President Xi: Shenzhen takes the lead in China's reform and opening up

It only took Shenzhen 40 years to achieve what would take other global metropolises a hundred of years to realize, which is a miracle in the world history, said President Xi on Wednesday at a celebration marking the 40th anniversary of China's first special economic zone (SEZ) in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province.

From 1980 to 2019, Shenzhen's GDP rose from 270 million yuan to 2.7 trillion yuan ($ 40 million - $4 trillion), with an average annual growth rate of 20.7 percent, transforming from a small fishing village into a modern metropolis over the past four decades, said Xi.

Its fiscal revenue also rose from less than 100 million yuan to 942.4 billion yuan during the period.

Shenzhen was the first Chinese city to implement over 1,000 reform measures.

Since its inception, the Shenzhen SEZ has implemented China's "bringing in" and "going out" strategy and utilized both domestic and international markets and resources while actively attracting global investment.

Its total imports and exports climbed from $18 million in 1980 to $431.5 billion in 2019, an average annual growth rate of 26.1 percent, contributing to an all-around opening up.

The SEZ actively promoted cultural and ideological progress and implemented core socialist values to better coordinate the development of material, political, ideological, social and ecological civilizations.

People's livelihood has greatly improved in Shenzhen, with tremendous advancements in education, medical care, housing and other areas. Its per capita disposable income skyrocketed to 62,500 yuan in 2019, a 31.6-fold growth compared to that of 1985.