CHINA S NORTHEAST - SINO-SOVIET BORDER RELATIONS, WAR CRIMES MEMORIAL, AGRICULTURAL REFORM, PORT CONGESTION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91B00135R000500980010-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 7, 2010
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: September 10, 1983
• Content Type: CABLE

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TOR: 101925Z SEP 83
RR RUEAIIB
ZNY CCCCC ZOC STATE ZZH
STU3842
RR RUEHC
DE RUMJPG #3855/01 2510531
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 080525Z SEP 83
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0581
INFO RUMJNG/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0720
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 5082
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 2888
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2927
RUHOHOA/CINCPAC HONOLULU HI
BT
C 0 N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 13855
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PGOV. EAGR, CH, UR
SUBJECT: CHINA'S NORTHEAST - SINO-SOVIET BORDER RELATIONS,
WAR CRIMES MEMORIAL, AGRICULTURAL REFORM, PORT CONGESTION
2. SUMMARY: DURING THE LATE SENATOR JACKSON'S
AUGUST 20-26 VISIT TO CHINA'S NORTHEAST PROVINCES, HE
WAS TOLD OF DECREASED SOVIET HELICOPTER SURVEILLANCE
ALONG THE BORDER AND THAT BORDER TRADE IS NOW UNDER WAY.
OUTSIDE HARBIN, THE CHINESE HAVE PRESERVED THE SITE OF
JAPANESE BIOLOGICAL WAR CRIMES. CODEL MEMBERS, WHO WERE
THE FIRST FOREIGNERS TO VISIT A COMMUNE OUTSIDE HARBIN,
LEARNED THAT DESPITE THE NEW CONTRACT SYSTEM'S INDIVIDUAL
RESPONSIBILITY FEATURES, MAJOR FARMING TASKS STILL ARE
BEING PERFORMED COLLECTIVELY. THE REAL DIFFERENCE BROUGHT
ABOUT BY THE CONTRACT SYSTEM HAS BEEN IN FAMILY STOCK
RAISING AND IN GREATER PEASANT MOBILITY, INCLUDING WORK
OUTSIDE THE COMMUNE. AT THE LIAONING PORT OF DALIAN.
CODEL MEMBERS LEARNED OF PORT CONGESTION AND OF THE CITY'S
DRIVE FOR GREATER DECISION-MAKING AUTONOMY. END SUMMARY.
3. SING-SOVIET BORDER RELATIONS: ASKED BY SENATOR JACKSON
TO DESCRIBE THE SITUATION ALONG THE SINO-SOVIET FRONTIER,
HARBIN OFFICIALS WERF NOT EXPANSIVE, BUT ONE DID SAY THAT
IN THE PAST THREE YEARS THE SOVIETS HAD CUT DOWN
SIGNIFICANTLY ON THEIR HELICOPTER PATROLS ALONG THE
t
OLL/LD
INCOMING
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BORDER AREAS. ON BORDER TRADE, THE OFFICIALS WERE
SCARCELY MORE FORTHCOMING. CHINA'S IMPORTS FROM THE
SOVIET UNION (CONDUCTED AS BARTER TRADE) CONSIST
PRIMARILY OF TIMBER PRODUCTS AND CEMENT; IN RETURN,
CHINA IS EXPORTING GRAINS, VEGETABLES, AND LOCAL WINES
AND LIQUORS. THE ONLY OTHER VISIBLE SIGN OF IMPROVED
SINO-SOVIET RELATIONS COULD BE SEEN OUTSIDE THE MAIN
HARBIN RAILROAD STATION. THERE WORK IS UNDERWAY TO
REFURBISH THE SOVIET WAR MONUMENT. THE WEATHERED FIGURES
OF THE SOVIET SOLDIERS ARE GETTING A NEW COAT OF GREEN
PAINT, AND THE REST OF THE MONUMENT, WHICH LOOKED RATHER
GRAY AND WEATHERBEATEN, IS BEING REPAINTED WHITE. AT
ANOTHER WAR MEMORIAL NEARBY, ONE CAN STILL GET DIFFERING
HISTORY LESSONS BY READING THE INSCRIPTIONS: (RUSSIAN)
"ETERNAL GLORY TO THE HEROES WHO FELL IN BATTLES FOR THE
FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE OF THE USSR;" (CHINESE)
"ETERNAL GLORY TO THE SOVIET MILITARY HEROES WHO
SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES FOR CHINA'S FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE
IN THE BATTLES FOR LIBERATION OF THE NORTHEAST."
