Q: China has adopted a progressive policy in opening up
to the outside world. It established four special economic zones,
then opened 14 coastal cities, and finally opened the whole
country. Why does China adopt such an approach? What are the
experiences and lessons?
A: While deciding to restructure its economic system in 1978,
China implemented the open policy step by step. Different from
other countries, China opened one region after another and finally
the whole country.
Beginning in 1980, China set up five special economic zones in
Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shantou in Guangdong Province, Xiamen in
Fujian Province and Hainan Province. In 1984, China opened 14
coastal cities – Dalian, Qinhuangdao, Tianjin, Yantai, Qingdao,
Lianyungang, Nantong, Shanghai, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Fuzhou, Guangzhou,
Zhanjiang, and Beihai. Then China established economic opening-up
zones in the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, South Fujian
Triangle Zone, Shandong Peninsula and Liaodong Peninsula.
Furthermore China opened Pudong New Area in Shanghai and some
cities along the Yangtze River, thus a T-shaped opened economic
zone composed of coastal cities and the areas along the Yangtze
River has been formed. Since 1992, China has gradually opened
capital cities of its inland provinces and autonomous regions as
well as some bordering cities. At the same time, China has
established 15 free trade zones, 49 national economic and
technological development zones and 53 high and new-tech industrial
development zones. As a result an opening-up pattern composed of
coastal cities, Yangtze River cities, bordering areas and inland
cities has been formed.
This opening-up pattern with special economic zones and opened
coastal cities as its main body, and pushing forward from the
southern coastal areas to the central and west areas, is based on
China's reality: vast territory and big economic gaps between
different areas. Such a pattern has provided a guarantee for the
irresistibility of opening-up and also avoided negative impacts on
industrial development caused by blind opening-up.
China's all-encompassing opening-up, which is based on its
economic opening-up, involves exchanges and cooperation with other
countries in science, technology, culture and education. In
addition, China has opened up to all countries and regions in the
world, regardless of their social systems, sizes or national
strengths, and is willing to develop economic and trade relations
with them on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.
Currently, no country can develop if it is closed up to the
outside world. China's experience proves that the opening-up not
only has benefited China, but other countries as well. In the
process of opening its market to others, a country can open wider
to the international market. Certainly, in the process of opening
up to the outside world, China has consistently maintained its
sovereignty and economic social security, and paid attention to
preventing and minimizing international risks.
China entered the WTO in 2001, marking its shift from regional
opening-up to all-encompassing opening-up and from unilateral
opening-up to mutual opening among WHO member countries.
Shenzhen is the first special economic
zone (SEZ) in China. Pictured is a downtown street in the
city.
