Fourdecadesago,atideofphilosophicalemancipationsweptacrossChina,heraldingthebeginningofreformandopeningupinthecountry.Chinesepeopleshookoffthechainsofoutdatedmindsetsanddogmatismtoreturntothepracticeofseekingtruthfromfacts.Theybrokedownthewallsoftheplannedeconomyandembarkedonajourneytowardstheembracingofthemarkets.Theslogan“emancipatethemind”andanextensivedebateleadingtotheconclusionthat“practiceisthesolecriterionfortestingtruth”freedChinesesocietyfromcalcifiedideologyandpropelledthecountryintoaneweraofreformandopeningup.
BesidesbeinganeconomiccenterinsouthernChina,Shenzhenisalsoacenterfortechnologicalinnovation,aregionalfinancialcenterandatradeandlogisticscenter.byQiaoZhou
DengXiaopingatthethirdplenarysessionofthe11thCentralCommitteeoftheCommunistPartyofChinainDecember1978.Inthelate1970s,China’sreformandopeningupfirststartedinShekou,Shenzhen,inthesouthernprovinceofGuangdong.DuringhisinspectiontourofShenzheninDecember2012,XiJinping,generalsecretaryoftheCommunistPartyofChina(CPC)CentralCommittee,pointedoutthatShenzhenwasthefirstChinesecitytolaunchthereformandopeningupandremainsthemostinfluentialandbest-developedSpecialEconomicZone(SEZ).
DengXiaoping,thechiefarchitectofChina’sreformandopeningup,designatedShekouasthepacecarofeconomicreformandopeningup.XiZhongxun,thenfirstsecretaryoftheCPCGuangdongProvincialCommittee,calledontheprovincetobecomethe“firsttoeatthecrab.”YuanGeng,founderoftheShekouIndustrialZone,feltlikehewasriskinghislifewhilepressingaheadwiththereformprocess.Thegreatcourage,wisdom,visionandsenseofresponsibilityofthosepioneersinspiredthepassionoflatergenerationsofreformers.
In1978,aftertheconclusionofthethirdplenarysessionofthe11thCPCCentralCommittee,XiZhongxun,thenfirstsecretaryoftheCPCGuangdongProvincialCommittee,andseveralotherreformpioneerssubmittedareporttotheCPCCentralCommitteeproposingconstructionofanexport-orientedindustrialandtradingzone,hopingtobecomethe“firsttoeatthecrab”ineconomicreform.Upondeliberatingthesituation,DengXiaopingcreativelypresentedtheideaofbuildingSEZsandencouragedreformerstoactboldly.AsheadoftheShekouIndustrialZone,YuanGengfeltlikehewasriskinghislifetocontinuethereformandopeningup.Suchdeterminationandcouragereflectedthedifficultiesandobstaclesthatreformersfacedatthetime.
Before1979,Chinaadopteda“big-pot”distributionsystemunderwhicheveryonewaspaidevenlyirrespectiveofhisorherperformance.In1981,Shekouformulatedtheslogan“timeismoneyandefficiencyislife.”Intheearly1980swhenmostChinesepeoplelackedknowledgeabouteconomicefficiency,thesloganhitmanyearslikea“springthunderbreakingshacklesonthemind.”
Manyreformpoliciesconcerningnewdistributionsystems,managementsystems,personnelsystems,employmentsystems,paymentsystemsandhousingsystemswereincubatedinShekou.Intheprocess,newconceptsrelatedtocompetition,themarket,contracts,information,operationalperformanceandvocationalethicsgraduallytookshape,fosteringthemostinnovativeculturalandideologicaldevelopmentsinthemodernera.
Atacrucialtimewhendoubtsaboutreformbegantomount,DengXiaopingurgedofficialstobebolderinreformandhavethecouragetoexperiment.“Wemustnotactlikewomenwithboundfeet,buttakeboldactiontoblazeanewtrailafterdeterminingtherightdirection,”hedeclared.
ThedevelopmentofNanling,avillagecomprisedofsome100householdsinShenzhen,evidencedthataleader’scourageanddeterminationarevitaltoeliminatingpoverty.In1974,ZhangWeiji,headofthevillage’sFirstProductionUnit,wasdoomedtoone-yearpubliccriticismforleadingvillagersindevelopingsidebusinesses.In1979,thepersimmonsthatthevillagersweregrowinggotsoldtostate-ownedpurchasersforonly0.18yuanperkilogram,buttheirincomecouldincreasetenfoldiftheyprocessedthosepersimmonsandsoldthemdirectly.However,operationofsuchabusinessbackthenriskedcriticismas“walkingacapitalistroad.”“Howcouldsocialismbesuperiorifeveryonelivedinpoverty?”ZhangWeijiargued.
