SELF RELIANCE the tendency in that direction would have to be counteracted in· a conscious manner compatible with the SR idea. 'SR policy calfs for a certain amount of decoupling from the Center, for some time, but it also calls for recoupling on more equal terms, e.g. for intra-sector exchanges. The time for recoupling is not necessarily when the former Center is willing to import manufactured goods on equal (tariff and non-tariff) terms - that is a very limited perspective on the matter. Equally important is probably the level of general population autonomy, of sufficient self-confidence no longer to be afraid of meeting challenges from other self-reliant units. {4) Through SR mobility between units wi/1 be reduced. SR should not be confused with a system of seFfdom tying people to a geographical community, nor with a nomadic system. SR should be compatible with mobility, especially according to the principle of concentric circles - meaning a preference for exchange with people in units that are geographical and ·social neighbor. The Chinese seem to be practising a high level of mobility between People's Communes as a way of exchanging experience - but it might also be seen as a· way of providing individuals with new experience and, consequently, with the raw material for a richer life. What would not be legitimate under an ethos of self-reliance, however, would be to build the systems, particularly the economy in such a way that the unit depends on an input on experts and/or cheap labor from the outside (or depends on the export of such people because of the postal remittances they send back). Again, it is obvious that any anti-mobility principle becomes meaningless if it is adhered to too dogmatically, among other reasons because of the needs for communication between such groups. -(5) Through SR a new vertical distinction wi/1 be created between. self-reliant and not self-reliant units. The argument ls very often heard that not ail units can be self-reliant and "it is easy for China to be self-reliant with those masses of land and people and history". The argument usually confuses self-reliance with self-sufficiency and also overlooks the important circumstance that China practices self-reliance inside the country, probably with the consequence that intra-Chinese trade is lower that it would have been in capitalist economy of the same size and the same level of conventional development. Nevertheless it is obvious that there is a problem of delineating the selfreliant units. Sometimes they will be sub-national, sometimes
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