A combined photo shows President Hu Jintao (L) placing flowers at the statue of late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping (R) at Lianhua Hill Park in Shenzhen yesterday.

Fireworks explode to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone at the Civic Center square in Futian District yesterday.

Children wait for the fireworks display at the Civic Center square yesterday afternoon.

THE Central Government will continue to support the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to pilot further reforms, President Hu Jintao told a gathering in Shenzhen to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the SEZ.

Hu hailed Shenzhen as a miracle in the world's history of industrialization, urbanization and modernization.

"The Central Government will, as always, support the brave exploration of the special economic zone as well as its role of testing and carrying out reforms ahead of others," Hu told nearly 2,000 people representing all walks of life in Shenzhen at a gathering at University Town in Nanshan District.

Hu called on the SEZ to spearhead in accelerating the transformation of the economic growth model, which was a "significant, strategic task concerning the country's overall economic and social development."

Hu called for "promoting an overall economic, political, cultural and social structural reform."

He also called for expanding socialist democracy and speeding up the construction of a socialist country under the rule of law.

He said efforts should be made to introduce democratic elections, decision-making, management and supervision to safeguard the people's right to know, to participate, to express and to supervise.

Efforts should be made to develop an advanced manufacturing industry and high-end service industry and seize the commanding position of emerging industries of strategic importance, Hu said.

Wang Rong, Party chief of Shenzhen, said the city would continue to act as a trail-blazer for the nation, and would build itself into a "modern and international" metropolis.

Li Ka-shing, chairman of Hong Kong's Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd., said in his speech the Shenzhen SEZ was the "driving force" of China's reform and opening up.

"Overseas Chinese have been heartened and convinced by the achievements of the country's reform and opening up," said Li, Hong Kong's richest man.

Once a small border town, Shenzhen is widely viewed as the cradle of China's dramatic transformation into a world economic and trade juggernaut.

In August 1980, it became the first area in China to be designated as a special economic zone that could accept foreign investment, under reforms pioneered by late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping.

The reforms sparked an annual economic growth rate of 25.8 percent over the past 30 years in Shenzhen, compared with about 9.8 percent for the entire country, according to government figures.

Its GDP reached 820.1 billion yuan (US$121 billion) in 2009.

Source:Shenzhen Daily