Opening Chinese newspapers in August, readers came upon headlines like these: "Will the National Development Seminar Continue?" "What Direction for the National Development Seminar?"

"The National Development Seminar Should Call It Quits!" The National Development Seminar was under siege.

Faced with the negative criticism, the seminar's experts and scholars maintained that they had done their best to offer suggestions and recommendations and shouldn't be criticized unfairly. They invited reporters to a conference to clear things up, but neither side gave in.

Now the seminar is over and the storm has subsided. Reflecting on the current controversy, one can't help but recall the seminar's past days of glory.

The National Development Seminar was initiated in 1972, following the R.O.C.'s withdrawal from the United Nations, with the purpose of enabling experts and scholars from at home and abroad to contribute their wisdom and ideas toward furthering the national welfare.

According to statistics of the National Youth Commission, the National Development Seminar has been held sixteen times to date and had a participation of more than 3,000. More than 5,700 suggestions have been offered, and "eighty percent of them have been adopted by the government," says Wu Ch'i-fang, vice coordinator of the seminar.

These figures hold deep significance.

The scholars who took part in the seminars in the past spoke out boldly and forcefully, pouring vitality into the conservative political environment, and the government followed step by opening up.

The clearest example is the lifting of the emergency decree activating martial law. At the 1986 session the suggestion was still considered "temporarily impracticable"--and last year it was carried out, followed by allowing citizens to visit their relatives on the Chinese mainland. Chiang Chia-hsing, deputy chairman of the National Youth Commission, who is in charge of the seminar, points out that recommendations by the scholars that have been implemented in recent years include revising the law on elections and recall, passing the law to preserve cultural resources, implementing a value-added tax, lifting restrictions on trade with East Europe, establishing central, provincial, and municipal environmental protection agencies, and setting up the Open University. Their implementation has had a deep and far-reaching effect on the nation.

Besides offering recommendations, the National Development Seminar also has a task of mobilizing overseas talent.

A considerable number of experts and scholars from the R.O.C. live in advanced countries overseas, forming a talent pool that few other countries possess, and the National Development Seminar is designed to make use of their expertise. "The seminar is a catalyst," Chiang says.

What's more, after the scholars return to their homes overseas, they represent a solid force for the R.O.C. in foreign relations. "They speak up for our government in countries around the world," says Li Wen-lang, a professor at Ohio State University.

Seen in this light the National Development Seminar is performing its task of "making suggestions for the country's development and utilizing human talent." So why the criticism?

The controversy at the National Development Seminar this year focused chiefly on the formation of discussion groups, the choice of topics, and the provision of background information. To solve each of these problems Deputy Chairman Chiang has already raised preliminary ideas for reform. Experts and scholars invited to future seminars will be asked to submit papers or suggestions in advance, along with relevant information or plans for future research, to enable them to apply their expertise more closely to the topics at hand.

The problems at this year's National Development Seminar were not enough to wipe out its achievements. In fact, many thoughtful suggestions were proposed for pressing social, economic, and technological problems.

With regard to the nation's growing labor problems, for example, scholars proposed the establishment of healthy labor organizations to avoid some people taking advantage of labor disputes to further personal political ambitions.

And in discussing the ongoing realignment of the nation's industrial structure, C. W. Kenneth Keng, director of planning in the Canadian Power Administration, stated that in making investment decisions businessmen must not only consider the prospects for tomorrow but also the country's possible development over the next ten or twenty years, so the government should develop a comprehensive policy on mainland China for their reference.

By the close of this year's session, the seminar's eight discussion groups--on political and social development, culture, education, economics, finance, communications, science and technology, and public health and environmental protection--had together produced more than one thousand suggestions, which were collected into a 104-page booklet. Although not all were completely new ideas and although some are already being put into effect "the fruits of their labor will be followed up and examined," says Chiang Chia-hsing.

During the session Premier Yu Kuo-hwa visited each of the discussion groups to listen to the scholars' recommendations. He thanked the participants for their work and indicated that the government would implement those suggestions that could be adopted and explain why it failed to adopt them.

Speaking toward the criticism that the seminar received this year, Denny Ru-sue Ko, this year's general group leader, said at the closing session, "Things are moving too fast here, and so we're recommending to the authorities that the function of the National Development Seminar be reevaluated. We believe that a new format and new methods will be more appropriate to the new situation of the present."

[Picture Caption]

The National Development Seminar has the dual mission of making recommendations for national development and engaging expert talent from overseas.

Premier Yu Kuo-hwa visited the seminar to listen to suggestions from the various discussion groups and to speak at the closing ceremony.

Denny Ko, this year's general group leader, together with the leaders of the individual groups, invited reporters to a conference to clear up their misconceptions about the seminar. (photo by Arthur Cheng)

A report from the Chemical Engineering Division of the Industrial Technology Research Institute was given at the seminar.

Scholars from the seminar visited the Mechanical Engineering Division of the Industrial Technology Research Institute.

Suggestions were also made on how to resolve the conflict between environmental protection and economic growth.

The seminar offered some suggestions with regard to the nation's growing labor problems.

Premier Yu Kuo-hwa visited the seminar to listen to suggestions from the various discussion groups and to speak at the closing ceremony.

Denny Ko, this year's general group leader, together with the leaders of the individual groups, invited reporters to a conference to clear up their misconceptions about the seminar. （photo by Arthur Cheng）

A report from the Chemical Engineering Division of the Industrial Technology Research Institute was given at the seminar.

Scholars from the seminar visited the Mechanical Engineering Division of the Industrial Technology Research Institute.

Suggestions were also made on how to resolve the conflict between environmental protection and economic growth.

The seminar offered some suggestions with regard to the nation's growing labor problems.