本书是李岚清同志为纪念改革开放30周年而作。作者以自己的所知、所为、所见为素材，回顾了对外开放初期的有关重大事件，再现了以邓小平同志为核心的党的第二代中央领导集体带领全国人民进行对外开放的伟大探索和实践。

Preface to the English Edition

A Dialog With the Author

Introduction

1 Opening Up Becomes a Key State Policy

 Embargo and Isolation in the Early Years of New China

 Self-Imposed Seclusion Under Ultra-Leftist Ideology

 "Closed-Doorism" Sets the Economy at an Impasse

 People's Choice: Deng's Comeback to Power

 "Emancipating the Mind" and the "Criterion for Truth"

 Restoring Order and Setting Things Right

 Sounding Out the Outside World

 A Historic Turning Point for China

2 The Birth of Special Economic Zones

 Shekou, the Opening Salvo

 Guangdong and Fujian Set the Pace

 Setting Up a "Frontline General Staff"

 From Special Export Zones to Special Economic Zones

 What Is Special About Special Economic Zones?

 Fording the River by Groping for Stones

 The Policy for Special Economic Zones Is Sound

 Designing a Framework for Opening Up Coastal Regions

3 Bringing in Advanced Technology and Equipment

 Uninterrupted Learning Is the Key to Progress

 Braving Interference to Make Foreign Things Serve China

 Boosting Technology Importation Becomes a Major State Policy

 Opening Up More Avenues to Bring in Technology

 Striving for Innovation and Transcendence

4 Lessons for the Opening-Up Policy

 Joint Ventures, a Pragmatic Choice

 The First Law on Foreign Investment Is Born

 The First Group of Joint Ventures

 Overcoming Obstacles to Success

5 "Borrowing a Hen to Lay Eggs"

 The "Debt-Free" Era Comes to an End

 Borrowing Loans From Japan, a New Experiment

 Restoring China's Seat in the World Bank

 Diversifying Sources of Foreign Loans

6 Foreign Trade Reform's Rough Beginning

 Breaking the Monopoly Over Foreign Trade

 Reform Brings About New Vitality

 GATT Membership: From Rejection to Re-entry

7 Learning Along the Way

 Learning to Swim by Swimming

 Accelerating Training for the Opening-Up Effort

 Sending Students Abroad After a Long Hiatus

 Borrowing Foreign Brains by Recruiting Experts

 Learning Modern Management Is a Revolution

 Historic Choice: To Establish a Market Economy by Opening Up

 Postscript by the Translators

 Glossary of Names

Index