Premier Wen Jiabao plays Taiji soft ball with some residents at the Huanggang community in Shenzhen on Saturday.

PREMIER Wen Jiabao urged his countrymen to stick to policies of reform and openness as any reversal would mean a "dead end for the nation's development," during a visit to Shenzhen over the weekend.

Wen also said the country should push ahead with changing its political mechanisms, as well as creating conditions for people to criticize and supervise the government, according to a statement posted on the government's Web site.

China surpassed Japan as the world's second-largest economy last quarter. The country "led the world out of last year's global recession with an economy that's more than 90 times bigger than when leader Deng Xiaoping ditched policies in favor of free-market reforms in 1978," the statement said.

Wen also asked for more effective supervision on "over-concentration" of government power, according to the statement.

He spoke highly of the success of Shenzhen, which became the country's first special economic zone (SEZ) in 1980.

"The success of Shenzhen proves the decision to adopt the reform and opening-up policy was a crucial choice for modern China," the premier said.

During his stay in Shenzhen, Wen visited local enterprises, research institutions, ports and communities in the company of Guangdong Party chief Wang Yang.

On Friday evening, he presided over a conference to hear work reports from local officials.

In a speech, Wen said Shenzhen had not only transformed itself, but had also made an important contribution to the reform and development of the whole nation.

The premier pledged to continuously develop Shenzhen as a SEZ and "do an even better job" in this regard. "Innovation must continue to be the soul and life of the SEZ," he said.

Source:Shenzhen Daily