SoonafterChinaimplementedthereformandopening-uppolicy,NanlingVillageappliedforaloanof1.7millionyuantoimprovethebusinessenvironmentofthelocalitywithhopesofattractingforeigninvestment.Facingpushbackfromvillagers,Zhangpromisedthathealonewouldtakeresponsibilityforthedebtifthevillagedefaultedontheloan.
In1983,fourproductionunitsinNanlingVillagemergedandanewvillagecommitteewasestablished.Zhangintroducedthepracticeofanonymousballotstoelectvillageleaders,theearliestknownattemptforgrassrootsdemocraticautonomyinChina.
In1984,NanlingVillagebecamethefirsttointroducetheruralshareholdingsystem,andvillagerswererewardeddividendsthesameyear.Bythen,themajorityofChina’sruralareashadjustbeguntoimplementthehouseholdcontractresponsibilitysystem.
ThecourageanddeterminationofgrassrootsreformerslikeZhangWeijiweredrivenbytheirpersonalsufferingfrompovertyandtheiraspirationstobringbetterlivingstandardstotheirfellowvillagers.
1ApublicelectioncampaignfordirectorsoftheShekouIndutrialZoneCo.,Ltd.in1990.CFB
2OntheafternoonofDecember1,1987,themunicipalgovernmentofShenzhenheldalandusagerightsauction,atwhichLuoJinxing(whoheldtheNo.11auctionpaddle),managerofShenzhenRealEstateCompany,successfullybidfora8,588-square-meterlandplotforresidentialuse,withatermof50years.
3ZhuyuanHotel,thefirstcompanytocarryoutemploymentreforminShenzhen.BeforeChina’sreformandopeningup,Shenzhenwasanondescript,secludedtown,sharplycontrastingHongKong,abustlinginternationalfinancialcenterjustacrossariver.Asthecountryopeneditsdoors,thepeoplelivingintheregionadjacenttoHongKongdevelopedwidevisionandfreerminds.Manywentabroadtoexperiencetheoutsideworldandlearnadvancedscienceandtechnologyanddifferentcultures.ThereformandopeningupofShenzhenprovedthatopennesspromotesprogressandseclusionleadstostagnation.
TheShekouMuseumofReformandOpeninginShenzhenSeaWorldCultureandArtCenterisstaginganexhibitioncommemoratingthecountry’s40yearsofreformandopeninguptitled“TheStoryofSpring.”Aparagraphintheintroductionoftheexhibitionreads:“In1978,asthedebateonthecriteriaoftruthheatedupnationwide,theStateCouncilofChinasentadelegationonaforeignsurveyinhopesoflearningfromtheadvancedexperiencesofdevelopedcountries.Aplanforcomprehensivereformandopeningupwastakingshape.InMay1978,adelegationfromtheChinesecentralgovernment,headedbyGuMu,thenvicepremieroftheStateCouncil,conductedasurveyoffiveWesternEuropeancountries.Itwasthefirststate-levelgovernmentaleconomicdelegationdispatchedbythegovernmentofthePeople’sRepublicofChinatodevelopedcapitalistcountriessinceitsfoundingin1949.”
Backthen,conductingfieldsurveys,compilingusefullessonsandintroducinginvestmentfromdevelopedcountrieswerekeymeasurestakenbyChinatopromotethereformandopeningup.
InJanuary1980,Shekouofficiallybegansolicitinginvestmentfromaroundtheworld.LikeasirensignalingChina’sreformandopeningup,thismovecausedglobalattention.OnSeptember25,1983,ShekouHarborwasapprovedbytheStateCounciltobecomeanopennationalport.
ZhangWeiji,afarmerinNanlingVillage,realizedthatcooperationwithforeigninvestorswouldbringvitalitytohisvillage.In1979,Shenzhenbegantodevelopprocessingandcompensationtrades(processingmaterialsorassemblingsuppliedcomponents).ZhangandseveralvillagerswaitedoutsideluxuryhotelsinhopesofmeetingbusinesspeoplefromHongKong.Eventually,theyfoundseveralHongKonginvestorswhowouldgoontobuildfactoriesintheirvillage.
