINESE PRESS tion theory, we would surely physical burns, and provide sa• system and all are still alive after have slowed down the pace of tisfactory cosmetic treatment af• more than one year's trial. This population increase earlier. In ter the removal of tumours. was the first successful artificial Bian's eyes, whether China had The surgeons headed by Pro• breeding in this field in the launched a "wrong criticism" or fessor Song have successfully re• world. not and no matter which policy constructed such organs as de• The Yangtze alligator has a it had taken, the result was the formed ears and penises in one- history dating back more than same. According to Bian's theo• step treatments requiring about 200 million years. In 1897, a ry, China was doomed to in• one month. In general, such op• French biologist gave the alliga• crease its population to 1.1 bil• erations usually require three or tor living in its ancestral home lion. four steps and take between half in the Yangtze River basin the a year to two years. name Yangtze alligator. That is typically a pessimistic As civilization progresses, the and fatalistic point of view. The hospital has an interna• areas where alligators live have (May 11, 1990) tional reputation for the recon• become smaller. Between 1.975 struction of harelips, cleft pa• and 1981, Chinese scientists lates, and rifted urethra as well found that there were less than as for microscope surgery. 500 survivors. The achievements have In 1972, China listed the Asia's No.l Plastic brought the hospital to the atten• Yangtze alligator as an animal Surgery Hospital tion of its foreign counterparts. subject to first-class preserva• Song's works on plastic surgery tion. In 1973, the United Na• LIAOWANG have been published in the Un• tions listed it as a species near ited States and many countries extinction and forbade its remo• (Outlook Weekly, Overseas Edition) have invited him to lecture. val to other places. In 1979, the rrihe Hospital of Plastic Sur- Some 400 plastic surgeons from Yangtze alligator breeding farm I gery under the Chinese more than 30 countries and re• was set up in Xuancheng Coun• Academy of Medical gions have come to the hospital ty, where large and small alliga• Science, located near the site of to perfect their skills. tors found in mountain ditches the Eight Temples Park in Bei• (March 19, 1990) and ponds were brought to the jing, is the biggest hospital of its centre for breeding. In 1982, the kind in Asia. Every year it un• people's government of Anhui dertakes 50,000 plastic surgery Province listed Xuancheng, operations for Chinese and for• Nanling, Jingxian, Langxi and eign patients. Artificial Breeding Guangde counties as natural re• Covering an area of 100,000 Of Alligators serves, covering an area of square metres of land, the hospi• 900,000 hectares. In 1983, the tal has 20 full and associate pro• LIAOWANG state allocated funds to ex• fessors and 500 medical workers. (Outlook Weekly, Overseas Edition) pand the Xuancheng breeding It boasts 15 modern operating rrihe Chinese Alligator Re- grounds, and set up the only re• rooms equipped with such adv• I search Centre has succeed- search centre for breeding the anced plastic surgery instru• ed in artificially breed• Yangtze alligator in China. A ments as microscopes, wide- ing a second generation of total of 200 alligators are bred angle X-ray machines and sound the Yangtze alligator. every year. Now there are over spectrographs. Established in Located in Xuanzhou, Anhui 2,600 alligators at the centre, ten 1957, the hospital has since that province, the research centre times more than at the beginning time hosted ten major interna• consists of three reservoirs, a of the year. tional academic symposiums on breeding ground, an artificial The incubation period for the plastic surgery. In 1983, the hos• lake for raising alligators, ten Yangtze alligator lasts 60 to 70 pital's head, Song Ruyao, won ponds for different ages of alli• days. The incubation tempera• the Golden Saw Prize, the high• gators and an incubation system ture is an average 30 degrees est award for the plastic sur• for infant alligators. The centre Centigrade. The survival rate is geons in the world. Song is one covers 1,000 square metres, more than 95 percent by using of the three prize-winners in the where more than 2,000 alligators artificial incubation compared world. of different ages are now raised. with 20 percent under natural The hospital can treat con• In August 1989, 22 infant alli• conditions. genital defects, remove lesions gators of the second generation (April 30, 1990) caused by fire, chemical and were placed in the incubation

BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 CULTURE / SCIENCE quite familiar with these tunes, applause erupting at the last note of each piece. Guitar Gains Popularity in China In the past decade, millions of ike all the foreign guitarists his Moment For Solo Guitar, Chinese have been caught up in who have visited China, which has strong modernist ele• the guitar craze. Although many LJosef Ka-Cheung Fung re• ments. Adapted from his second can play no more than one tune, ceived loud applause from the guitar concerto. The Mystical usually The Love Romance, more audience when he plucked the Hexagon, it uses a variety of and more Chinese now consider first triplet of The Love Romance techniques to convey the n:\yster- the guitar as more than a mere during a concert at the Haidian ies of outer and inner space. But hobby. Outstanding guitarists Theatre in western Beijing. he found that the audience un• have emerged in Beijing, Nanj• ing, Shanghai and Harbin in re• Fung felt less confident, how• derstood the music; the theatre cent years and their technique ever, when he began to introduce was quieter than when he had approaches the highest interna• R£N-WUP;NG Pl^y^d the piece in tional level. Josef Ka-Chenng Fnng performs in Beifing. Vienna. They play difficult works by Fung was born in such masters as Sor, Albeniz, Hong Kong but is a citi• Ba(^h and Agustin Barrios Man- zen of Iceland who now gore, and seek to emulate great lives in Vienna. In 1973 guitarists like Williams, Andres he studied guitar at the Segovia, Manuel Barrueco and Norton Royal Conserva• Julian Bream. At the Zhuhai In• tory of Music in Manch• ternational Guitar Festival held ester under the re• in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, nowned John Williams. in 1987, foreign performers were During his Beijing surprised at the great progress concert he played such Chinese guitarists had made in guitar classics as Prelude recent years. by Villa-Lobos, The As yet, China has no special Miller's Dance by de guitar school and there is no gui• Falla and Oriental Cher• tar major offered at music con• ry by Yuquijiro Yocoh. servatories. Lacking a formal Fung found that the training place, Chinese guitar Chinese audience was lovers grasp every opportunity to Wn Yan gives a performance at the Bei)ing Concert Hall; Zhang Lnchnn (fonrth left, back nnv), Wn Yan (second right, back row) and Zhang Jie (first right, back row) after a performance at the Knnlmi Hotel. WU 71

40 BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 CULTURE / SCIENCE learn. Fung's performance cer• other rare precious relics such as tainly provided them with a very A * Jade Age' in a god figurine with an animal good one. Prehistoric China ? mask carved in jade, a pai or At that concert, Chinese gui• sceptre with a dragon head de• tarists Zhang Lushou, chairman wo Chinese archaeologists sign, a jade ax complete with of the Beijing Guitar Associa• have challenged the handle and many other painted tion, and Li Huizhe, first prize T universally acknowledged artifacts decorated with jade winner at the Tianjin Guitar chronological schemes for pre• pieces. In 1987, they excavated Competition, also performed. history of humanity. The ages 700 more pieces of jade from an• Zhang impressed the audience —Stone, Bronze and Iron ages other 11 tombs of the Liangzhu with his wonderful presentation —were put in order by Danish culture in a dig of the Yaoshan of Gran Jota by Tarrega. archaeologist Christian J. Thom- altar. Constantinos Michaelis, secre• sen (1788-1865), who based them In 1988, the Liangzhu research tary of the Cypriot embassy said, on the first appearance of means project, including the study on a "Zhang's playing technique is a of production in a period of so• "Jade Age," was included in the match for many professional gui• cial development. list of the state's major scientific tar players in the world. But he, Senior researchers Mou Yong- research projects and financed first of all, should have a better kang and Wu Ruzuo with the with state social sciences funds. guitar." Zhejiang Provincial Archaeolog• The application of jade was Fung agreed that the talent ical Research Institute have one of the major features mark• of Chinese guitarists has been proved in a recent study that ing the beginnings of Chinese cramped by the poor quality of a "Jade Age" existed between civilization, Mou said. The idea their guitars. Good instruments, Stone Age and Bronze and Iron of taking jade as a blessed object however, are too expensive for ages in China. was central to the "Jade Age." Chinese players. At the end of Despite Thomsen's classifi• As impractical tools of prod• Fung's concert one guitarist said, cation of the ages, the belief that uction, jade products actually "I felt envious to hear Fung's the evolution of civilization in marked the beginning of the ri• guitar producing such a refined eastern Asia took a unique tual system in China, which was sound." course becomes more clearly. based on the classes of society. Guo Yulong, 33, showed Fung The Chinese archaeologists ar• At the time, jade was a symbol of a guitar he had made himself rived at their findings on the bas• privilege and power. and Fung said, "This is the best is of the discovery of a large The appearance of jade prod• Chinese guitar I have ever seen." amount of jade articles of the ucts can be traced back 7,000 to Guo, who began malcing guitars Liangzhu and Hongshan cul• 8,000 years. However, the "Jade four years ago, said, "Guitar tures. The Neolithic culture of Age" would have dated back makers in the West have several Liangzhu was first discovered 3,500 to 5,000 years. generations of experience to rely at Liangzhu Town of Yuhang The application of jade cov• on. What I have is hard work and County in eastern China's Zhe• ered a wide area in ancient persistence." jiang Province in 1936. The China from the Yanshan Moun• This reporter paid a visit to Hongshan site, also a Neolithic tain range in the north to Zhang and some friends in a culture, was first discovered in Shaanxi Province and the middle small courtyard in Xisi, a west• 1935 in Chifeng in Liaoning reaches of the Yangtze River in ern district of Beijing. They had Province in northeast China. the west, to the Taishan Moun• transcribed John Denver's song In 1986, Mou and six other tain area in Shandong Province Choice into a guitar quartet and researchers were involved in an in the east, and to Guangdong were busy practising. archaeological dig at a large bur• Province in the south, forming a Li Huizhe lives in Tianjin but ial site of the Liangzhu culture. crescent shape of jade culture. takes the train to Beijing every From 11 tombs they excavated This vast semi-circular area was week to take part in these ses• more than 1,200 funerary ob• the region where Confucianism sions. Guo Yucheng, who left his jects, 90 percent of which were prevailed in later years. original job as a college teacher jade articles including cong Mou also disclosed that at the to study with the Central Opera (square-shaped jade with a hole Liangzhu site, they have found and Dance Drama Troupe at his in the middle), yue (an ax) and an earthen construction built own expense, rides his bicycle to bi (a round-shaped ornament 5,000 years ago covering more the rehearsals. A guitar is all he worn by nobles at court when than 300,000 square metres. wants, he said. offering sacrifices or at funer• Many noted professors and ar• by Lou Linwei als). They also discovered many chaeologists have inspected the

BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 41 CULTURE / SCIENCE site. Yan Wenming, director of lower eyelid and eye socket, Ancient Nomads in Beijing University's archaeology more than 20 have wrinkles on department, beheves the discov• the forehead and between the Rocl& Carvings ery marks the first time such eyebrows and 0.4-0.52 percent large-scale ruins of culture and have furrows. new study containing pic• religion have been found in The length, width and depth of tures of more than 1,000 rock carvings in Inner China. It's also a major find these lines vary, depending on A Mongolia sheds new light on the throughout the world, Yan ad• the person. Experts say the fa• life of the nomadic peoples who ded. cial expression of the figurines is roamed northern China in ancient It will also likely provide much richer than that on ancient times. further evidence in the near fu• Greek statues of Venus and Rock Carvings of Ulanqab by ture to support arguments of the Apollo. archaeologist Gai Shanlin is the "Jade Age" in China. • Experts measured the earlobes second monograph about rock of the figurines and found that carvings published in China. Rock more than 50 percent are round Carvings of Yinshan Mountain, and nearly 20 percent are square, another site in Inner Mongoha, a proportion similar to modern was the first. Figurines With Rich Chinese. They also discovered 25 Gai, of the Manchu nationality, styles of beard, each style cor• went to Ulanqab Grassland in the 1980s to inspect more than 10,000 Facial Expression responding to the age, character, carvings scattered in the area. face shape and post of the figure Ulanqab League, a district the ecent achievements in re• represented. size of Austria, is situated in cen• search were presented at In his article Hand Shape, tral Inner Mongolia, one of the R the Third Symposium on Gesture and Function of the Qin birthplaces of Chinese nomadic Qin Culture and Figurines held Military Men, Wang Wangsheng culture. at Lintong County, Shaanxi wrote that the Qin figurines have Historical research indicates Province, where a large number seven different hand shapes. that the carvers ranged from the of terra-cotta figurines have been Four gestures—the weapon style, primitive tribesmen, who lived in unearthed. shovel style, hook style and pi• the area 3,000-4,000 years ago, to The Qin Dynasty (221-207 ncers style—are almost ident• Huns during the Han Dynasty BC) was founded when Qin Shi- ical to the gripping, lifting and (206 BC-AD 220), Turks and huang (the first emperor of the stretching of modern Chinese Mongolians during the post-Han period and Han Chinese during Qin Dynasty) united the various soldiers. Chinese states under his rule. His the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The China Qin Figurine Asso• mausoleum, with its terra-cotta Depending on the period, carv• army of 8,000 horses and war• ciation was established in the au• ing was done with stone, bronze or riors, was discovered in 1974, tumn of 1986. The more than 80 iron tools. Animals are the domi• some 37.5 kilometers east of theses presented at this sympos• nant motif. Experts found 27 Xian. It is regarded as the eighth ium demonstrated that academic breeds, not only wild and domes• wonder of the world. research has expanded from cul• tic horses and goats and gazelles, Researchers Feng Shengqi, Li tural relics, archaeology and his• but also ostriches and the now ex• tinct woolly rhinoceros. Yongxin and Zheng Jianhong ex• tory circles to art, science and amined the figurines and found technology, military affairs and The carvings also show animals that 80 percent of the warriors other fields. in pens, the pens indicated by squares and the animals by dots in are muscular, nearly 90 percent For example, geology and hy• drology experts have put forward the squares. This shows that pre• are tall and every general is stal• historic hunters enclosed and do• many original ideas about the wart with thickset bones and mesticated wild animals in the well-developed muscles. This is a mausoleum's layout and the transition from an economy based combat ready army composed of techniques used in building Qin on hunting to one based on animal strong healthy soldiers, they said. Shihuang's underground palace. husbandry. Experts observed 3,119 facial Some scientists have studied the Many symbols have also been lines and found that 100 percent site's rfiicroclimate as well as found on so-called "Turk rock pic• of the figurines have philtrum, measures to protect the excavat• tures." Experts say these are of nasolabial folds, chin folds and ed figurine pits and the remain• high academic value in decipher• forehead folds, over 95 percent ing traces of paint on the figur• ing the scripts of ancient Chinese have folds on the upper eyelid. ines. • nationalities. •

42 BEIJING REVIEW, AUGUST 20-26, 1990 it Chinese Paintings by Zhu Yulian i L Zhu Yulian, bom in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, in 1926, is now the director of the Shenzhou Studio of Art and Calligraphy. Specializing in Chinese landscape, flower and The Roar of a Tiger. animal paintings, he is particularly adept in drawing the tiger.

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