Chapter 26 Zhou Enlai has left us precious wealth in the field of foreign trade

From the founding of New China in 1949 to his death in 1976, Comrade Zhou Enlai worked hard and foresighted for more than 20 years, and made outstanding contributions to the establishment and development of my country's foreign trade. At the same time, he also left us a precious legacy. Spiritual wealth. At present, our country is in a new period of historical development. In further implementing the policy of opening to the outside world, foreign trade occupies an extremely important position. Today, it is very meaningful to review Premier Zhou's main thoughts and practices on foreign trade. It is very meaningful to carry forward the past and forge ahead, work hard and achieve the grand strategic goal of foreign trade by the end of this century.

During his glorious life, Zhou Enlai creatively discussed the foreign trade policies of New China many times.On the eve of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in September 1949, he clearly pointed out in the report made at the first meeting of the first National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference that the economic policy of the new China is to "carry out the policy of taking into account both public and private interests, benefiting both labor and capital, mutual assistance between urban and rural areas, and internal and external exchanges. In order to achieve the purpose of developing production and prospering the economy.” ("Selected Works of Zhou Enlai", Volume 1, p. 370) The so-called "internal and external exchanges" refers to the restoration and development of foreign trade. In April 1952, he put forward many important principles of foreign trade in a speech, such as exchange of supplies, barter trade, exchange of agricultural products for industrial equipment, balance of imports and exports, etc. In February 1953, Premier Zhou publicly announced again at the fourth meeting of the first National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference: "We will not discriminate against any capitalist country that is willing to develop trade relations with us on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. We believe that countries with different systems can coexist peacefully." "We are willing to restore and establish trade relations with all countries that are willing to maintain peaceful relations, and develop a peaceful economy." This shows that Premier Zhou has always attached importance to foreign trade.

Premier Zhou attached great importance to summing up the experience of my country's economic construction in a timely manner, and for the first time proposed the idea of ​​economic cooperation in my country's foreign relations. In April 1955, he said in his "Speech at the Plenary Meeting of the Asian-African Conference": "We Asian and African countries need to cooperate economically and culturally so as to help eliminate our long-term plunder and oppression of colonialism. The economic and cultural backwardness caused by it... Our mutual trade and economic cooperation should be aimed at promoting the independent economic development of each country, and should not make any one party simply a source of raw materials and a sales market for consumer goods." He also said that we should strive to achieve the economic independence of all countries, and this does not mean to exclude economic cooperation with countries other than the Asian and African regions.The economic cooperation mentioned by Premier Zhou certainly includes the introduction of technology, utilization of foreign capital, foreign aid and foreign loans.In this way, foreign relations have been expanded from trade exchanges to the field of economic cooperation.

In 1956, our party proposed to establish a complete industrial system, so some people had the idea of ​​​​building behind closed doors and not asking for help in everything.Premier Zhou sharply criticized this erroneous thinking in his report at the Eighth National Congress of the Communist Party of my country, and pointed out: "The economic, technical and cultural ties between our country and other countries in the world will inevitably develop day by day. Therefore, It is also wrong to isolate ideas in the cause of building socialism.” (Selected Works of Zhou Enlai, Volume 2, p. 226) That is to say, the development of foreign trade and economic cooperation is not a temporary expedient measure, but a long-term basic policy.

In 1960, due to the mistakes of the "Great Leap Forward", the Soviet Union tore up contracts and withdrew experts, my country's foreign trade was facing serious difficulties.The central government decided to form a three-member team headed by Comrade Zhou Enlai, Zhou Silai, Li Fuchun, and Li Xiannian, and establish a foreign trade headquarters with full authority to direct foreign trade acquisitions and export shipments, and strictly control imports.At this time, the Prime Minister’s leadership on foreign trade became more extensive and in-depth. He worked hard day and night, focusing on the construction of production bases for export commodities, importing grain, balancing foreign exchange, introducing technology, and adjusting national policies. In 1962, he pointed out in the report of a meeting: guarantee the completion of foreign trade tasks, repay foreign debts, and strive to undertake international obligations.This report pointed out the direction for the foreign trade work during the adjustment period.Although there were many difficulties in the foreign trade work at that time, these tasks were successfully completed.

