China Begins New Five-Year Plan

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30948, 3 January 1966, Page 9

China Begins New Five-Year Plan

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter —Copf/rißht) PEKING, January 2. Increased production is emphasised in a new Chinese five-year economic plan which started yesterday.

The Chinese Communist Party newspaper, “People’s Daily,” called on the people to carry out the plan “on the basis of the early and largescale war that United States imperialism wants to start.” It said in an editorial that China was producing not only for herself but for revolutionaries around the world. “We must resolutely support and help the Vietnamese people who are in the forefront of the anti-Ameri-can struggle," the editorial said.

In the last few years, China had made tremendous gains in farm production, reaping good harvests for the fourth year running. The output of grain, cotton, sugar and tobacco rose considerably. Leap Forward Industrial production also made a new leap forward and the oil industry scored an important break-through, making China “virtually self-suf-ficient.” The State revenue and expenses were balanced and

China had repaid all foreign debts. The editorial said that from 1959 to 1961, China’s economy was hit by natural troubles and “some shortcomings and mistakes in our work.” “Moreover, the Khrushchev revisionist clique perfidiously and suddenly attacked China by tearing up several hundred agreements and contracts, cutting off the supply of important items of equipment and technical data and withdrawing all Soviet experts working in China, thus adding to our difficulties.” Economy Buoyant

China’s economy was now better than ever before, the editorial said. New factories would be built, national defence bolstered, basic industry, communications and

transport strengthened and the distribution of industry in the country improved. China would surpass advanced countries in science, technology, agriculture and industry in 20 to 30 years, the editorial said.