Shenzhen, also known as the "Roc City", is a coastal city in South China, neighboring Hong Kong and Macao. The core engine of the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen is a modern, international innovative metropolis full of charm, vitality, impetus and creativity.
Shenzhen, born in the country’s epic reform and opening-up drive and prospering for its innovation, ranks fifth in Asia in terms of economic power, and is a wonder of the world’s industrialization, urbanization and modernization.
Shenzhen, City of Charm
Over the past 40 years, Shenzhen has transformed from a backward agricultural county to a modern international mega city with full functionality. Its built-up area has increased from 3.8 square kilometers to more than 1,000 square kilometers. Constructors of the special economic zone have gathered in Shenzhen from around the country. Shenzhen’s population has grown by as much as 40 times from 310,000 in 1979 to 13.43 million in 2019. The per capita disposable income of residents increased from 1,915 yuan in 1985 to 62,522 yuan in 2019. It becomes the first to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects with high standards.
Shenzhen has won numerous awards and recognitions, including the National Civilized City, the Nations in Bloom, a member of the Creative Cities Network of UNESCO and UNESCO City of Design.
Shenzhen has been an important window of China’s reform and opening up. It is home to a world-class container port, the largest land port in Asia and the country’s fifth-largest port. It has accelerated the opening and development of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone and the Qianhai & Shekou free trade area, as well as the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. It has established friendship relations with 88 provinces and cities in 56 countries around the globe.
Shenzhen, City of Vitality
Over the past 40 years, as a pioneering city in China’s reform and opening up, Shenzhen has taken the lead in carrying out the market-oriented reform of the economic system. Inspiring concepts such as “Time is money, efficiency is life”and “Empty talk is harmful to the nation, while doing practical work will make it thrive”are influential across the country. The city has taken the first steps in more than 1,000 different fields in the country, from building the first export-oriented economic development zone in China to holding the country’s first land auction, from taking the lead in “bringing in”to “going global,”from economic reform to the further and comprehensive reform in economic, political, cultural, social, ecological civilization and Party building systems. It has made continuous efforts to create a world-class business environment.
Shenzhen is one of the cities with China’s best business environment that has greatly stimulated the market vitality. Shenzhen is home to a large number of local enterprises with global competitiveness such as Ping An, China Merchants Group, Tencent, Huawei and DJI and is ranked first in the country in terms of the number of commercial entities and entrepreneurship density. Nearly 300 Fortune 500 companies have invested in the city.
Shenzhen, City of Impetus
Over the past 40 years, Shenzhen has created the world-renowned“Shenzhen Speed,”and the development-leading “Shenzhen Efficiency,”“Shenzhen Quality”and “Shenzhen Standards,”as well as the “Shenzhen Made,”“Shenzhen Design”and “Shenzhen Brands”that mark the era. Shenzhen’s GDP jumped from 270 million yuan in 1980 to 2.69 trillion yuan in 2019, with an average annual growth of 20.7%, ranking third among Chinese mainland cities and top five in Asian cities. Total imports and exports skyrocketed from US$18 million in 1980 to US$431.5 billion in 2019, with an average annual growth of 26.1%. Export volume ranked first among Chinese mainland cities for 27 consecutive years. Shenzhen topped the list of Chinese mainland cities in economic output per unit of area. The city’s per capita GDP stood at 203,000 yuan in 2019, up from 835 yuan in 1980 and reaching the level of a moderately developed country. Shenzhen’s GDP per square kilometer increased from 134,000 yuan per square kilometer in 1980 to 1.35 billion yuan per square kilometer in 2019, ranking first among cities on the Chinese mainland.
Shenzhen, City of Innovation
Shenzhen has taken the innovation-driven growth as its development strategy. It is committed to pushing forward comprehensive innovation with scientific and technological innovation as its core. Shenzhen has formed a market-oriented technological innovation system that takes enterprises as its mainstay and highly blends industry with university and research. It has fostered over 17,000 national high-tech enterprises. The number of PCT application reached 17,500, accounting 30.6 percent of the total. It has become the first national innovative city, the first city in the country designated as an innovation demonstration zone, one of the first batch of Chinese cities designated as the demonstration zones of sustainable development and a national comprehensive science center.
Shenzhen takes the lead in the new era and is the trailblazer in the new journey.
Shenzhen is striding toward the construction of a pilot demonstration area of socialism with Chinese characteristics and building an exemplar city of a great modern socialist country.