Suchergebnisse

The year 1976 was the most traumatic for China since the foundation of the People's Republic, and so it is hardly surprising that the economy suffered. The death of Premier Chou En-lai in January and the declining health of Chairman Mao Tse-tung intensified a power-struggle that swiftly came to a peak when the chairman died in September. How to run the economy was one of the main issues disputed by the so-called radicals and moderates among the leadership, though there is no evidence that the radicals, Chiang Ch'ing and her associates, ever gave much real thought to the practical side of production. Both the power-struggle itself and the relaxation of authority that resulted from it did considerable harm to the economy. This was aggravated by the disastrous Tangshan earthquake in July which severely damaged the immediate area. Thereafter, relief and repair work put a great strain on rail services, fuel resources and factories elsewhere in China.