aid and a stimulus to all scholars working on this subject. The committee is deeply indebted to the scholars from Government and academia who gave so generously of their time and expertise to the committee. They are listed in the executive director's memorandum to me, and I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the committee of expressing our gratitude for their invaluable efforts without which this study would not have been possible. Finally, we wish to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the Congressional Research Service for making available the services of John P. Hardt, who helped to plan the scope of the research and coordinated the contributions for the present study. It is understood that the views contained in this study are not necessarily those of the Joint Economic Committee nor of individual members. HUBERT H. HUMPHREY, Chairman, Joint Economic Committee. Hon. HUBERT H. HUMPHREY, Chairman, Joint Economic Committee, JULY 3, 1975 DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Transmitted herewith is a volume of materials on the economy of the People's Republic of China entitled "China: An Economic Reassessment." The study has been prepared in the form of a symposium containing a series of selected papers contributed by invited specialists who are recognized authorities on China. The specialists in question have been drawn from the ranks of the universities here and abroad, private research institutions and the several departments of the Federal Government and the Library of Congress. The papers they have submitted, in response to our request, cover the broad range of topics dealing with the recent performance of Chinese economy. Included among these topics are economic policy, the defense burden, agriculture, transportation, industry, population, the environment, technology transfer, international trade, financing, Sino-Japanese economic relations, and foreign aid. The Joint Economic Committee undertook an earlier study, the two-volume "Economic Profile of Mainland China," to provide a basic body of information on the economy of Communist China. In 1972 the committee released a compendium entitled "People's Republic of China: An Economic Assessment." The current study is intended to supplement the earlier studies by a presentation of information and analysis that has become available to the various Government. agencies during the last several years. It is hoped, furthermore, that the facts and ideas presented in this survey of available information will help to shed light on the alternatives facing the United States in ordering our relations with the People's Republic of China within the foreseeable future. The shape of these relations is certain to be significant both for the internal development of China and critical to the issue of war and peace in the world. The contributors to the study have been most considerate of our needs and generous in giving of their time and expertise to provide not only basic information but indispensable analytical perspective on this important subject. The individual scholars who have participated in the preparation of the present study are: Arthur G. Ashbrook, Jr. Martha Avery Nai-Ruenn Chen Frederick W. Crook Angus M. Fraser Hans Heymann, Jr. Sydney H. Jammes Young C. Kim Ian H. MacFarlane Dwight Perkins Charles Robert Roll, Jr. Eugene A. Theroux Bobby A. Williams Kung-Chia Yeh In addition, the committee received the wholehearted cooperation from the following agencies of the Government, private research institutions and universities: Brookings Institution Bureau of East-West Trade, Department of Commerce Economic Research Service, Department of Agriculture (Con- George Washington University Harvard University Office of Economic Research, Central Intelligence Agency University of Michigan Library of Congress The RAND Corporation University of Lund (Lund, Sweden) University of Toronto (Canada) National Council for U.S.-China Trade Queens College (New York City) Scandinavian Institute of Asian Studies (Copenhagen, Denmark) It should be clearly understood that the views expressed in these papers are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the positions of the respective executive departments, the Joint Economic Committee, individual members thereof, or the committee staff. The Library of Congress made available the services of John P. Hardt, senior specialist in the Congressional Research Service, who helped to plan the scope of the research and to coordinate the contributions for the present study. Mr. George D. Holliday of Congressional Research Service assisted Dr. Hardt in this task. We are also indebted to Professor Alexander Eckstein, on leave from the University of Michigan who conducted a monthly luncheon meeting at the Brookings Institution during the course of preparation of many of the paners for this compendium. That luncheon seminar and the useful advice from Professor Eckstein was most helpful in the preparation of the volume. JOHN R. STARK, Executive Director, Joint Economic Committee. CONTENTS Letters of Transmittal.. CHINA: A REASSESSMENT OF THE ECONOMY China: Economic Overview, 1975-Arthur G. Ashbrook, Jr... An Assessment of Chinese Economic Data: Availability, Reliability, and China's Population: Can the Contradictions Be Resolved?-Leo A. Page III The Chinese Defense Burden, 1965-74-Sydney H. Jammes. The Economic Consequences of Defense Expenditure Choices in China- Legal and Practical Problems in the China Trade-Eugene A. Theroux.. |