SOUTH CHINA'S ECONOMY IN 1952

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700130337-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 23, 2011
• Sequence Number: 337
• Publication Date: September 17, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700130337-2
CLASSIFICATION RESTRICTED
CUR
CENTRALNT
EELLGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO.
PUBLISHED 5 Feb 1953
LANGUAGE Chinese
DATE
WHERE
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
HOW
1.1. 0 ?.. .... ?..... . ,.ID. ... ........... ...1YL
n..nnm
transportation, commodities ex-
change DATE DIST./ 7 Sep 1953
INFORMATION 1952
Ecc.. mic - Industry, agriculture, conservation,
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
1953. Ching-chi Nien-pao (The 1953 Economic Yearbook), pp 74-78.
SOUTH CHINA'S ECONOMY IN 1952
STATE
ARMY
~omment: This report summarizes an article entitled, "The
Glorious Economic Accomplishments in South China for the Past
Year," by Lin Pi published in the pro-Communist 1953 Ching-chi
Nien-pao (The 1953 Economic Yearbook) on 5 February 1953. The
report gives data on industries, agriculture, water conservation,
transportation, and rural and urban commodities exchapge in
South China
A. General
The purchasing power of the people in Kwangtung rose 7.5 percent in 1952
as compared to 1951. For the inhabitants of Canton and its suburbs, the
purchasing power rose 12 percent and 10 percent, respectively, in 1952.
In 1951, South China commodity prices rose 3.86 percent over 1950 but
in 1952, a price drop of about 5 percent over 1951 is expected.
E. Industries
The 1952 industrial production of South China was 308.78 percent greater
than for 1950. As compared to 1936, South China industrial production for
1952 showed the following increases: cement, '..1' percent; hemp bags, 331.54
percent; newsprint, 508.67 percent; sugar, 43.45 percent; rosin, 401 percent;
and cigarettes, 36.36 percent.
The industrial broduction comprised only 29.24 percent of the total of
agricultural and industrial production of Kwangtn:ig in 1950; but in 1951, it
rose to 30.65 percent; and in 1952, to 32.45 percent.
The 1952 industrial production of Canton was 52,76 percent greater than
for 1951. As compared, with 1951, Canton private industry production for 1952
showed the following increases: woven goods, 141 percent; flour, 211 percent;
matches, 21 percent; hydrochloric acid, 60 percent; nails, 14 percent.
NAVY
AIR
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08 : CIA-RDP80-00809A000700130337-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08 : CIA-RDP80-00809A000700130337-2 ?
^
By the ea3 of 1952, over 21 million farmers in Kwangtung and 10.82 million
farmers in Kwangsi had been affected by the land-reform program. At present,
there are 6,330 permanent and 77,525 temporary mutual aid teams in Kwangsi.
C. Agriculture and Fishing
1952
15.1 billion catties
100,000 piculs
3,405 quintals
300,000 tons
During the spring of 1952, Kwangtung produced 230 million catties more
rice than in 1951. Kwangtung sugar cane production for 1952 was 74.95 per-
cent greater than for the year prior to World War II and 342.18 percent
greater than for 1949.
Canton's flax production in 1951 was 80 percent greater than in the year
prior to World War II. In 1952, a greater increase is expected.
1950
1951
Foodstuffs
--
--
Tobacco
--
--
Raw silk
--
3,150 quintals
c^ish
175,000 tons
242,352 tons
D. Water Conservation Work
During the past 3 years, 150,650 and 51,500 small-scale water conserva-
tion projects were completed in Kwangtung and Kwangsi, respectively. Farm
lands which benefited from these projects totaled 13 million mou in Kwangtung
and 3,700,400 mou in Kwangsi;
E. Rural afld Urban Commodities Exchange
The South Chin. Commodities Exchange Conference was held it. Canton from
15 November to 6 December 1952. At this conference, goods valued at
1,472,400,000,000 yuan were exchanged, which included 675.7 billion yuan of
agricultural product" and 796.6 billion yuan of industrial products.
Using January 1952 as the base month, the 1952 Kwangtung private business
transactions for July was 99 percent; for August,'-130 p&icent; for $ep?em~iei;
158 percent; for October, 180 percent; and for November, 223 percent.
F. Transportation
Kwangtung had 8,300 kilometers of highways in 1952. On 15 November 1952,
the Kwangtung Transportation Bureau announced the following changes in trans-
portation charges: passenger rate on gasoline-burning vehicles, 430 Yuan per
kilometer, and on wood- and charcoal-burning vehicles, 400 yuan per kilometer;
freight rate (per ton) on gasoline-burning vehicles, 3,000 yuan per kilometer,
and on wood and charcoal-burning vehicles, 2,800 yuan per kilometer.
Kwangtung inland waterway transportation showed great development. The
present navigable distances of steamers and sailboats in Kwangtung during the
summer and winter months are as follows:
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RESTRICTED
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08 : CIA-RDP80-00809A000700130337-2
Summer (kilometers) Winter (kilometers)
3,995 3,504
6,326 5,791