Closed Economy is Unsuccessful

On June 11, 1959, Mao Zedong put forward the important thought in his talk with the Peruvian group of parliamentarians. Mao Zedong pointed out: "It is necessary for us to help each other and develop economic relations with other countries, especially in Asia, Africa and Latin America, to understand and exchange experiences with each other.” “It is not possible to close the economy, and we need exchange.” “There are 20 countries in Central America and South America, and it is possible to have economic and cultural ties with Asian countries such as China, they can exchange beneficial things with each other.”

On April 25, 1956, Mao Zedong pointed out in his article “On the Ten Major Relationships”: "Our policy is to learn from the strong points of all nations and all countries, learn all that is genuinely good in the political, economic, scientific and technological fields and in literature and art.” He also said: "We must firmly reject and criticize all the decadent bourgeois systems, ideologies and ways of life of foreign countries. But this should in no way prevent us from learning the advanced sciences and technologies of capitalist countries and whatever is scientific in the management of their enterprises.” “We are critical of the idea of ‘building the country behind closed doors’.”

In September 1956, Zhou Enlai pointed out in his report to the Eighth National Congress of the Communist Party: "Even when we have built up a socialist industrial state, it will still be inconceivable that we should close our doors and have nothing to ask from others.” Mao Zedong clearly expressed his intention to import advanced technology and equipment from France when meeting with the delegation of the Communist Party of France during the Eighth National Congress of the CPC. Mao repeatedly stressed that China’s door was open. Liu Shaoqi also clearly declared in the political report of the Eighth Party Congress that the iron curtain is not on our side; our doors are wide open to all. On October 8, 1956, at the inaugural meeting of the Fifth Research Institute of the Ministry of National Defense, Nie Rongzhen said: “We can't exclude foreign aid under the principle of mutual benefit, and we don't close our door to the outside world.”

After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the CPC, Deng Xiaoping pointed out after summing up his historical experience: "Our experiences show that China cannot rebuild itself behind closed doors and that it cannot develop in isolation from the rest of the world.” Therefore, the basic national policy of opening to the outside world was formulated.