During the years of revolutionary wars, our party consistently adhered to the policy of self-reliance. How should we treat this policy during the period of socialist construction? In December 1949, Premier Zhou correctly answered this question in a speech.He said: Is national construction mainly based on domestic strength or foreign aid?Our answer is to focus on domestic strength, that is, self-reliance.At the same time, he also pointed out that we need foreign aid, and we welcome assistance from friendly countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.This real help helps us to be self-reliant.

In 1958, Premier Zhou further pointed out: "Any country must have a little independent ability to build socialism, let alone a big country like ours. A country that is too small has a shortage of raw materials, and it is impossible not to rely on other countries. And A big country like ours must establish its own complete industrial system, otherwise no country can support us to completely solve the problem if something goes wrong." "However, it should be pointed out that basically complete does not mean that everything is completely self-sufficient. It is a big country It’s also impossible to have everything.” (Selected Works of Zhou Enlai, Volume 2, p. 232) These expositions have profoundly clarified the relationship between self-reliance and seeking foreign aid.

In June 1958, when Chairman Mao put forward the policy of "mainly relying on self-reliance, supplemented by seeking foreign aid", Premier Zhou further explained this idea to the foreign trade cadres. In December 1964, he pointed out: "Correctly handle the relationship between self-reliance and international cooperation. Self-reliance is the basic standpoint of revolution and construction. A socialist country can only proceed from its own specific conditions, rely on the hard work of its own people, and make full use of its own resources. Only by using resources for construction can the country's economy develop relatively quickly." "All good experience and technology from foreign countries must be absorbed and used for me."

In 1973, Premier Zhou said in a talk with foreign guests that Chairman Mao Zedong proposed that agriculture should be the foundation and industry should be the leading factor in the development of our national economy. Only by relying on self-reliance can the principle be tenable. Of course, foreign aid must also be sought, and trade with other countries on equality, mutual benefit, and exchange of needs should be carried out, but this is an auxiliary part, mainly relying on oneself.The above facts show that Premier Zhou's insistence on self-reliance as a priority and foreign aid as a supplement is consistent.

The practice of my country's economic construction in the past 30 years has proved that the idea of ​​relying mainly on self-reliance is correct. In 1982, when Comrade Deng Xiaoping introduced the historical experience of my country's economic construction to foreign guests, he pointed out: "You want to understand China's experience. The first thing in China's experience is to rely on self-reliance. Many of our things are made by ourselves." "From From the mid-1950s to the 1970s, that is, for more than 20 years in the 32 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, we were completely or basically without foreign aid, and we mainly relied on self-reliance. The benefits of not having foreign aid forced us to work hard. Inspired by this spirit, we developed atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs, missiles, launched artificial satellites, etc. during this period. Therefore, the first experience we introduce to our friends in the third world is self-reliance. Of course, this does not mean that we should not Instead of seeking foreign aid, we must focus on self-reliance.” ("Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping", p. 361) This is a high-level summary of the historical experience of my country's economic construction.