AfterZhangWeijiretired,hissonZhangYubiaowaselectedsecretaryofthePartybranchofNanlingVillage.Asthevillagewasbuiltintoacommunity,hebecameitsPartychief.Bornin1974,ZhangYubiaowitnessedthededicationofhisforefathersinpushingthereformandopeningupaswellasShenzhen’stransitionfromasmallfishingvillageintoamodernmetropolis.HehatchedaplantodevelopNanlingasmorethanjustavillageorcommunity,butfromaglobalperspective.
SANYOElectric(Shekou)Limited,thefirstJapanesewhollyfundedenterpriseinChina.MigrantworkersbecameaniconicgroupinShekou,Shenzhenatthattime.
AttheShekouMuseumofReformandOpening,visitorsareattractedbyrecordersandtelevisionsetsproducedinShekouduringthe1990s.byWangLeiFourdecadesago,DengXiaopingdeclaredthat“povertyisnotsocialism.”In2012,XiJinpingstressedthat“ourmissionistomeettheaspirationsofthepeopleforabetterlife.”Inthe1980s,theCPCCentralCommitteedecidedtoestablishtheShenzhenSEZwithhopesthatShenzhenwouldleadthecountry’sreformandopeningupandsocialistmodernizationandblazeanewtrailforachievingprosperityforthecountry,fosteringtherejuvenationofthenationandimprovingthewell-beingofthepeople.
OnMay6,1979,morethan100NanlingvillagersincludingZhangWeiji’swife,triedtosneakintoHongKong.Then,theirsonZhangYubiaowasjustfiveyearsold.About100householdsinthevillageinBao’anCountyreliedonbankloanstocarryoutagriculturalproductionandlivedon“resoldgrain”(state-purchasedgrainsoldbacktoagrain-producingareaincaseofdisaster)andgovernmentrelief.
In1980,theRegulationsonSpecialEconomicZonesinGuangdongProvince,proposedbytheStateCouncil,wasapprovedatthe15thmeetingoftheStandingCommitteeofthe5thNationalPeople’sCongress,heraldingthebeginningoftheconstructionofShenzhenSEZ.Takingadvantageofthisopportunity,NanlingVillagealsomergedintoafastlaneofdevelopment.UndertheleadershipofZhangWeiji,localvillagerscooperatedwithinvestorsfromHongKongandtappedintothepotentialoftheircollectivestrengthtodevelopmanufacturing,tourismandtrade.Asaresult,thecollectiveeconomyofthevillagegraduallyboomed.
In1984,Nanlingbecamethefirsttoopenavillagehospitaladoptingacooperativemedical-caresystem.Evenmigrantworkerscouldenjoyfreemedicalcareinthehospitaliftheypaidamedicalinsurancefeeoftwoyuanpermonth.In1986,thefirstindustrialzonewasfoundedinNanling,enablingthevillagetotransformfromanagriculturaleconomyintoanindustrialeconomy.Bytheendof1991,percapitaannualdividendsexceeded10,000yuaninthevillage.
DengXiaoping’sspeechesduringhisinspectiontourofsouthernChinain1992turnedthepageonanewchapterofthecountry’sreformandopeningup.Duringthistime,ZhangWeijiledNanlingvillagerstobuildfourindustrialzonesandintroduceadozenhi-techcompaniesfrombothhomeandoverseas,substantiallyacceleratingthedevelopmentoflocaltertiaryindustry.In1994,theRegulationsonJoint-stockCompaniesinShenzhenSpecialEconomicZonewasenacted,andNanlingVillageestablishedajoint-stockcompany.Someformerlycollectively-ownedassetsofthevillageweretransformedintoprivately-ownedshares.Allvillagerscouldearndividendsannuallyaccordingtothesharestheyowned.
Since2015,Nanlinghasconsideredequityinvestmentsubstantiallyimportant.ThevillagejoinedhandswithTus-HoldingsCo.,Ltd.underTsinghuaUniversitytoestablishahitechindustrialparkandaninvestmentfundofwhichNanlingVillageholds50percentstake.Italsoinvested120millionyuantoacquireaninvestmentcompanyandanother300millionyuantoestablishShenzhen’sfirstventurecapitalfundownedbyacommunity-leveljoint-stockcompany.
ZhangYubiaohassetgoalsofcultivatingoneortwoexcellentlistedcompaniescontrolledbyNanlingVillageCommunityinthreeyearsandbuildingitsownfinancialplatform.Hehopestoringthebellalongsidevillagersonthedaytheircompaniesarelistedonthestockmarket.ShenzhenCruiseCenteratPrinceBayinShekou.Howshouldpeopleandsocietyprogressalongsiderapideconomicgrowth?In2017,Shenzhenformulated“sixmeasures”toenhancelocalcitizens’personalquality:Enlighteningthemind,enhancingmorality,observingthelaw,promotingintelligence,advocatingcultureandimprovingphysicalhealth.AccordingtothemunicipalgovernmentofShenzhen,thetalentdemandedbyreformanddevelopmentshouldnotonlybeproficientincutting-edgetechnologies,butalsobeofhighculturalqualityandsociallycivilized.
