Li Zibin, mayor of Shenzhen, said today that the city will have a per capita GDP this year worth 5,000 US dollars. Shenzhen's GDP was 143.6 billion yuan in 1999, up 14.2 percent over the previous year, or an equivalent of more than 4,000 US dollars of per capita GDP.

"Shenzhen has basically met the criteria set for modernization, especially in terms of economic indicators," the mayor said.

Guangdong Province has been making efforts to have its economically developed Pearl River Delta area take the lead in realizing China's modernization. "Our GDP level shows that Shenzhen is only relatively developed economically. Our goal is to build Shenzhen into a highly cultured city with a sound legal system and market economy," said Li.

According to Li, Shenzhen plans to have 7,000 US dollars of per capital GDP by 2005.