CONFIDENTIAL
12.
China's policy on foreign trade was carefully spelt out for the benefit of the outside world. The import of foreign technology and the use of foreign capital is, in Hua's words, "a firm, important policy of our government" which will continue during and beyond the period of readjustment. Foreign trade will continue to expand much faster (at 24% this year) than the economy as a whole, and such priority areas for industrial development as fuel, power, communications and the non-ferrous metals sector will continue to offer valuable opportunities to competitive
British suppliers.
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13.
After the political and economic reports the third important element in the work of the Congress was the adoption of certain legal texts. China will soon have a criminal code after thirty years of muddling through with a hotch-potch of legal practices - case law, mass "struggle" meetings and, all too often, arbitrary brutality. Capital punishment will be used as little as possible (and usually only if, after a two year stay of execution, the criminal has not shown a desire for amendment of life) but will remain available for serious crimes of counter-revolution (a conveniently elastic category), for murder,
A law on rape, and such exotic offences as dyke-breaching. criminal procedure guarantees an accused person defence representation (though probably not in the sense we know it) and protection against torture. Further laws lay down the organisation of "people's governments" at each level (to replace the revolutionary committees which emerged during the Cultural Revolution), of elections to people's congresses at each level and of various legal institutions. Last, a draft law, eagerly awaited abroad but still only in outline, is intended to regulate joint ventures between Chinese and foreign enterprises. announced that further legislation on civil and economic matters would be prepared as a high priority.
It was
CONFIDENTIAL
7.
/14.
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