LI ZIBIN, who will succeed Li Youwei as the new mayor of Shenzhen next week, said yesterday that the 22 per cent growth target set by the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) this year was justified as the city enjoyed more special policies than other cities.
Speaking after the opening of the Shenzhen People's Congress, Mr Li, who is now the executive vice-mayor, said it was reasonable for the SEZ to pursue a 22 per cent growth rate, compared with 27.9 per cent last year.
'[Shenzhen] Special Economic Zone always develops at a very fast rate because we have many advantages [over other cities],' Mr Li said.
He denied that Shenzhen had departed from policies set by the central government which has ordered a national economic growth rate of eight to nine per cent this year.
'The national economic growth rate is only an average figure. Different regions develop at their own pace,' Mr Li said.
'Can we compare Tibet with Guangdong or Shanghai?' Mr Li asked. 'They are different in the course of their development.' He defended Shenzhen's great leap forward saying it would not contradict Beijing's anti-inflation policy.