4. JAPANESE WAR CRIMES: ABOUT 20 MINUTES DRIVE FROM
HARBIN, NEAR THE PROVINCE'S LARGE ALUMINUM PROCESSING
PLANT, THE CHINESE ARE PRESERVING THE SHELL OF A
JAPANESE BIOLOGICAL WARFARE FACTORY. THE FACTORY WAS
OPERATED BY THE 731ST BATALLION OF THE GUANDONG ARMY,
AND WAS IN CONTINUOUS OPERATION UNTIL 1945. WHEN JAPAN'S
.SURRENDER WAS ANNOUNCED, JAPANESE TROOPS BLEW UP THE
FACTORY IN AN EFFORT TO CONCEAL WHAT HAD TAKEN PLACE
THERE. ACCORDING TO THE CHINESE WHO ACCOMPANIED CODEL
IN HARBIN, THE FACTORY HAD PRODUCED BUBONIC PLAGUE GERMS
(SHUYI) WHICH WERE PUT INTO CLAY CONTAINERS AND THEN
AIR-DROPPED BY JAPANESE PLANES. EXPERIMENTS INVOLVING
HUMAN SUBJECTS WERE ALSO CONDUCTED WITH WAR PRISONERS,
POLITICAL PRISONERS, AND THE CHINESE LABORERS WHO BUILT
THE FACILITY USED AS GUINEA PIGS. NO BONES HAVE BEEN
RECOVERED FROM THE SITE, AS THE VICTIMS WERE ALL CREMATED.
THE RUINED FACTORY IS NOT PROMINENTLY IDENTIFIED FROM THE
ROAD, AND THE VISIT WAS ONLY ARRANGED AT SENATOR JACKSON'S
SPECIFIC REQUEST. INSIDE. THE RUINED MAIN BUILDING IS
UNMARKED EXCEPT FOR A SMALL SIGN IN CHINESE WHICH SAYS
"EVIDENCE OF THE CRIMES OF JAPANESE MILITARISM WHICH
INVADED CHINA" (RIBEN JUNGUOZHUYI QIN HUA ZUI ZHENG).
5. AGRICULTURAL SITUATION: ON AUGUST 24, CODEL MEMBERS
WERE GIVEN A TOUR OF THE "ZHOU JIA" COMMUNE.' LOCATED
SLIGHTLY MORE THAN AN HOUR'S DRIVE AWAY FROM HARBIN.
THEY WERE TOLD THEY WERE THE COMMUNE'S FIRST FOREIGN
VISITORS AND SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE TURNED OUT AT THE
COMMUNE HEADQUARTERS TO WELCOME AND GAWK. IN ADDITION
TO PROVIDING A TEN-COURSE MEAL OF PRODUCTS RAISED ON THE
COMMUNE, THE COMMUNE LEADERS ALSO PROVIDED SOME INSIGHTS
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PGOV, EAGR, CH, UR
SUBJECT: CHINA'S NORTHEAST - SINO-SOVIET BORDER RELATIONS.
INTO THE WORKINGS OF THE CONTRACT SYSTEM. COMMUNE
OFFICIALS LET CODEL MEMBERS READ AN ACTUAL CONTRACT
SIGNED IN 1983. IT IS A ONE-PAGE FORM DOCUMENT. ONE
SIDE HAS WHAT ONE COULD CALL THE "CONTRACT STIPULATIONS."
