ABSTRACT
The central themes of China's trade policy are self-reliance and exchanges on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. The former seeks to preserve People's Republic of China (PRC) independence by reducing reliance on outside assistance and by limiting foreign presence in China; the latter provides a means for the PRC to supplement its own resources while avoiding non-Chinese entanglements. Since China's conceivable requirements for advanced technology are almost infinite—and certainly exceed its ability to earn foreign exchange—self-reliance exerts ideological pressure on industrial managers to rely on their own resources instead of clamoring for outside assistance. Moreover, the oil industry in particular must contend with a Chinese legacy of exploitation. Whether the interest was Japanese, American, or British, the result was still a healthy off-take for the foreign user and little benefit for China. Pressure for such activities could mount after 1980, however, as the magnitude of China's petroleum production difficulties, particularly in the offshore area, becomes more apparent.
