The Poverty of Plenty

214 Pages·1991·18.488 MB·English

by  Xiaoqiang Wang, Nanfeng Bai (auth.)

THE POVERTY OF PLENTY
The Poverty of Plenty
Wang Xiaoqiang
and
Bai Nanfeng
Translated by Angela Knox
Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN 978-1-349-10845-9 ISBN 978-1-349-10843-5 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-10843-5
English translation © Angela Knox, 1991
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1991 978-0-333-49147-8
All rights reserved. For information, write:
Scholarly and Reference Division,
St. Martin's Press, Inc., 175 Fifth Avenue,
New York, N.Y. 10010
First published in the United States of America in 1991
ISBN 978-0-312-05340-6
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wang. Hsiao-ch'iang.
[Fu jao tip' ink' un. English]
The poverty of plenty/Wang Xiaoqiang and Bai Nanfeng:
translated by Angela Knox.
p. em.
Translation of: Ju jao ti p' in k' un.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-312-05340-6
1. China-Economic conditions-1976--Regional disparities.
I. Bai, Nan-feng. II. Knox, Angela. III. Title.
HC427.92.W37713 1991
330.951'058---dc20 90--8948
CIP
Contents
List of Figures vii
List of Tables ix
List of Maps XI
Translator's Acknowledgement xii
Introduction by Angela Knox xiii
1 Extremes of Poverty and Wealth 1
1.1 The Matthew Effect 1
1.2 The Limitations of Backwardness 6
2 Contradictory Reality 13
2.1 Staggering Poverty 14
2.2 Staggering Wealth 18
3 The Intrinsic Determinant of Backwardness 23
3.1 Untapped Wealth 23
3.2 Two-Way Initiative 27
3.3 Quality of Human Resources 34
3.4 Social Development 40
4 The Way Out? 66
4.1 The Greater the Blood Transfusion, the Worse
the Anaemia 66
4.2 Infrastructure First? 83
4.3 Structure of Targets 90
5 ~~m ~
5.1 Encircling the Cities From the Countryside? 93
5.2 Urban Reform As the Initial Breakthrough Point 104
5.3 Advantageous Conditions for Reform 107
5.4 The Direction of the Breakthrough in Reform:
Circulation 111
5.5 'Time and Place' Reform Strategy 128
v
vi Contents
6 A Hundred Enterprises at the Ready, One to Take the Lead 133
6.1 Goals and Limitations 135
6.2 Imports Create More Imports 139
6.3 Undiversified Exploitation at a Superficial Level 152
6.4 Information and the Economy 161
7 An Open Conclusion 175
7.1 Strengthening the Role of Government 175
7.2 Bringing In and Utilising Skilled Personnel 179
7.3 New Towns From Scratch 181
7.4 Nationalism and Religion 183
7.5 Two Children Argue Over the Sun 186
Notes and References 187
Index 190
List of Figures
1.1 GVIAO for 1981 and 1983 in all provinces,
municipalities and autonomous regions
(Taiwan excepted) 3
1.2 Average per capita GVIO in developed and backward
regions 1983 4
1.3 Potential growth of GVIAO in Tibet and Jiangsu
1978-1990 5
1.4 GVIAO per square kilometre in all provinces,
municipalities and autonomous regions (Taiwan excepted) 9
1.5 Land area, GVIAO and GVIO of Xinjiang, Ningxia,
Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Tibet, Yunnan, Guizhou
and Qinghai as proportions of national total 1983 10
3.1 The immature social system 65
4.1 Trends of local financial revenue and central government
subsidies, Qinghai 1951-83 69
4.2 Percentage of central government subsidies in local
financial revenue, Qinghai 1950s-1980s 69
4.3 Trends of local financial revenue and central government
subsidies, Tibet 1954-82 70
4.4 Total volume of purchases from and sales to other
regions by Qinghai commercial department and the
province's total fiscal revenue 1952-84 74
4.5 Tibet's regional trade deficit, central government
subsidies and total value of output 1955-83 75
4.6 State commercial sector 'imports' as a percentage
of total sales in the region 1955-83 77
4.7 State commercial sector 'imports' in Tibet, capital
construction and business income 78
4.8 The profit feedback loop 79
4.9 Total volume of purchases by the state commercial
