2020 is the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone.Since its establishment of a special economic zone in August 1980, Shenzhen, as a test field for China's reform and opening up, has always shouldered the mission to explore the road for China.Observing China's expansion of opening up, Shenzhen is the best window; understanding that China has promoted domestic economic reform, Shenzhen is also the best observation point.
Shenzhen is the microcosm of China's reform and opening up.It has become the most innovative modern city in China from the small fishing village of Bianye, and Shenzhen has only used 40 years.As early as 1988, Li Guangyao, the founding Prime Minister of Singapore, visited Shenzhen, this commented: If Shenzhen succeeded in the next 10 to 15 years, I think there is no reason for the whole China to be unable to succeed.Lee Kuan Yew, who has deep insight, is undoubtedly correct for Shenzhen's evaluation.
From 1979 to 2019, the average annual economic growth rate of Shenzhen exceeded 20%.In 2019, the GDP in Shenzhen reached RMB 2.7 trillion (about S $ 534 billion).Its total economic volume not only exceeds Hong Kong across the river, but also higher than Singapore in Asia, Denmark in Europe, Chile in Latin America and South Africa in Africa.
Shenzhen has both the advantages of the sea and through the convenient three -dimensional transportation network, Unicom connects the hinterland of China in China.In China's regional development map, Shenzhen has a pivotal strategic position.Shenzhen's economy in China, especially the Guangdong -Hong Kong -Macao Greater Bay Area economy, has an outstanding role. The Shenzhen economy accounts for more than 20%of the total economic volume of the Guangdong -Hong Kong -Macao Greater Bay Area. It is an important engine of the Greater Bay Area.The Guangdong -Hong Kong -Macao Greater Bay Area also provides Shenzhen's development hinterland and market space.
Shenzhen accounts for 2.7%of China's total economy; its foreign trade volume accounts for 9.4%of China's total foreign trade.In 2019, the GDP of Shenzhen's per capita region was about US $ 29,400, which was nearly three times the per capita national GDP.Shenzhen Port completed more than 25.7 million standard boxes in 2019, ranking the third largest container port in the world.
The diversified market economy, open business environment, corporate innovation research and development capabilities, and strong manufacturing capabilities show Shenzhen's external attraction and competitiveness.Many top high -tech companies gathered in Shenzhen.Shenzhen's electronic information, digital economy, biotechnology and new materials industries in China occupy a leading position. In 2019, the added value of high -tech industries accounted for 34%of its GDP.
In terms of foreign trade and attracting foreign investment, it is a leading position in major cities in China in major cities in China.Shenzhen is an external economy, and the total foreign trade accounts for 110%of Shenzhen's GDP.The 40 -year development of Shenzhen has benefited from the close connection with the world economy. Shenzhen has used external resources and in -depth participation in the global industrial chain, achieving high economic growth.
New policy promotion reform and opening up
In October 2020, the Chinese government announced the implementation of the implementation plan for the comprehensive reform of the construction of a socialist demonstration zone with Chinese characteristics (2020-2025) (plan) to make Shenzhen once again the focus of the outside world.According to the plan, the Chinese government will authorize Shenzhen to carry out a comprehensive rather than a single field reform pilot.According to the planning timetable, Shenzhen needs to complete the comprehensive reform pilot in five years.The ambitions of Chinese leadership to build Shenzhen to become the development of China's development are evident.
Based on the implementation of the national market access negative list, the Chinese government will formulate a negative list of market access in the Shenzhen version, seek to reduce the threshold for market access in the Shenzhen market, create a more fair market environment, and allow domestic and foreign enterprises to compete fairly.The Chinese government will allow Shenzhen to further open to the public in key areas such as energy, finance, telecommunications, transportation, and education.However, the scheme lacks detail content. For example, how will the relevant industry fields reduce the entry threshold and further open foreign capital?The plan did not explain in detail.
Due to the obstacles of the existing system, the local government did not get enough authorization to promote autonomy reform, nor did it obtain sufficient regulatory authority.Although the plan proposes to grant more provincial reform autonomy in Shenzhen, it is subject to the restraint of local interest groups. To to how much the central government and the Guangdong provincial government will grant the autonomy of Shenzhen reform, it remains to be observed.
