June 23, The Statistical Secretary of the Chinese Maritime Customs. is to congratulated upon the very. able review of China's Foreign Trade for 1983 an abridgement of which appears elsewhere in this sene. It follows the lines of other documents of a similar nature and contains a wealth of information in the 63 pages of which composed. But the most important art of the report, after it has dealt with the various phases of this country's trade, is contained Ju the findings which it sets forth its conclusion. Two main points emerged regarding the foreign trade of China during last year. One was the unexpectedly "en couraging nature of the statistical findings from a national point of view, for, exclusive of "exports from Manchuria and the Kwang= tung Leased Territory, there was reduction of $222,000,000 in the nation's adverse balance of tra while the value of the exports improved by $43,000,000 as compared with the figures for the pre~ vious year, excluding Manchuria. To some extent that was offset by the fact that if the net results must be regarded as economically satisfactory to the country as a whole, it also disclosed the fact that part of the export trade was conducted along lines that must have proved unremunerative to the actual. producers and that this aspect of the situation was having a somewhat Aisquieting effect upon commerce and industry. Dealing with this particular point the writer of the report. says:
Bearing in mind, then, that doe' "aimeulties ofthe "existing economic situation are not peculiar to China, it seems" quite possible that unnecessary alarm hasbeen aroused by the present state of agricultural and industrial affairs this country. Few. indeed are the manufacturing concerns or agricultural communities trough ut the world that can lay claim to profits made during: the past few Years, and. surely. mone nave escaped the painful process of read-fasting costs to present selling prices, While the year under re-View. saw a continuation. of Industrial expansion in China despite the universally unpropitious Conditions, "admittedly it was 8
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.