OUTLOOK
CONFIDENTIAL
14. The underlying problem for the leadership is to decide what kind of economic system it wants. Having abandoned economic Maoism
and economic Stalinism it has to decide how far it wants to go
towards a market system, particularly in the areas of planning and
prices.
15. Meanwhile, however, the China market remains a promising one
for British industry. The IBRD has projected imports worth between US $ 223bn and US $ 290bn in the year 2000 (in 185 prices assuming
international inflation at an annual average of 5.6%). If the
United Kingdom could increase its market share from 2% now to 5%
then, the China market would indeed have become a significant one.
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CONFIDENTIAL