From October 9 to 12 right after the National Day of the 59th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the International Press Center (IPC) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Guangdong jointly organized a delegation of China-based foreign journalists to visit Guangdong, the forefront of China's reform and opening up. The delegation consists of over 20 journalists from international mainstream media agencies such as the Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, Getty Images of the United States, Asahi Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun, Tokyo Shimbun, Japan Broadcasting Association, and Kyodo News of Japan, Munhaw Broadcasting Corporation of the Republic of Korea, Global Radio News and the Scotsman of UK, Helsingin Sanomat of Finland, Radiotelevisione Italiana, and European Pressphoto Agency. During their four-day visit, foreign journalists travelled extensively and visited Guangzhou, Dongguan, Heyuan and Shenzhen. They had dialogues with Wan Qingliang, Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, Xu Zongheng, Mayor of Shenzhen, Li Yuquan, Mayor of Dongguan, and Liu Xiaohua, Mayor of Heyuan. They visited China High-Tech Fair in Shenzhen, Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Yantian Port, Huawei Technologies, Shenzhen HYT Science & Technology Co. Ltd, Olympus Corporation, and Heyuan High-Tech Industrial Transfer Park. They witnessed and experienced the vigor and vitality of Guangdong’s development. They saw what Guangdong had achieved in the past 30 years and the explorations of Guangdong in scientific development in the new era.

Drastic Changes of Guangdong in the Past 30 Years

In the face of journalists, Vice Governor Wan Qingliang proudly presented a series of figures to show the development achievements made by Guangdong in the past 30 years. Guangdong created a miracle in economic development. Guangdong’s GDP jumped from RMB18.5 billion in 1978 to RMB3.17 trillion in 2007, with an average annual growth rate of 13.8 percent. Guangdong ranked No. 1 for 23 consecutive years in terms of GDP, No. 1 for 22 consecutive years in terms of import and export volume, and No. 1 for 17 consecutive years in terms of percentage in national fiscal revenue. Guangdong’s GDP, fiscal revenue and import and export volume accounted for one eighth, one seventh and one third of China’s totals respectively. Guangdong’s GDP exceeded Russia and Spain, ranking No. 13 in the world. Guangdong has become a successful example of leapfrogging development and a successful example of practicing socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Mayor Xu Zongheng said that 28 years ago Shenzhen was a small fishing village. Now it has developed into a new modern city with an average annual GDP growth rate of 26.9 percent. Local fiscal revenue increased by 36.9 percent. The total export volume of Shenzhen increased at an average growth rate of 34.3 percent. In 2007, Shenzhen’s GDP reached RMB676.5 billion. Shenzhen has developed from a little known fishing village into a world-renowned metropolis.

Mayor Li Yuquan said that Dongguan, a town used to cover thousands of hectares of farmland, has developed into the world's leading manufacturing base with a well-developed, well-supported and well-equipped manufacturing system covering electronic and information industry, electrical machinery, textile and garment, furniture, toys, paper-making and paper products, food and beverage, and chemical products, These industries well supported the economic development of Dongguan. Dongguan has 14,382 processing trade enterprises, accounting for 29.9 percent of Guangdong’s total. Processing trade enterprises are the main part of Dongguan’s economy. Export is the lifeblood of Dongguan’s economy. Journalists asked about Nokia, the world's leading mobile phone manufacturer. The most important mobile phone production base of Nokia in the world is located in Dongguan. With excellent product quality and competitive cost control, the base has become a successful model inside Nokia, a main export enterprise in Guangdong and a major taxpayer in Dongguan.