AND THE OTHER HAS COLUMNS FOR FILLING IN VARIOUS DATA.
THERE ARE COLUMNS FOR THE FARMER'S NAME, FAMILY SIZE.
AND AGREED PRODUCTION FIGURES. THE CONTRACT IS SIGNED
AND KEPT ON RECORD AT THE COMMUNE'S CENTRAL OFFICE.
6. UNDER THE CONTRACT, PEASANTS ARE GIVEN RESPONSIBILITY
FOR PRODUCTION ON A GIVEN PIECE OF LAND. IN FACT,
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HOWEVER, THE FIELDS AROUND THE COMMUNE GAVE NO SIGN OF
INDIVIDUAL FARMING: THE FIELDS WERE LARGE, UNIFORMLY
PLOWED, AND GAVE EVERY INDICATION OF HAVING BEEN PLOWED
AND PLANTED IN A COLLECTIVE EFFORT. REGARDLESS OF THE
CONTRACTUAL PROVISION FOR HOUSEHOLDER RESPONSIBILITY, IN
FACT THE COMMUNE'S PRINCIPAL PRODUCTION ACTIVITY --
RAISING FOOD GRAINS, MOSTLY SORGHUM -- IS CONDUCTED AS
A COLLECTIVE ACTIVITY.
7. THE COMMUNE OFFICIALS GAVE FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT THE
CONTRACT SYSTEM IS NOT A COMPLETELY FREE-WHEELING ONE.
ASKED ABOUT CONTRACT NON-PERFORMANCE, THE OFFICIALS
CL#IMED THERE HAD BEEN NONE SO FAR. WHEN PRESSED TO
EXPLAIN, THEY ANSWERED THAT OF COURSE SOME PEOPLE WERE
MORE INTELLIGENT AND MORE ENERGETIC THAN OTHERS,
BUT THE COMMUNE LEADERSHIP TAKES THESE FACTORS INTO
ACCOUNT BEFORE THEY ENTER INTO A PRODUCTION CONTRACT.
THEY WOULD DEFINITELY NOT SIGN AN EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE
AGREEMENT WITH A FARMER THEY KNEW WOULD BE UNABLE TO
PERFORM. FURTHERMORE, IN CASES OF NATURAL CALAMITY,
THE CONTRACTS COULD ALWAYS BE ADJUSTED TO REFLECT
NATURAL CONDITIONS. AS A RESULT, THE DEFAULT RATE HAD
BEEN HELD TO ZERO.
8. ALTHOUGH THE FLEXIBILITY AND PRODUCTION INCENTIVES
WERE HARD TO DISCERN IN THE COMMUNE'S LARGE GRAIN-
PRODUCTION SECTOR, THEY WERE MUCH MORE OBVIOUS IN THE
AREAS OF DOMESTIC STOCK AND POULTRY RAISING. BASED ON
WHAT COULD BE SEEN OUTSIDE THE MAIN COMMUNE HEADQUARTERS,
AT THIS COMMUNE AT LEAST, EMPHASIS SEEMS TO BE MORE ON
RAISING SHEEP, PIGS, COWS, AND CHICKENS THAN ON GROWING
PRIVATE CROPS. THE MAIN FIELDS EXTEND RIGHT UP TO THE
EDGES OF THE HAMLETS, AND INSIDE THE FAMILY COMOOUNDS,
MUCH OF THE SPACE WAS GIVEN OVER TO PENS AND TINY BARNS.
CODEL MEMBERS WERE INTRODUCED TO A SUCCESSFUL YOUNG
FARMER WHO NOW HAS THREE COWS, A CALF, SEVERAL PIGS AND
ASSORTED CHICKENS AND DUCKS. HE PROUDLY INFORMED CODEL
MEMBERS THAT HE HAD MADE SEVERAL THOUSAND YUAN IN 1982.