1.About price policy.When we do business with foreign countries, including Western capitalist countries, nationalist countries and socialist countries, what principles are used to determine the price of products?Is it determined according to the domestic market price, or according to other principles?The answer to this question seems very simple now, but it was not clear when we first started doing business with foreign countries.Premier Zhou said that commodity prices in foreign trade "should be in accordance with capitalist market prices, and of course there may be a certain range."Premier Zhou made my country's foreign price policy clear. 2.Thoughts about marketability and quality first.The quality problem is a problem that Premier Zhou has always attached great importance to.He repeatedly emphasized: We must pay attention to quality and put quality issues first; focus on quality before weight.To be marketable, export products should consider the needs of others.For example, the cloth in Southeast Asia is spun and thin, and you use roving to make thick ones, but they don't want it. 3.Regarding the requirements of honoring the contract and keeping promises. At the end of 1958, the "Great Leap Forward" movement reached its climax nationwide, and all departments and regions were pursuing high targets.The foreign trade work was also affected by the "Great Leap Forward" exaggeration, and the contract could not be delivered.From then on, Premier Zhou repeatedly warned foreign trade cadres to "respect contracts and keep promises." "Anyone who has signed a contract with the outside world this year would rather not eat or eat less, not use or use less, but also perform the contract that has been signed with the outside world." loss". "So we have to set a principle: Either don't sign the contract, and you must keep your promise if you sign the contract." 4.Regarding the policy of supporting the production of foreign trade commodities and establishing export bases.This policy was proposed by Premier Zhou in the 1960s.He pointed out that foreign trade needs to carry out basic construction, establish production bases for export commodities, and improve product quality.Factories that produce export commodities should be separated from factories that produce domestic commodities. Of course, such factories also have secondary products and cannot be sold separately, but they mainly produce export commodities.These opinions of Premier Zhou are far-sighted.At present, we propose to establish a production base for export commodities and form a production system for export commodities. The source of the ideas comes from Premier Zhou. 5.Do a good job of packing.It is often said that my country's exports are first-class raw materials, second-class finished products, third-class packaging, and fourth-class prices.Because the packaging is not good, it affects the price of export commodities. In 1971, Premier Zhou gave instructions in a report of the Ministry of Foreign Trade: do a good job in packaging.In the future, a packaging organization will be established to improve the packaging work in accordance with Premier Zhou's instructions. From the beginning to the end of the "Cultural Revolution", Lin Biao and the "Gang of Four" have been deliberately trying to bring down the Ministry of Foreign Trade so that they can replace it.Premier Zhou waged sharp and complex struggles with Lin Biao and the "Gang of Four", smashing their plots one after another.As far as I know and experience, there are mainly the following cases: 1.It is emphasized that the Ministry of Foreign Trade is under the leadership of Chairman Mao himself, and the red line is the main focus. Not long after the "Cultural Revolution" began, Lin Biao and the "Gang of Four" slandered the Ministry of Foreign Trade as a "Ministry of Traitors" and carried out a dark and long revisionist line.When Premier Zhou met with the rebels of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, he said tit for tat: "The three foreign affairs (note: diplomacy, foreign trade, and foreign economics) are personally led by Chairman Mao, and the red line is the main focus." It is said that foreign trade work is based on the correct line of the Party Central Committee.In this way, the party group of the Ministry of Foreign Trade was not "smashed" and continued to work.It is said that during the "Cultural Revolution", the party groups of the ministries and commissions under the State Council continued to exist, and continued to manage business work (of course the movement was "led" by the rebels). The party group of the Ministry of Foreign Trade was one of them. 2.Prevent the Canton Fair from being attacked in the name of "breaking the four olds". In the summer and autumn of 1966, it was the time when the so-called "destroying the four olds" of the "Cultural Revolution" was on the rise.In the exhibition hall of this Autumn Fair, many handicrafts with national characteristics of our country are exhibited, such as landscapes, flowers, birds and caterpillars, figures in ancient costumes, pictures of ancient ladies, etc.At that time, rebels from many parts of the country who gathered in Guangzhou claimed to go to the exhibition hall of the Canton Fair to "destroy the four olds".In advance, according to Premier Zhou's instructions, a notice from the State Council was posted in front of the Canton Fair, to the effect that the Canton Fair was going on normally and no impact on the Canton Fair was allowed.Just when they were about to rush, Premier Zhou also sent Liao Chengzhi and other comrades to the Canton Fair to do the work of the rebels.It took long negotiations to stop the rebels from rushing into the Canton Fair.A "breaking the four olds" almost prevented the Canton Fair, which had a considerable impact on my country's export trade, from being held.At that time, one-third of the country's export trade depended on the Canton Fair. 