A Harmonious and Dynamic Modern Urban Society

Forty years ago, Shenzhen was established as the first Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in China, marking the beginning of the city’s economic modernization. Over these four decades, Shenzhen has undergone dramatic changes. It has transformed itself from a peripheral town into a megacity, creating one economic miracle after another. However, Shenzhen’s social sector has lagged far behind its economic growth. This issue was rather prominent in the early stage of the SEZ’s development. The inadequacies in healthcare, education, public security, and social services were glaring. If this issue persisted, it would inevitably constrain Shenzhen’s economic growth, hinder talent attraction, and undermine its innovation capacity. Therefore, in celebrating the 30th anniversary of the SEZ, some people said that the first 30 years of the SEZ focused on economic development, while social development should be accelerated in the next 30 years.