Related News
Home » Opinion » Chinese Views
After 30 years of reform, Shenzhen still needs more
By Ji Shaoting, Zhang Chaoxiang and Zhan Yijia |
September 13, 2010, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
"AFTER 30 years, people are questioning: are the reforms in Shenzhen coming to an end?" asked Guo Zhongxiao, known as an "Internet Musketeer," in his online article as the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone celebrates its 30th anniversary.
The article, "Shenzhen, Questions on Reforms," by Guo, 35, has triggered furious online discussion on the future of China's first special economic zone in Shenzhen City in south China's Guangdong Province.
Instead of the famous metaphor on revolutions "to feel the rocks on the riverbed when crossing the river," Guo compared the revolutions in Shenzhen to "moving away stones." "The 'stones' of the economic system had been almost removed during Shenzhen's reforms, leaving the hardest stones to be cleared yet, either restricted by reforms in other fields or stuck in its hardest time of reforming," Guo said.
"The 'specialness' of the special zone lies in the initiatives of the Shenzhenese, who make changes before receiving the approval of the central government," he said. However, in the 21st century all the reforms had been waiting for approval to be given birth, he noted.
Many of those who commented on his article showed their deep concerns about Shenzhen's future, which reflected how citizens had become more mature and rational in promoting development of society, said Guo, who became famous overnight eight years ago for another article - "Shenzhen, Who Abandoned You?"
That article, posted online when Guo was working in a financial securities website in 2002, reported on the rumors of financial companies planning to leave Shenzhen for Shanghai and described the worries of being abandoned.
It triggered furious discussions involving millions of netizens and reported by media again and again. Some people blamed Guo for defaming and cursing Shenzhen. He was even said to have been a "spy from Shanghai."
Because of the article, Guo was invited to meet Shenzhen government officials in January 2003. Six months later, Guo was invited to another meeting by an investigation team from the State Council of China, when he met another "musketeer" nicknamed Jin Xinyi. Their opinions were recorded and taken to Beijing after the meeting, which was said to be a milestone in China's Internet history, when Internet politics began in China.
In Guo's eyes, two forces dominate the reforms in the history of the Shenzhen special zone. One is the top-down force, which are the policies and supports from the central government, and the other is the down-top force, which is the inner power of society.
Guo arrived in Shenzhen in 1999 and changed jobs to earn a living, but became an editor of a Hong Kong magazine in 2002 after the online article made him famous. Guo and his two friends, Jin Xinyi and Henry, the founder of Interhoo website, were called the "Three Internet Musketeers."
With their efforts, Interhoo became a platform for Internet politics in Shenzhen. "Reforms cannot rely on the government only, they also need the vitality of every cell of society, that is people," said the 41-year-old Henry.
(The authors are Xinhua writers. Shanghai Daily condensed the article.)
The article, "Shenzhen, Questions on Reforms," by Guo, 35, has triggered furious online discussion on the future of China's first special economic zone in Shenzhen City in south China's Guangdong Province.
Instead of the famous metaphor on revolutions "to feel the rocks on the riverbed when crossing the river," Guo compared the revolutions in Shenzhen to "moving away stones." "The 'stones' of the economic system had been almost removed during Shenzhen's reforms, leaving the hardest stones to be cleared yet, either restricted by reforms in other fields or stuck in its hardest time of reforming," Guo said.
"The 'specialness' of the special zone lies in the initiatives of the Shenzhenese, who make changes before receiving the approval of the central government," he said. However, in the 21st century all the reforms had been waiting for approval to be given birth, he noted.
Many of those who commented on his article showed their deep concerns about Shenzhen's future, which reflected how citizens had become more mature and rational in promoting development of society, said Guo, who became famous overnight eight years ago for another article - "Shenzhen, Who Abandoned You?"
That article, posted online when Guo was working in a financial securities website in 2002, reported on the rumors of financial companies planning to leave Shenzhen for Shanghai and described the worries of being abandoned.
It triggered furious discussions involving millions of netizens and reported by media again and again. Some people blamed Guo for defaming and cursing Shenzhen. He was even said to have been a "spy from Shanghai."
Because of the article, Guo was invited to meet Shenzhen government officials in January 2003. Six months later, Guo was invited to another meeting by an investigation team from the State Council of China, when he met another "musketeer" nicknamed Jin Xinyi. Their opinions were recorded and taken to Beijing after the meeting, which was said to be a milestone in China's Internet history, when Internet politics began in China.
In Guo's eyes, two forces dominate the reforms in the history of the Shenzhen special zone. One is the top-down force, which are the policies and supports from the central government, and the other is the down-top force, which is the inner power of society.
Guo arrived in Shenzhen in 1999 and changed jobs to earn a living, but became an editor of a Hong Kong magazine in 2002 after the online article made him famous. Guo and his two friends, Jin Xinyi and Henry, the founder of Interhoo website, were called the "Three Internet Musketeers."
With their efforts, Interhoo became a platform for Internet politics in Shenzhen. "Reforms cannot rely on the government only, they also need the vitality of every cell of society, that is people," said the 41-year-old Henry.
(The authors are Xinhua writers. Shanghai Daily condensed the article.)
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