sector as a percentage of Tibet's GVIAO 81
5.1 GVIO in village and town enterprises for 1983 and 1984 in
all provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions 95
5.2 Extent of import of the modern system as shown by
circulation of funds 100
5.3 Grain shipments into Tibet and income in state-run
grain enterprises 114
vii
viii List of Figures
5.4 Total volume of business in state-run commerce and
commercial enterprise profits 119
5.5 Freight volume and transportation revenue in Tibet 123
6.1 Revenues of industrial enterprises and the transportation,
commercial and grain sectors in Tibet 144
6.2 The 'imports create more imports' mechanism in
backward regions 149
6.3 Co-existing curves for production potential in
backward regions 164
6.4 Results of transporting an excess of low-level goods 168
6.5 The function of tourism 173
List of Tables
1.1 Average annual rate of increase in GVIAO in selected
provinces and regions 1979-1983 5
3.1 Entrepreneurial spirit 38
3.2 Distribution of entrepreneurship evaluation scores 39
3.3 Factors affecting entrepreneurial spirit 42
3.4 Structure of GVAO in the eight backward regions
and other regions 43
3.5 Structure of GVAO in Guizhou, Qinghai, Jiangsu
and Zhejiang 43
3.6 Village and town enterprises in Guizhou and Jiangsu 44
3.7 Commodity relations among rural inhabitants of
Guizhou and Jiangsu 49
3.8 Educational levels 51
3.9 Student numbers at all levels 52
3.10 Students at all levels by province 52
3.11 Student enrolment at lower levels and the proportion
of students entering schools of higher grade 53
3.12 Teacher-student ratio 53
3.13 School buildings and accommodation for teachers,
administrative staff and workers in Guizhou 53
3.14 Basic school furniture (desks and chairs) in Guizhou 54
3.15 Educational equipment in Guizhou 54
3.16 Availability of practical lab sessions in Guizhou 55
3.17 Adult education 56
3.18 Posts and telecommunications business in the eight
backward regions and other regions 57
3.19 Posts and telecommunications business in Guizhou
and Jiangsu 57
3.20 Posts and telecommunications network in the eight
backward regions and other regions 58
3.21 Posts and telecommunications services in Anshun
prefecture, Guizhou (1) 58
3.22 Posts and telecommunications services in Anshun
prefecture, Guizhou (2) 58
3.23 Posts and telecommunications services in Zhenning
county, Guizhou 59
3.24 TV and radio broadcasting in Guizhou 61
lX
X List of Tables
3.25 Density of haulage routes in the eight backward
regions and other regions 62
3.26 Road haulage in Guizhou 62
3.27 Per capita freight in the eight backward regions and
other regions 63
3.28 Turnover of travellers in Guizhou and Qinghai
compared with the national average 64
4.1 Financial revenue and central government subsidies
in Guizhou, Qinghai, Tibet and Inner Mongolia 67
4.2 Central government subsidies as a percentage of
GVIAO in Tibet 1950s-1980s 73
4.3 Trade deficit in Tibet as a percentage of GVIAO
1950s-1980s 75
4.4 Results of subject material examinations held for
teachers in Guizhou 86
4.5 Results of subject material examinations in Anshun
prefecture 88
5.1 Income and consumption levels of urban and rural
residents in backward regions 98
5.2 Distribution of personnel of all educational levels in
Gyantse county, Tibet 103
6.1 Average transportation distances in ten provinces
and regions 137
6.2 Major financial indicators in state-owned industrial
enterprises with separate accounting 140
6.3 Profitability in the machining industry in Guizhou
and nationwide (average) 141
6.4 Technical norms in the coal industry - A comparison
between Guizhou and the national average 142
6.5 Gross value of agricultural and animal husbandry
output as a percentage of GVIAO 153
6.6 Industrial and agricultural strategies for development 162
6.7 A comparison of three sectors of the economy 173