| Abstract: | People often mention that in the 1950s and the 1960s, ＂the whole of China was governed with a Constitution, a Marriage Law and an Outh＇ne Land Law. ＂In reality, shortly after the founding of the People＇s Republic of China in 1949, the State immediately drafted and put to enforcement a law that was unknown to people for many years. That law went into effect inApri11951. Even during the cha- otic period of the Great Cultural Revolution between 1966 and 1976, that law was still in enforcement. That law was the Pro- visional Customs Law of the People＇s Republic＂ of China. The Provisional Customs Law was in enforcement until 1987 - almost 10 years after China adopted the policy of reform and opening up in 1978. It was in 1987 that the Provisional Customs Law was replaced by the newly enacted Customs Law of the People＇s Republic of China. In the first few years after the founding of the People＇s Republic of China, all that was left undone during wartime was being undertaken while numerous laws were yet to be enacted. During the chaotic period of the Great Cultural Revolution, China was virtually in a state of lawlessness and unruliness. Obviously, the ＂special treatment＂ extended to the Customs law during these difficult historical periods of time was based on the great necessity of its existence to the State. |
