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I think only when the economy has become developed, and only when the life of the people has improved, and only when the culture and education level has been raised, can the negative phenomena be eliminated in the end. So the overriding task is to be engaged in the Four Modernizations with one mind and one heart. What we are doing is making the best use of the inherent characteristics of socialism. We also want to make use of the useful features of the capitalist system to stimulate the productive forces of society.
It's almost seven years since we decided that we would start the reforms. As we say in China, "We will open up to other worlds." If you want to tell whether the political situation in China is stable, if you want to tell whether the lives of the people are improving generally, you should find out what's happening in the countryside, where 80% of the people live. In other words, we started our reforms in the most difficult part of the country, and I think the success achieved has been achieved in the countryside.
As you know, after the founding of New China, the per capita income remained at the level of 60 yuan [$20] for quite a long time. That's below the poverty level. It means that the people didn't have enough to eat or to wear. But the reforms in the countryside took off and had results within three years. What we do in the reforms in the countryside is emancipate the productive forces and bring into play the enthusiasm of the peasants. If you want to bring the initiative of the peasants into play, you should give them the power to make money. That's why we put an end to the communes and have introduced the responsibility system in production.
On opposition to his dramatic economic program. I understand that there are different views regarding the reforms. Yes, that's true, but compared with seven years ago [when there were strong objections to the agricultural reforms], the differing views are on a much smaller scale. When we first started introducing the reforms in the countryside, there were quite a few people who were not in favor of reform. In the first two years, a third of the regions of China were still not so enthusiastic and were left behind in starting reforms. So they waited a year, and when they found that other regions were doing quite well and starting reforms, they started to catch up. And they began to have results in one or two years' time. So our approach is not to force [the opponents of reform] to do anything. Our approach is that practice shows them their approach is not right and is not proper. That's why I say the reforms in the countryside are a successful experience.
On urban reform. This is the core of our economic restructuring. This is more complicated as it involves more problems. Just as with what happened seven years ago, there are some people, although fewer in number, who are worried about reform in the cities. And I think their worries are not completely without reason. So our approach to their misgivings and worries is the same approach that we adopted seven years ago. We will let practice dissipate their worries and misgivings. We permit people to disagree. Our attitude toward those who have misgivings or worries is to understand them. Perhaps you ask why. It is because we believe that several years from now, they will become convinced.