New policy introduction background
Western countries face the economic challenges brought about by the high unemployment rate, population aging, and the hollow of the domestic industrial economy; the economic growth rate of emerging market countries is also declining.The sound of anti -economic globalization and trade protectionism has risen in Western countries, and the process of economic globalization is facing tremendous pressure.At the same time, the internal contradictions and problems accumulated in China's economic development over the years have also been increasingly affecting China's further development from different aspects of environmental degradation, shortcomings in the field of people's livelihood, imbalanced regional development to the expansion of the gap between the rich and the poor.
For China, it is necessary to support Shenzhen to deepen reform and opening up and build it into a model city for China's future development, thereby resolving all kinds of contradictions and problems accumulated in domestic development, and building China to become a high -income economy.
Judging from the perspective of Shenzhen's overall reform and opening up, further promoting Shenzhen's reform and opening up is not only to form a growth advantage of Shenzhen's innovation -driven economy, to promote the reform and management system innovation of local governments;, For China to open a new model to the outside world at a higher level, forming an experience and practice that can be promoted and replicated.Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. It is said that the Special Economic Zone must not only continue to run, but also to do better and have a higher level.
The Chinese government hopes to develop Shenzhen into a region with the highest degree of opening up in China and the best domestic business environment.For Shenzhen, under the premise of maintaining the advantages of Unicom's international cycle, opening up a large domestic cycle, becoming a fulcrum for China to build a dual -cycle development strategy, and an important goal of Shenzhen's future development.Shenzhen should adhere to market -oriented economic reforms by establishing an institutional system in line with international traffic rules.
Development problems and challenges
Shenzhen's opening up is two -way, and you can't wish to wish.The new open policy implemented by Shenzhen will take time to prove.Whether Shenzhen can lead a new round of opening to the outside world has faced a lot of challenges.From the perspective of external factors, in the face of the rapid changes in the international geographical environment, the fierce competition between China and the United States, and the impact of the Global economy brought by the coronary virus epidemic.Challenge to a lot.
The Sino -US trade war was the first to be the brunt.Shenzhen's advantageous industry is that high -tech industries such as electronic information are industries that restrict related technologies and product exports in the United States.Shenzhen technology companies, including Huawei, Tencent, Washington, and DJI technology, are also covered in the sanctions list of the US Department of Commerce.Nevertheless, the plan did not propose a response plan for how Shenzhen responded to changes in the international environment and competition between China and the United States, especially the decoupling of technology.
From the perspective of internal factors, compared with its economic development achievements, Shenzhen has development shortcomings in the fields of social and livelihood in education and medical care.In the medical field, Shenzhen lacks high -quality medical resources.There are less than two of the doctors in each thousand Shenzhen people. The existing hospitals and the number of patients are not enough to cope with the needs of tens of millions of citizens.
In the field of education, Shenzhen lacks domestic first -class universities, and the gap between foreign universities in the field of research is even greater.The lack of first -class universities restricts Shenzhen's ability to carry out basic research and improve scientific research and innovation.Local universities in Shenzhen are also unable to undertake the training of urban talents and the heavy responsibility of creating a scientific research innovation platform.
In 2019, Shenzhen's permanent population exceeded 13.4 million, but the household registration population was only 4.94 million.The urbanization rate of Shenzhen is only 36.8%, which is far lower than the urbanization rate of other large Chinese cities.Most of the non -household registrations working and living in Shenzhen do not enjoy public services that are equal to local residents.
Shenzhen has become a paradise for Chinese power and wealthy. However, for most working people living in this city, in order to make a living and difficult life, the high house prices in the city have made them discouraged.Compared with other cities in China, the gap between the rich and the poor in Shenzhen is even more sharp.
Development in portsIn terms of Shenzhen Port's container throughput is among the best in the world, Shenzhen is not a real international shipping center.In terms of transportation convenience and cargo clearance efficiency, and the development of the Hong Kong and Airlines service industry, there is still a small gap between Shenzhen and the world -class port, especially in high value -added shipping insurance, shipping brokers and ship transactions.Essence
Although the plan proposes to grant more provincial reform autonomy in Shenzhen, it is subject to the restraint of local interest groups. To to how much the central government and the Guangdong provincial government will grant the autonomy of Shenzhen reform, it remains to be observed.
(The author is a senior researcher at the East Asia Research Institute of the National University of Singapore)
