Speaking at China's National Sci- rather than party cadres to head sci- ence Conference in March 1978, entific institutes, and the work of re- Vice-premier Fang Yi boldly pro- search units is increasingly geared to claimed that China was "entering a China's developmental needs rather new stage of flourishing growth" in than to broad, politically motivated science and technology. (and frequently unrealistic) pro-
"The dark clouds [of the Cultural grams. Revolution] have been dispelled,"...