China's Early Debates on SEZs

The setting up of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in China was not without its controversy when it was first proposed.

On the one hand, leftists gathered evidence to show that the SEZs were simply replicas of the old foreign concessions and amounted to selling out the country.

Conservative leader and adherent of central planning Chen Yun (陈云) warned that "foreign capitalists will come on the scene and corruption will rage."

Marxist ideologue Hu Qiaomu (胡巧木) described the zones as "foreign colonies" and the whole open-door policy as "colonialism without foreign masters."

But on the other hand, supporters of the open-door policy would not give up without a spirited fight.

Senior Party leader and reformer Tian Jiyun (田纪云, pictured) mockingly proposed an SEZ reserved for unreformed Maoists.

Tian said: "Couldn't you establish a special economic zone for leftists? ... Salaries would be low, you could rely on coupons, you would have to stand in line to buy everything and suffer everything else that goes along with leftism ... If we actually set up such a place ... would anyone want to go?"

How extraordinary for a Chinese leader to talk like that. I find myself liking Tian tremendously already.