Shenzhen – Steadfast in Sustaining the Reform and Opening-up Policy
The Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Services Industry Cooperation Zone, covering 15 square kilometers on Nanshan Peninsula, borders the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao. Unparalleled in innovation cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, Qianhai focuses on development of finance, modern logistics, science and technology, telecommunications, media and commerce. After the Chinese government started promoting the internationalization of Renminbi, Qianhai is set to become a pilot area to implement financial reforms and serve as evidence of China’s financial openness. It is expected that by 2015, the zone’s GDP will reach RMB 50 billion, and RMB 150 billion by 2020.
Shenzhen has unique advantages that favor these types of project development. It acts as the link between the mainland and Hong Kong, and a transport hub for entire southern China. In addition, the city has well served its mission as a pioneer of restructuring and opening-up, and has completed the construction of infrastructure.
Shenzhen’s checkpoints by land, sea, air and rail witness the largest flow of people and goods. In 2012 alone, over 219 million people and more than 15 million vehicles crossed the border through Shenzhen. The port of Shenzhen, ranking fourth in global operations for 10 consecutive years, has a total of 243 international container routes passing through the city, with 228 million tons of cargo and a container throughput of over 22.9 million standard containers in 2012.
The Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport was the first modern airport in China to open for all modes of transport: land, sea and air. With the opening of its third terminal in 2013, it will boast an annual handling capacity for 45 million passengers, 2.4 million tons of cargo and 375,000 takeoffs and landings.
Shenzhen has five subway lines, forming a network of 178 kilometers transporting an average 2.13 million passengers daily. By the end of 2012, Shenzhen ranked 4th in China and 11th worldwide in terms of daily transport volume, with daily passenger flow topping 10 million.
According to Environmental Protection Ministry statistics, air quality in Shenzhen in January 2013 ranked 7th among 74 mainland cities, and 11th in February 2013. In June 2010, the local authority launched a plan to build a network of greenways. By the end of 2012, a total of 2,210 kilometers of greenways had been completed and open to the public.
Learning more about Shenzhen would help people to better understand the course that China intends to continue along in this newest phase of deepening reform and opening-up. The vibrant seeds sown in Shenzhen since August 26, 1980, with the establishment of China’s first Special Economic Zone, verify the correctness of the path launched over three decades ago. Shenzhen’s achievements have become models for other areas to follow. On this fertile land, people will be steadfast in sustaining the policy of reform and opening-up.
