SHENZHEN – Shenzhen is a brand-new city created by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese people since the country’s reform and opening up, and its development over the past 40 years is a miracle in the world development history, President Xi Jinping said Wednesday.
Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while delivering a speech at a grand gathering celebrating the 40th establishment anniversary of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
The gathering started at 10:30 am with participants singing together the national anthem.
On Aug 26, 1980, the Standing Committee of the fifth National People’s Congress, the top legislature, approved the establishment of SEZs of Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shantou in Guangdong province and Xiamen in Fujian province.
Since then, Shenzhen has transformed from a small backward border town into an international metropolis with global influence and a permanent population of over 13 million.
After four decades of rapid growth, Shenzhen now ranks fifth among Asian cities in terms of gross domestic product (GDP), which expanded at an annual rate of 20.7 percent to 2.7 trillion yuan (about US$400.1 billion) in 2019 from 270 million yuan in 1980.
Hailing Shenzhen’s development over the past 40 years, Xi noted in his speech that Shenzhen has made five historic leaps forward since the establishment of the SEZ.
According to Xi, the five historic leaps have seen Shenzhen change from a small backward border town to an international metropolis with global influence; from implementing economic system reforms to deepening reform in all respects; from mainly developing foreign trade to pursuing high-level opening up in an all-round way; from advancing economic development to coordinating socialist material, political, cultural and ethical, social and ecological advancement; and from ensuring that people’s basic needs are met to completing the building of a high-quality moderately prosperous society in all respects.
Xi urged Shenzhen to expand all-round opening up, calling for efforts to explore a more flexible policy system and a more scientific management system in terms of domestic and foreign trade, investment and financing, finance and taxation, financial innovation, as well as personnel exit and entry.
He stressed modernizing Shenzhen’s urban governance system and capacity with innovation, and solving problems in urban governance with the rule-of-law mindset and methods.
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Xi said the CPC Central Committee supports Shenzhen in implementing pilot programs to deepen comprehensive reform.
The city should enrich the new practices of “one country, two systems”, and lead the country’s process of socialist modernization, Xi said.
The city should build itself into a pilot zone for socialism with Chinese characteristics, set an example for cities of a modern socialist country, increase its capabilities to implement the new development philosophy, build a new pattern to deepen all-round reform and expand opening-up on all fronts, and contribute to the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, according to Xi.
He called on Shenzhen to build itself into a global leader in technological and industrial innovation, urging the city to unswervingly implement the new development philosophy and achieve higher-quality development that is more efficient, fairer, more sustainable and more secure.
Xi also called on Shenzhen to take active moves to further promote the construction of the Greater Bay Area, urging efforts to synergize economic rules and mechanisms in the three regions. He urged wider exchanges and deeper integration among young people in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao to strengthen their sense of belonging to the motherland.
Valuable experience
The establishment of special economic zones is a great innovative move made by the CPC and the country in advancing reform and opening-up as well as socialist modernization, Xi said.
Forty years of reform and opening-up of Shenzhen and other SEZs have created great miracles, accumulated valuable experience, and deepened the understanding of the laws of building the SEZs of socialism with Chinese characteristics, said Xi.
Xi identified the valuable experience in 10 aspects:
Adhere to the Party’s leadership over the construction of the SEZs and always keep the construction in the right direction.
Uphold and improve the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and make the system more mature and stable through reform practices.
Adhere to the concept that development is of paramount importance, insist on the practices of daring to try and daring to be the first, and pursue reform breakthroughs through creative thoughts.
Remain committed to opening up on all fronts and continuously enhance the attractiveness of “bringing in” and the competitiveness of “going out.”
Take innovation as the primary driving force and win the upper hand in global technological revolution and industrial transformation.
Follow the people-centered philosophy of development to allow the people to benefit more from the achievements of reform and development in a fairer way.
Ensure scientific legislation, strict law enforcement, judicial impartiality and universal law abiding to make rule of law an important guarantee for the development of the SEZs.
Carry out the philosophy of “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” to achieve sustained development of economy and society as well as ecology and environment in a comprehensive and coordinated way.
Implement the fundamental principle of “one country, two systems” in a comprehensive and accurate way, and promote the integrated development of the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao.
Give full play to the leading and exemplary role of the SEZs while making overall plans for the country, so that they can contribute more to national development.
People-centered development philosophy
Xi stressed the solid implementation of the people-centered development philosophy in the reform and development of special economic zones.
Efforts should be made to address issues in areas including employment, education, medical care, social security, housing, elderly care, food safety, ecology and environment, and public security, Xi said.
Foreign participation welcomed
Xi welcomed foreign countries to participate more in the reform, opening up and development of China’s special economic zones.
He said that foreign participation has been indispensable in the building of the special economic zones over the past 40 years, which in turn has also created vast development opportunities and offered development benefits for foreign countries.
