How Xi's three visits to Shenzhen show China's commitment to reform and opening up

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to attend the 2026 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen, in south China's Guangdong Province, marking his fourth visit to the birthplace of the country's market-based reforms. 

Selected in the late 1970s as a testing ground for China's transition to a more open and market-driven economy, Shenzhen benefited from its proximity to Hong Kong and Macao and its access to maritime trade routes. It has since transformed from a small fishing village into a key driver of China's economic development. 

Over the years, Xi has made three visits to Shenzhen. Though each of his visits came at a different stage of the city's and the nation's development, they shared a common thread: China's commitment to pressing ahead with reform and opening up.

2012: the first inspection tour

Spearheaded by former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, reform and opening up marked a watershed moment that fundamentally reshaped China's economic and social fabric.

Launched in December 1978, the policy steered the country away from a centrally planned economy toward a market-oriented system, unleashing entrepreneurial energy and igniting a nationwide economic boom.

Much has been achieved. In 1978, China's gross domestic product (GDP) was 367.9 billion yuan, or $149.5 billion, according to World Bank data, which is also cited by the National Bureau of Statistics of China. In just under 50 years, China has developed into the world's second-largest economy, with its GDP reaching 140.19 trillion yuan ($20.4 trillion).

Recognizing the role of reform and opening up in driving this transformation, Xi has repeatedly emphasized the need to uphold and carry forward its legacy. In December 2012, just a month after Xi became the general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, he chose Shenzhen as the first stop of his inspection tour.

During this visit, Xi laid a floral tribute at the bronze statue of Deng Xiaoping in Lianhuashan Park and planted a banyan tree, a symbol of vitality and resilience, underscoring China's dedication to economic reform and determination to navigate any headwinds along the way.

Reaffirming his resolve to stay the course, Xi said, "The decision to launch reform and opening up was right. We must keep to this correct path."  He added, "We must stay unwavering on the road to the prosperity of the nation and the people."

2018: 40th anniversary of reform and opening up

In October 2018, Xi returned to Shenzhen as the nation marked the 40th anniversary of its reform and opening up, a trip that signaled continued commitment to the policy and an emphasis on greater integration with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

"I come to visit Shenzhen as it marks the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up to tell the world that China will not stop its reform and opening up. China will certainly deliver a bigger miracle that draws worldwide attention," he said.

During his visit, Xi urged the city to deepen cooperation with neighboring Hong Kong to play a bigger role in building the Belt and Road, to advance the development of the GBA, and to participate in international cooperation at higher levels.

In the wake of the visit, China issued the Outline Development Plan for the GBA as well as guidelines to build Shenzhen into a pilot demonstration area of socialism with Chinese characteristics, giving fresh momentum to reform and opening up by laying out a clear path for regional integration.

2020 visit: 40th anniversary of SEZ

During his third visit in 2020, Xi returned to Shenzhen to attend a grand gathering marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

The occasion came at a critical juncture in China's development, as the country faced mounting domestic and external economic pressures. Yet its stance on reform and opening up remained firm.

Addressing the gathering, Xi said, "The world economy is currently facing complicated challenges. By no means should we be stopped by the reversing trends and tides. We should choose the right side of the history to unswervingly expand opening-up in an all-round way, and promote the building of an open world economy and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity."  

China's resolve in implementing reform and opening up has yielded significant results over the years. In the first three quarters of 2026, Shenzhen's GDP exceeded 3.02 trillion yuan, marking a 6.0% year-on-year increase at constant prices, an achievement that would not have been possible without the choices made decades ago.

Hailing the policy as the key to China's astonishing development during his 2021 speech marking the Communist Party of China's (CPC) centenary, Xi stressed that reform and opening up was a crucial move in making China what it is today, demonstrating once again the Party's commitment to the policy and its steady leadership.

In November 1991, China officially joined APEC, marking a major milestone in its reform and opening up policy by deepening its integration into the regional economy and expanding multilateral trade.

Thirty-five years later, China is bringing APEC to Shenzhen, the very place where its nationwide opening up to the world began. Coming full circle, China is once again rolling out the red carpet for the world.