3.Correctly grasp the foreign trade policy of equality and mutual benefit. After the "September 13th" incident, I understood that there was a time to oppose "Left".In my speech at a meeting, I proposed that in foreign trade work, we should oppose the "Left" error of "self-centered and imposed on others".Unexpectedly, my speech has stabbed the hornet's nest of the "Gang of Four".Because the "Gang of Four" started by spreading the "self-centered" fallacy of "only me alone" and "only me alone", my statement touched their heart and caused them great dissatisfaction .Zhang Chunqiao was the first to oppose and criticize the "self-centered" viewpoint, and asked the Ministry of Foreign Trade to inspect it.They believe that "self-centered" is Chairman Mao's revolutionary line.At a meeting, Wang Hongwen asked me how I objected to "self-centered"?I said that Chairman Mao once said that he opposed "self-centered".I think "self-centered" is consistent with "self-centered", so I object to "self-centered".Later, although the Ministry of Foreign Trade conducted an inspection, the thinking of the majority of cadres was not clear.Because equality and mutual benefit is an important principle that my country's foreign trade has always followed. In January 1973, a bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Trade included the phrase "self-centered" in a request for instructions drafted.After the request for instructions was sent to Premier Zhou, he ticked off the "self-centered" and changed this sentence to "according to the principle of equality and mutual benefit and our needs and possibilities, there will be exchanges."The report was sent to Chairman Mao and he agreed. The "Gang of Four" did not dare to raise any further objections.Since then, it has become clear that my country's foreign trade cannot engage in "self-centered" thinking. 4.Emphasize the need to develop foreign trade more quickly, better and more economically. After the "September 13th" incident, Premier Zhou presided over the daily work of the Party Central Committee, and the national economy recovered and developed to a certain extent.At the same time, in the international arena, since China's legal seat in the United Nations was restored in 1971, my country and the United States issued a joint communique in 1972, China and Japan realized the normalization of diplomatic relations, and my country's foreign affairs began to open.Under such relatively favorable international and domestic conditions, in April 1972, Premier Zhou lost no time in proposing: Now, the situation we are facing has changed. In the "Fourth Five-Year" plan, we must work hard, strive for the upper reaches, and develop foreign trade more quickly, better and more economically. 5.It is proposed to adhere to the principle of "one study, two use, three reforms and four innovations" for the introduction of technical equipment. At the beginning of 1972, Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou made an important decision to import a batch of complete sets of equipment from abroad, which made the attempt of the "Gang of Four" to sabotage the imported technology to fail.Therefore, the "Gang of Four" made a big fuss about how to deal with the imported technology and equipment, and put forward the slogan of "one batch, two uses, three reforms, and four innovations", emphasizing that criticism must be carried out first.If we follow the policy of the "Gang of Four", we will definitely not be able to achieve our goal of introducing technology.For this reason, Premier Zhou proposed in a timely manner: the imported technology can only be "learned once, used secondly, improved three times, and created four times", that is, after digestion and absorption, innovation and reform.This formulation respects science and fully conforms to objective laws.For the introduction of technical equipment, how can we talk about reform and innovation if we don't first learn their advanced technology, technological process, and management system? 6.Calmly and tactfully exposed the "snail incident" created by the "Gang of Four". At the end of 1973, with the approval of the Party Central Committee, a certain department of the Central Committee sent a delegation to investigate abroad, preparing to introduce a new product line from abroad.At the time of parting, the foreign company gave each member of my delegation a gift of glass snails. After the "Gang of Four" knew about it, they attacked and said that it was an insult to China and crawled behind them. The delegation's acceptance of this gift was "a loss of power and humiliation to the country" and "submission to the pressure of imperialism."Xiang Zhuang's sword dance was aimed at Pei Gong.They took advantage of this incident and cooperated with the ongoing campaign to criticize Lin Piao and Confucius to sabotage my country's technology import work again in an attempt to overthrow Premier Zhou.Premier Zhou asked the foreign trade department to find out the truth.After investigation, the snail is a kind of mascot in foreign countries, and it is often given as a gift, and there is no malicious intention to imply China's crawling.Only in this way did the disturbance of the "snail incident" subside, and the conspiracy of the "Gang of Four" failed again. The spiritual wealth about foreign trade left by Premier Zhou is very rich, waiting for our foreign trade workers and comrades in the theoretical field to work together to further explore and systematically sort it out, so that future generations can learn and understand the road my country's foreign trade has traveled , deepen the understanding of the development of international trade, and improve the awareness of implementing the policy of opening to the outside world.This is an inescapable responsibility.Dear Premier Zhou's great contributions to my country's foreign trade theoretical work and practical activities will always remain in people's memory.