Embarking on a New Path of Scientific Development

Vice Governor Wan Qingliang said that since 2003, Guangdong started to transform the patterns of economic development and embarked on a path of scientific development. The overall economic strength of Guangdong was increased significantly, with the industrial structure optimized and upgraded, the level of opening up deepened, the infrastructure improved, and the people’s living standards improved dramatically. The per capita incomes of urban residents and farmers reached RMB17,000 and RMB5,200 respectively. Guangdong has developed to a certain level, therefore, the capitals and factors of production need to be re-allocated so as to adapt to the adjustment of industrial structure. The provincial government of Guangdong encourages labor-intensive industries to move to the mountainous regions and the eastern and western regions of Guangdong. Re-allocating resources through industrial transfer is in line with scientific development. Industrial transfer is a long-term task. The market should play a bigger role in regulating industrial transfer but at the same time the balance between government intervention and market regulation should be paid attention to.

Mayor Liu Xiaohua said the city of Heyuan is located in the poor mountainous area of Guangdong Province. The main economic indicators of Heyuan were the lowest 5 years ago in the province. Heyuan was the slowest growing region in Guangdong. In recent years, Heyuan attached importance to the development of transport network and gave special attention to the development of expressways. With the expressways in place, Heyuan successfully integrated itself into the two-hour live and work ring of the "Pearl River Delta". Heyuan is driving the economic and social development of the southern region of Guangdong at “Shenzhen speed”. By taking advantage of Guangdong’s balanced regional development strategy and the strategic opportunity presented by the transfer of industries and labors in the "Pearl River Delta", Heyuan embarked on a new path of industrialization. Heyuan attracted enterprises with low pollution, good returns, the ability to lead, high technical contents, and large input and output scale to enter industrial parks. Heyuan, depending upon its advantages in ecological environment, geographical location, human and cultural resources as well as the late-comer’s advantage, aims at developing Heyuan into a mobile phone production base, an emerging manufacturing base, a green agricultural production and processing base and a tourism base in Guangdong. Heyuan strives to achieve economic development on one hand and protect the environment on the other hand. Heyuan is making efforts to build a resource-saving and environment-friendly society and an ecological development demonstration area in Guangdong to achieve a win-win situation for both development and environment. In recent years, there were more than 300 investment projects worth over RMB30 billion rejected by Heyuan due to the high threshold of environmental protection. Such move hasn’t influenced the development of Heyuan, on the contrary a large number of food and beverage companies and electronics and IT enterprises that have strict requirements on ecological environment managed to set up their factories in Heyuan. Good ecological environment has also become the most attractive conditions for the accelerating development of Heyuan and the biggest advantage to attract foreign investment.

Remaining Sober-Minded and Confident before the Achievements

Vice Governor Wan Qingliang said that the main issues Guangdong is facing are: the competitiveness of the industry is not strong enough in the world, the extensive mode of economic development needs reform, the economic structure needs to be optimized and upgraded, independent innovations are not sufficient, and the core competitiveness is not strong. In addition, this year's touch international economic environment has adversely affected Guangdong's export, with the growth of export dropped by 13.5%. But there is no large-scale relocation of enterprises. In the past three years, the number of closed enterprises accounted for only half of the number of newly established enterprises. This is primarily the results of the role the market economy plays. Despite some difficulties, Guangdong has "three advantages": the government's efficient and powerful execution ability and strong motivation to help the development of enterprises, harmonious and stable labor relations, and strong supporting abilities, which are important foundation for industrial adjustment in Guangdong. The upgrade and adjustment of industrial structure is a realistic subject Guangdong has to face after 30 years of reform and opening-up. Only by promoting the upgrade of industrial structure in the current economic situation, can Guangdong better participate in international division of labor and cooperation in the future.

Mayor Li Yuquan said that the number of contracts attracting foreign investment fell 12% in the first half of this year in Dongguan, but the amount of actually utilized foreign investment increased by 14%. Over the past seven or eight years, Dongguan introduced 800 to 900 enterprises each year and there were 700 to 800 enterprises closed. The situation in the first half of this year was similar to the past. However the situation in the second half of this year will not be so optimistic. The employment situation next year may worsen. In the face of challenges, Dongguan will pay more attention to the development of high-tech industries.

