Interview Transcript
![Picture](/uploads/1/4/2/8/14288452/8534785.jpg)
SOURCE:
Direct Interview
January 12th, 2013
Qianmei Chen
Chinese Resident during the Mao and Deng Era
Direct Interview
January 12th, 2013
Qianmei Chen
Chinese Resident during the Mao and Deng Era
1.) Why was Deng Xiaoping so interested in Guangdong for his SEZ experiment?
Deng Xiaoping focused on Guangdong at first, because it didn't have much agriculture. You see, it was very poor and many were leaving
to go to the rich Hong Kong, but many died, trying to swim or run across the border. Deng Xiaoping visited Guangdong and had modern hotels and tourist areas built to attract these tourists to get more foreign currency. They really wanted--and needed--more foreign currency.
2.) You lived through both the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution, right?
Yes, I did.
3.) Great, so can you explain the major difference between the situation after the Cultural Revolution in 1976, to a decade after the Economic Reforms were initiated?
The job mobility and amount of freedom given were a big difference. Before, everyone went to the government department to work because they thought it provided more security and was an iron bowl. After the economic zones developed, it created more job opportunities so people did not have to stay where they are born and can go to more developed cities to look for jobs with better pay.
4.) Do you happen to know any numbers about the number of students studying abroad in any time period?
Hmm....yes, I do. From 1978 to 2011, the amount of Chinese students studying abroad was around 1.4 million. And since the reforms in 1978 to 2008, about 390,000 students returned to China after studying abroad. Lots of Chinese students now study overseas, ranking China 1st or 2nd in studies abroad.
5.) Did Deng Xiaoping's Economic Reforms impact you of your family in any way?
Oh, yes. I had a cousin.....He was living in a rural area. And he had 4 daughters. Usually, back then, in rural areas, people wanted boys instead of girls because boys could work in farms and do all the work in plantations. But daughters would just leave the house once they marry, leaving families behind to care for themselves. So my cousin had 4 daughters, right? And so everyone in my family pitied them. They were all like "Oh...they're going to live a very hard life." and everything. But then Deng Xiaoping's Rural Reforms and Opening Policy saved the family, as instead of only sticking to the option of farming and working in plantations, you could go to the big cities and work. So then, his 4 daughters all went into the big cities, opened up businesses and their family was saved and pretty prosperous now.
Deng Xiaoping focused on Guangdong at first, because it didn't have much agriculture. You see, it was very poor and many were leaving
to go to the rich Hong Kong, but many died, trying to swim or run across the border. Deng Xiaoping visited Guangdong and had modern hotels and tourist areas built to attract these tourists to get more foreign currency. They really wanted--and needed--more foreign currency.
2.) You lived through both the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution, right?
Yes, I did.
3.) Great, so can you explain the major difference between the situation after the Cultural Revolution in 1976, to a decade after the Economic Reforms were initiated?
The job mobility and amount of freedom given were a big difference. Before, everyone went to the government department to work because they thought it provided more security and was an iron bowl. After the economic zones developed, it created more job opportunities so people did not have to stay where they are born and can go to more developed cities to look for jobs with better pay.
4.) Do you happen to know any numbers about the number of students studying abroad in any time period?
Hmm....yes, I do. From 1978 to 2011, the amount of Chinese students studying abroad was around 1.4 million. And since the reforms in 1978 to 2008, about 390,000 students returned to China after studying abroad. Lots of Chinese students now study overseas, ranking China 1st or 2nd in studies abroad.
5.) Did Deng Xiaoping's Economic Reforms impact you of your family in any way?
Oh, yes. I had a cousin.....He was living in a rural area. And he had 4 daughters. Usually, back then, in rural areas, people wanted boys instead of girls because boys could work in farms and do all the work in plantations. But daughters would just leave the house once they marry, leaving families behind to care for themselves. So my cousin had 4 daughters, right? And so everyone in my family pitied them. They were all like "Oh...they're going to live a very hard life." and everything. But then Deng Xiaoping's Rural Reforms and Opening Policy saved the family, as instead of only sticking to the option of farming and working in plantations, you could go to the big cities and work. So then, his 4 daughters all went into the big cities, opened up businesses and their family was saved and pretty prosperous now.