ABSTRACT
From the late 1970s it seemed that the possible short term role and effects of an open-door policy were clear to the Chinese leadership. To clarify the Chinese approach to Foreign Economic Affairs, people should add that a preponderant role was assigned to economic aspects. The difficulty in maintaining efficient control over aggregates resulting from foreign trade has especially affected the foreign debt. The good economic results obtained by Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea, not to mention the leading role played by Japan in the world economy, and the perspectives for growth in the whole Asia-Pacific area have heavily influenced the decision to open China to foreign investment. One of the fundamental issues in the opening of China to foreign trade is the newly acquired view of this country as a trading partner necessary to industrialised nations. One branch of the projected new legal and legislative structure deals specifically with foreign investment enterprises.
