A grand gathering to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SEZ) was held in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, in south China on October 14. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the gathering and delivered a speech. Xi called on Shenzhen to build itself into a pilot zone for socialism with Chinese characteristics. Edited excerpts of Xi’s speeches on the development of SEZs in a new era follow:  

The establishment of SEZs is a great innovative move made by the CPC and the country in advancing reform and opening up as well as socialist modernization. 

Excerpts from Xi’s speech at a grand gathering celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen SEZ on October 14, 2020  

Foreign participation has been indispensable in the building of SEZs over the past 40 years, which in turn has also created vast development opportunities and offered development benefits for foreign countries.  

Excerpts from Xi’s speech at a grand gathering celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen SEZ on October 14, 2020  

Shenzhen should take active moves to further promote the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and to synergize economic rules and mechanisms in the three regions.  

Excerpts from Xi’s speech at a grand gathering celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen SEZ on October 14, 2020  

China will open even wider.  

Excerpts from Xi’s keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018  

Innovation is the lifeline of reform and opening up.  

Excerpts from Xi’s speech at the conference celebrating the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up on December 18, 2018  

VOICE 

Wang Huiyao 

President of the Center for China and Globalization

Reform and opening up promote and complement each other. China's new round of opening up is the only path to achieve quality development. It provides more opportunities for the rest of the world as well, injecting greater momentum into the world economy, and becoming a driver for globalization and inclusive development.

Sources: Xi Jinping: The Governance of China (III), Xinhua News Agency, and Beijing Review