HIS NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR IS EVEN MORE SPECIALIZED, BEING
DEDICATED EXCLUSIVELY TO RAISING SHEEP, OF WHICH HE HAS
ABOUT 30 HEAD.
9. THE OTHER MAJOR CHANFE BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE CONTRACT
SYSTEM APPEARS TO BE GREATER PEASANT MOBILITY. CODEL
MEMBERS WERE TOLD THAT UNDER THE CONTRACT SYSTEM FARMERS
COULD AGREE WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS TO HAVE THEM LOOK
AFTER THEIR FARM RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THEM. THE ONLY
CONDITION IS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE AT THE COMMUNE FOR
PLANTING AND HARVESTING. IN THE INTERIM, THEY CAN
DEVOTE THEMSELVES TO THEIR OWN PRODUCTION EFFORTS OR
EVEN LEAVE THE COMMUNE TO WORK IN THE CITIES.
ACCORDING TO COMMUNE LEADERS, MANY MEMBERS OF THE
COMMUNE HAD BEEN LEAVING EVERY YEAR TO WORK IN THE
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN HARBIN AND OTHER PLACES.
THEIR WORK OUTSIDE THE COMMUNE HAS BEEN A VALUABLE
SOURCE OF ADDITIONAL CASH INCOME FOR MANY PEASANT
HOUSEHOLDS. (COMMENT: THE GENERAL AIR OF OPTIMISM
DETECTED AT THIS COMMUNE PARALLELS THAT OF OFFICIALS
IN BEIJING (REFTEL). END COMMENT).
10. PORT DEVELOPMENTS IN DALIAN: AT AN AUGUST 25
BANQUET AT THE LIAONING PORT OF DALIAN. THE DALIAN MAYOR
CONFIRMED THAT THE PORT WAS SUFFERING FROM CONGESTION
THAT OFTEN RESULTED IN SHIPS BEING STACKED UP FOR DAYS
OR WEEKS. HE SAID THAT DALIAN'S DOCKS HAD A 70 PERCENT
OCCUPANCY RATE, WHEREAS OTHER PORTS USUALLY AVERAGED ONLY
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E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PGOV, EAGR, CH. UR
SUBJECT: CHINA'S NORTHEAST - SINO-SOVIET BORDER RELATIONS,
50 PERCENT. (COMMENT: WE REPORT THESE STATISTICS FOR
WHAT THEY MAY BE WORTH -- THEY SHED LITTLE LIGHT ON THE
SITUATION TO US.) THE MAYOR WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE DOCKS
BUILT, AND EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN FOREIGN PRIVATE
INVESTMENT. LATER THIS FALL, DALIAN IS HOLDING A
CONFERENCE FOR POTENTIAL FOREIGN INVESTORS. EMBOFFS TOOK
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND THE MAYOR THAT DALIAN IS A
CLOSED CITY, A FACT WHICH MIGHT IMPEDE FOREIGN INVESTMENT.
THE MAYOR CONFIRMED THAT DECISIONS ON THE CITY'S STATUS
WERE MADE IN BEIJING, BUT HE DID NOT FORECLOSE THE
POSSIBILITY OF CHANGE AT SOME LATER DATE.
11. THE MAYOR ALSO CONFIRMED THAT DALIAN IS IN THE
PROCESS OF NEGOTIATING FOR GREATER ECONOMIC AUTONOMY.
WHEN ASKED WHETHER DALIAN WOULD BE ALLOWED TO MATCH
SHANGHAI'S RIGHT TO INDEPENDENTLY ENTER CONTRACTS OF
$10 MILLION OR LESS. THE MAYOR REPLIED THAT DALIAN WOULD
BE GETTING THE RIGHT TO MAKE CONTRACTS ON ITS OWN, BUT
THE MAXIMUM FIGURE WAS STILL UNDER DISCUSSION. HE
HIMSELF THREW OUT THE FIGURES OF $3 OR $5 MILLION AS
POSSIBILITIES.
HUMMEL
CONFIDENTIAL
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