Published on : 26/08/2024
On August 26, 1980, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress reviewed and approved the "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Special Economic Zones in Guangdong Province", agreeing to establish the first batch of special economic zones in Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou, and Xiamen.
That day, the meeting was chaired by Ye Jianying (葉劍英), the then chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress at the time.
Jiang Zemin (江澤民), who was then the Deputy Director of the National Import and Export Commission, was entrusted by the State Council to make a statement on the establishment of special zones and the formulation of the "Regulations".
The meeting then reviewed and approved the establishment of four special economic zones in Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou, and Xiamen, and approved and promulgated the "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Special Economic Zones in Guangdong Province" submitted for review by the State Council.
Rewinding back to April 1979, when China had just begun to promote the Reform and Opening-up, Xi Zhongxun (習仲勛), then the first secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Committee, proposed during the Central Working Meeting in Beijing that Guangdong "take the lead", hoping to carve out parts of Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Shantou to implement independent policies and encourage investments from overseas Chinese, Hong Kong and Macao compatriots, and foreign businessmen.
Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平) agreed with the suggestion and said the well-known saying, "Right, set up a special zone! The Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region was a special zone in the past. The central government has no money, and you have to do it yourselves and break through!"
