Shenzhen SEZ marks 40th anniversary with grand gathering

China on Wednesday (Oct. 14) held a grand gathering to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in this boomtown in southern Guangdong Province.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the gathering.

On August 26, 1980, the 15th meeting of the Standing Committee of the fifth National People's Congress, China's national legislature, approved the establishment of special economic zones in Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shantou in Guangdong Province and Xiamen in Fujian Province.

Over the past four decades, Shenzhen, also known as the "Silicon Valley of China," has transformed from a small fishing village into a modern metropolis with a permanent population of over 13 million.

(Sources: Xinhua News Agency, CGTN)