Lesson 9: Opening up to the outside world

The Establishment of Special Economic Zones

After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, China took the step of opening up to the outside world. 1980, the Central Government decided to set up four special economic zones in Guangdong and Fujian provinces, namely Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou and Xiamen, to implement special economic policies and economic management systems, allowing foreign enterprises or individuals, as well as overseas Chinese, compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao, to carry out investment activities, and providing preferential conditions for import and export, tax exemptions and other aspects. This brand-new experiment soon made obvious achievements. In just a few years, Shenzhen became a prosperous modern city of Huacheng, a representative of the Special Economic Zone and a "window" for opening up to the outside world.

The establishment of special economic zones has played an extremely important role in introducing foreign capital, advanced technology and management experience, promoting further domestic reform, expanding external economic exchanges and developing the socialist economy.

Expansion of the external opening area

In 1984, China further opened 14 coastal cities, including Dalian, Tianjin, Qingdao, Shanghai, Fuzhou and Guangzhou, etc. In 1985, China also opened the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and Minnan Delta as coastal economic open zones. In 1988, Hainan Island Special Economic Zone was established, and in 1990, Shanghai Pudong Development Zone was also established.

In 1992, the region was opened up to the outside world, with the opening of cities along the rivers such as Chongqing and Wuhan, border cities on land such as Manzhouli and capitals of mainland provinces and autonomous regions such as Kunming and Urumqi, and the implementation of a flexible regional economic policy to encourage foreign investment. In subsequent years, a large number of eligible inland cities and counties were opened one after another. In this way, China has formed an all-round, multi-level and wide-ranging pattern of opening up to the outside world, including special economic zones - open coastal cities - open coastal economic zones - the mainland.

Accession to the World Trade Organization

In December 2001, after 15 years of difficult and tortuous negotiations, China became a member of the World Trade Organization. Accession to the World Trade Organization has opened up new ways for China to participate in economic globalization and opened up new space for national economic and social development.（404words）