Shenzhen Lays Foundation for Modernization: MayorSince it was made China's first special economic zone (SEZ), Shenzhen has become a modern city with 4 million residents and numerous high-rise buildings.Yu Youjun, new mayor of Shenzhen, spoke of dramatic changes at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office Tuesday in Beijing. "In the last 20 years, Shenzhen has fulfilled the historic task of laying a foundation for its modernization," he said. Shenzhen has realized a sustained, rapid and sound economic development and is close to modern cities in the world in terms of economic structure, Yu said. Statistics show that from 1980 to 1999, Shenzhen's GDP increased by 31.2 percent annually. GDP per capita in 1999 reached 4,300 US dollars, the highest in all Chinese cities. Yu said that Shenzhen has made enormous progress in economic reform and opening-up and served as a pilot city for reforms in China. According to statistics, in the past 20 years, the total amount of actual foreign capital utilized exceeded 20 billion US dollars, of which 12.3 billion US dollars were used in the past five years. Businesspeople from 67 countries and regions, including 76 enterprises among the world's top 500, have invested in over 14,000 joint ventures in the SEZ, said the mayor. The local legislature in Shenzhen has formulated its five-year plan, which expects an annual increase of GDP by 10 percent. In the next five years, there will be flourishing culture market and improved infrastructure. Yu also pledged to fight against corruption, social vices such as prostitution, gambling and drug-related crimes to ensure a stable society and fast economic growth. |
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