Source: CCTV.com

12-08-2008 13:43

China Today "30 in 30": 1978 - 2008

If the Beijing Olympic Games and the Shenzhou 7 manned space flight have surprised and fascinated the world, then it is a decision 30 years ago that made all these possible.

In December 1978, the Third Plenum of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was held in Beijing. 
In December 1978, the Third Plenum of the 11th Central 
Committee of the Communist Party of China was held in Beijing.

In December 1978, the Third Plenum of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was held in Beijing. Looking back, it can be considered a turning point in Chinese history, opening up a new era that the outside world has since referred to as "Reform and Opening up".

Bi Jiyao, Deputy Director of Institute for Int'l Economic Research of NDRC said "It's a very important decision. Since then we embarked on the road of reform and opening up. and from then we have gradually in the transition from a centrally planned economy to a socialist market economy, from a closed one to an opening one. "

While Chinese people were pushing ahead to change their lives, the outside world was also looking on and wondering what this ancient eastern nation could achieve.

People's Daily released the communique of the Third Plenum of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Dec. 24, 1978.
People's Daily released the communique of the 
Third Plenum of the 11th Central Committee of 
the Communist Party of China on Dec. 24, 1978.

Melinda Liu, Beijing Bureau Chief of Newsweek said "Even my own colleagues, my friends reaction are mixed. My personal reaction was curious, surprised, excited. Simply the idea that things were starting to change, even we didn't know what the outcome would be, made this an extremely unusual situation. Even then I think that would be once in a life time story for a journalist."

It was never going to be an easy task. It required great boldness and determination to stay the course. The world's most populous nation began its march out of a closed and planned economy towards a socialist market economy, which aimed to expand rural income, encourage experiments in enterprise autonomy, and draw in more overseas investment. To ensure the experiment would prove a success, China started a series of pilot programs in selected cities and villages, such as setting up economic zones, and household contract responsibility experiments in rural areas.

Laurence Brahm, Political Economist said "The past 30 years is "cross the river walking over the rocks". The approach made china transformed from a nation of scarcity to a nation of surplus, from a nation of tremendous poverty to removing so many people from poverty. This shift provide the world with an alternative to the Washington DC consensus "