西川博史教授是日本知名经济史专家,长期从事日本工业化问题研究以及日本与东亚、东南亚地区工业化发展的比较研究。他的近著《日本经济与东南亚工业化》在日本学界颇有影响。由于专业范围涉及亚洲地区的工业化史,西川教授对中国的改革开放及工业化、现代化发展进程十分关注并有深入的研究。他曾于70年代末至80年代初来华任教,是日本经济学界最早亲身接触和了解我国改革开放的学者之一。80年代初出版的他的《北京纪行》,也是日本学界最早开始介绍、研究中国改革开放的一本著作。去年暑期笔者应邀访问日本,专门拜访了西川博史教授,就我国当前与未来一个阶段的经济发展及对外开放等问题,进行交流与探讨。西川教授热情、坦诚地发表了他对我国经济发展及改革开 Professor Nishikawa Hiroshi is a well-known Japanese economic history expert, has long been engaged in the study of Japan’s industrialization and the comparative study of industrialization in Japan and East Asia and Southeast Asia. His recent book, “Japanese Economy and Industrialization in Southeast Asia,” had an influential impact on Japanese academics. As his field of expertise covers the history of industrialization in Asia, Professor Xichuan is very much concerned and deeply researched on China’s reform and opening up as well as its industrialization and modernization. He taught in China from the late 1970s to the early 1980s and was one of the earliest Japanese economists to personally contact and understand China’s reform and opening up. His “Beijing Book of Changes”, which was published in the early 1980s, is also the earliest book that the Japanese academic community started to introduce and study China’s reform and opening up. Last summer I was invited to visit Japan and paid a special visit to Professor Nishihiro Hirokawa to exchange and discuss the economic development and opening to the outside world at the current and future stages of our country. Professor Xichuan enthusiastically and frankly released his economic development and reform in our country