ThegreatestwishofofficialsinHuaideCommunityistoprovidelocalresidentsgreaterspiritualassetsthanmaterialwealthandtomakethemricherintermsofthemindratherthanjustfinanciallybetteroff.
MostHuaideresidentsarefromthePanclan.TheirancestorsmovedtotheareafromXingyang,HenanProvinceinthelateNorthernSongDynasty(960-1127).Thevillage’sname“Huaide”literallymeans“cherishmemoriesofthemoralityofancestors.”Inthe1990s,localresidentsraisedfundstoreconstructtheirancestraltemplethatwasdestroyedduringthe“culturalrevolution”(1966-1976).Today,ancestraltemplecultureandthehonorofancestorsplayanimportantroleintheadministrationofmoderncommunities.
HuaideCommunityisexploringapathtomoderncommunitygovernancewhichwouldlikelyhelpenhancebothsocialself-managementcapacityandpersonalqualityofresidents.Asocialgovernancepatternfeaturingpublicparticipation,jointcontributionandsharedbenefitshastakenshapeinthecommunity.Basedonanautonomousadministrativestructurecoveringmultiplelevelsrangingfromcommunityofficialsandneighborhoodchiefstoresidentialcustodians,lawyers,psychologists,anti-drugvolunteers,seniorcarecentersandothersocialorganizations,thecommunityprovidessports,culturalandentertainmentfacilities,organizescharityactivitiesandprovidespublicservices.Thisdevelopmenthasfacilitatedremarkableprogressinareaslikepublicsecurity,neighborhoodcare,environmentalprotection,sanitation,disputemediationandcommunityculture.Intheprocess,notonlyhasthepersonalqualityofresidentsbeenimproved,butalsothecommunity’sself-managementabilityhasenhancedaswell.
OnthedayhewaselectedsecretaryofthePartybranchofNanlingVillage,ZhangWeijipromisedthatvillagerswouldhaveenoughtoeat,newhousestoliveinandtheabilitytobecomerichandhealthier.Decadeslater,allofhispromiseshavecometopass.In2015,percapitaannualincomesurpassed150,000yuanandthevillage’scollectively-ownedfixedassetsreachedthreebillionyuan.Now,undertheleadershipofcurrentPartychiefZhangYubiao,localresidentswantmorethanjustmaterialwealth,buthumanprogressanddevelopment.
“Ourvillageadvocatestheprinciplesofjointcontributionandsharedbenefits,”ZhangYubiaonoted.“Everyadultworks,andthosewhoonlyearnincomefromrentalsdon’tearnmuchrespect.Wedon’tlongtobecomerichovernight,buthungerforpeacewithourneighbors.Here,peoplecareandhelpeachotherandcreateaheavyambianceofwarmth.ThisisthemostattractivetraitofNanlingVillage.”
Afterfourdecadesofdevelopment,Shenzhenhasaccumulatedenormousmaterialassetsandfosteredahealthysociety.Inthe1990s,manyvisitorsleftthecitywithanimpressionthatitwasdirtyandmessywithahighrateoftheft.Today,Shenzhenisahighlyorderlyandhospitablemetropolis.Driversyieldtopedestrians,andevenastrangerwillbewarmedbythesmilesonthestreets.AccordingtoWangWeizhong,secretaryoftheCPCShenzhenMunicipalCommittee,ShenzhenisacityofgoodSamaritanssinceasmuchas10percentofitstotalpopulationareregularvolunteers.
DuringhisinspectiontourofGuangdongProvince,XiJinpingaskedShenzhentoneverceaseitsdrivetoreformandopeningup.TheachievementsmadebyShenzhenSEZarerepresentativeofthetremendouschangesandhistoricachievementsrealizedbyChinasinceitsreformandopeningup.The40yearsofthecity’sreformandopeninguphaveproventhatemancipationofthemindandopeningarethebeststrategiesforChinatostandup,becomewealthyandmaintainstrength.Abird’s-eyeviewofShennanRoadinShenzhen.Overthepast40years,ShennanRoadhaswitnessedthetremendouschangestakingplaceinthecity.