Mayor Xu Zongheng said that Shenzhen no longer enjoys special policies and the special economic zone is no longer special. However, Shenzhen has a highly competitive modern industrial system, a fairly complete socialist market economic system, a high level of urbanization with a higher degree of modernization, an innovative culture and an enterprising spirit. These are important advantages for Shenzhen to seek a new round of growth.

Resolutely Advancing Scientific Development

Vice Governor Wan Qingliang said that Guangdong, standing at a new historical starting point, strive to be a leading province to enhance China’s international competitiveness and be a pilot province to explore scientific development. Guangdong will take the lead in establishing a modern industrial system and developing modern service industry with producer service as the core, a high-tech industry led by electronics and information industry, and a modern manufacturing industry with equipment manufacturing industry as the mainstay. On the reform of traditional industries, Guangdong will strive to build up famous brands, promote independent innovation, enhance industrial competitiveness, and promote the transfer of industries and labors. Guangdong will strengthen planning, infrastructure development, and law enforcement for environmental protection so as to achieve the development in line with scientific principles. Against the adverse effects of the international economic situation, Guangdong will strive to consolidate the European and American markets and open up new markets in South America, Africa, ASEAN and Russia. Guangdong will introduce guiding policies aiming at promoting enterprise transformation and strengthening their confidence. Guangdong will take advantage of this opportunity to promote the optimization of industrial structure. Guangdong will push forward the building of new countryside and strengthen the development of basic security, social security, and medical cooperatives. According to the spirit of 17th CPC National Congress, Guangdong will also actively promote political reform, speed up institutional reform, streamline government’s approval procedures and build a service-oriented government based upon the rule of law.

Mayor Xu Zongheng said that Shenzhen will speed up industrial upgrade and independent innovation, the cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong and the building of an international metropolis, improve the attractiveness, ecological civilization, and people's livelihood of Shenzhen and promote social harmony so as to achieve coordinated development of economy, politics, culture and society. Xu Zongheng pointed out that the Shenzhen, as China’s window of reform and opening up, has never ceased making explorations in the field of democracy and rule of law, such as improving democracy inside the party, strengthening the building of people's congress system, promoting reform in administrative systems, and encouraging the participation of the general public in public affairs and decision-making.

Mayor Li Yuquan said that the goal of building Dongguan into a national pilot city demonstrating the transformation and upgrade of processing trade is to promote the shift of processing trade enterprises from labor- and resource-intensive to capital- and technology-intensive, the shift of their operating models from OEM to ODM and then to OBM, and the shift of their business focus from manufacturing and processing to marketing service, realize the upgrade of products and industries, own famous brands and independent Intellectual property rights, and enhance international competitiveness of Dongguan’s industries.

Mayor Liu Xiaohua said that to avoid the path of "treatment after pollution”, Heyuan will adhere to the principle of selecting foreign investors against strict environmental requirements and reject energy-consuming and polluting enterprises into industrial parks, which enables industrial parks to compete at a higher starting point.

Reform and Opening Up Is for the People and Should Benefit the People

The delegation’s schedule was intense for the last days during their stay in Shenzhen. Early on the first day, the journalists came to the Lotus Peak, which gives them a bird's view of the city of hope. Numerous modern architectures presented the development of Shenzhen and China before their eyes. They were amazed by what they saw and used the cameras to capture the unforgettable moments. Below the "Statue of Deng Xiaoping", many journalists talked with the citizens coming to do morning exercises. The citizens were smiling all the time and blurted out, "Thanks to Deng Xiaoping, thanks to the reform and opening up!"

At the end of their trip on Sunday night, many foreign journalists felt not satisfied. Despite the fatigue of the trip, they arranged new reporting plans and integrated into this brilliant and magnificent city. The high-rise buildings along Shennan Avenue, beautiful green belt, wide and straight avenues, the shades and the lighting we saw at the time of farewell, formed a perfect harmony. We feel happy for the people on this land.

Guangdong has created a miracle of reform and opening up. I believe in the coming 30 years, Guangdong will certainly create more miracles of scientific development and continue to tell new stories to the world about China's reform and opening up.