60
WHEN THE MANCHU REGIME COLLAPSED IN 1911 THE NEW
LEADERS IN CHINA STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING
THEIR PEOPLE WITH THE FOUR ESSENTIALS; NAMELY, CLOTHING,
FOOD,
HOUSING AND TRANSPORT. TODAY, GENERALLY SPEAKING,
THERE IS PLENTY OF FOOD AND CLOTHING IN CHINA. BUT THERE
IS
BARELY ADEQUATE HOUSING, AND OF COURSE, MAJOR
DISASTERS LIKE THE RECENT YANGTZE RIVER FLOODS HAVE
RENDERED SEVERAL MILLION PEOPLE HOMELESS. OF THE FOUR
GREATEST WEAKNESS LIES IN THE
PROVISION OF TRANSPORT. ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING THAT THIS
ESSENTIALS, CHINA'S
IS ALSO THE AREA WITH THE GREATEST DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL.
HOUSING
IN MY OPINION, ESPECIALLY IN THESE TWO AREAS OF
AND TRANSPORT, CHINA URGENTLY NEEDS TO ACCELERATE
AND WIDEN HER MARKET-REFORM MEASURES AND INDEED IT WOULD
BE A VERY WISE CHINESE LEADER WHO CAN BREAK THE STATE
MONOPOLY IN THESE AREAS AND BRING IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR
TO STEP UP THE PACE OF DEVELOPMENT.
MY OWN PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS
HAVE LED ME TO
CONCLUDE THAT CHINA'S FUTURE IS A BRIGHT ONE. AGAIN,
GENERALIZING, THE LEADERS AND THE PEOPLE OF CHINA LIVE
THEIR LIVES IN A VERY
CIVILIZED WAY THE COUNTRY IS
LARGE,
THE POPULATION
IS
ENORMOUS AND
THEIR
CHIEF