Editing Reform and Opening Up (section)

==== Economic Precursor to Reform and Opening Up ====
The first economic reforms took place in 1972 with the implementation of the [https://en.prolewiki.org/wiki/43_Plan 43 Plan] proposed by [[Zhou Enlai]].<ref>[https://archive.org/details/wen-tiejun-ten-crises-online-pdf-20210619-revised-1/page/193/mode/2up The Political Economy of China’s Development (1949–2020)] - Wen Tiejun, Page 194</ref> Roughly 4.24 billion US dollars worth of financial investment poured in from over 20 Capitalist countries, primarily from Japan and the USA. However, in 1978, in accordance to the 82 Plan proposed by Hua Guofeng, 7.8 Billion US dollars worth of financial investment of roughly around 22 projects was invested. The 43 Plan implemented under [[Mao Zedong]]  and the 82 Plan implemented under Hua Guofeng differed only in amount. The contents were consistent, even as early as the 1972, reform was the inevitable path forward for the CPC.

Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, Premier of the State Council, initiated a new wave of importing advanced foreign technologies and equipment in 1972. After one of Mao’s service staff told Mao that she queued for hours to buy some Dacron fabric, Mao had a conversation with Zhou about buying Western technologies for producing chemical  fibers. Then Zhou instructed the State Council Working Group and the State Planning Commission (SPC) to prepare a report on importing chemical fibers and chemical fertilizer producing equipment. "The  Report  on  Importing  Complete  Sets  of  Chemical  Fibers  and  Chemical  Fertilizers Producing Equipment" proposed to import four  complete sets  of chemical fiber producing equipment with  capacity of 240,000  tons, two complete sets of 300,000-ton synthetic ammonia-producing equipment, and key equipment, spare parts and steel for construction or renovation of other chemical fertilizer factories, with a budget of US$400 million. Zhou and Mao approved the plan in February 1972. The Ministry of Light Industry and the Ministry of Fuel and Chemical Industries were responsible for implementing the plan. <ref>[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362740804_Grassroots_and_local_initiatives_versus_the_architect%27s_design_during_China%27s_reform_and_opening_process Grassroots and local initiatives versus the architect’s design during China’s reform and opening process] - Qing Pingma, University of Nottingham Ningbo China</ref>

Other ministries also wanted to import advanced foreign equipment in their fields and proposed more projects. Zhou Enlai instructed the SPC to combine their proposals into a single plan. The SPC submitted the Request for Instruction on Increasing Equipment Import and Expanding Economic Exchange to the State Council on January 2, 1973. It proposed to import complete sets of equipment worth US$4.3 billion in the next 3 to 5 years, hence it was called the 43 Plan.

It included 26 projects to build 7 petrochemical complexes for producing chemical fibers (240,000 tons) and plastics as well as chemicals, 13 chemical fertilizer plants (with capacity to produce 4 million tons of ammonia and 6.3 million tons of urea), 3 power stations (with a total capacity of 870,000 kilowatts), and 1 steel rolling plant (with capacity of 2 million tons), 1 chlorinated pellets plant  for iron and steel production (with capacity of 300,000 tons), and 1 alkyl benzene plant (with capacity of 100,000 tons). It also included 43 sets  of  fully-mechanized  coal  mining  machines,  and  many  other  machines  for  various industrial sectors. The proposed imports were completed between 1976 and 1982, and the chemical fibers, fertilizers and electricity produced by those plants and factories played a key role in meeting the demand for clothes, food and electricity in the early 1980s. The large increase in grain output after 1978 was accompanied by large increases in fertilizer consumption. This was the second wave of importing foreign equipment and technologies, in which [[Deng Xiaoping]]  was little involved, while Hua Guofeng played a part a member of State Council Working Group. The first wave had been the 156 industrial projects assisted by the Soviet Union in the 1950s.