TNAG-2293-FCO40-3305-Official-visits-from-Hong-Kong-to-China-1991 — Page 137

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6.

Secondly, there was continued reference to reform,

particularly in the cases of the Ministries of Foreign

Trade and

In

Economic Relations, and Personnel, and the State

Commission for Restructuring the Economic System.

virtually all cases, the reform period started in 1978, the

year in which Deng Xiaoping

Xiaoping returned to power, and the

clear message was being given that China's programme to

reform the economic system and Government structure would

continue come what may.

7.

Thirdly, the point was made that China is a huge

country and, as such, needed a degree of planning control

by the centre if chaos was not to result. This was brought

out particularly in the briefing by the State Commission

for

Restructuring the Economic System which emphasized

China's move

towards a 'mixed economy', combining elements

of the planned and market economies.

8.

Fourthly,

the theme of national unity and the

integration of the various minority races into the body

politic of China was emphasized not only at some of the

briefings but also in the course of our sight-seeing

trips.

Legislative Affairs mentioned

The Commission of

that the people's congresses

at the provincial and lower

-

levels were able to make laws which were appropriate for

local circumstances.

For

example, the strict family

planning policy was relaxed in the areas occupied by the

minority races which

traditionally tended

to have large