THE newly elected Governor of Guangdong, Lu Ruihua, denies the booming province has become a regional force which resists orders from the central authorities. Mr Lu stressed yesterday that Guangdong always toed the party line. And he demonstrated his support at the first press conference since the election by speaking out for central policies. Mr Lu frequently referred to Communist Party boss Jiang Zemin - a stark contrast with predecessor Zhu Senlin who only mentioned Mr Jiang once in giving his last government work report last week. Mr Lu said some press reports had said Guangdong had been encouraging its regional force. 'There is absolutely no such thing,' he said. 'Guangdong all along has been resolutely implementing the policies of the Communist Party's Central Committee and the State Council.' Asked how he would 'talk about politics' as Mr Jiang had ordered leading cadres to, Mr Lu said: 'To us those who carry out economic work, it is very important for us to remember that we develop a market economy under the conditions of socialism. 'We have to build up a strong socialist country,' he said. He did not elaborate, except to say Mr Jiang's remarks were very precise and clear on the issue. Mr Jiang has launched an ideological campaign, demanding cadres 'talk about politics', including articulation of political direction, standpoints, viewpoints, discipline, judgment and sensitivity. On economic issues, Mr Lu said he believed moderate tightening of financial policies by Beijing was correct. Guangdong would try to live through the credit crunch by pushing for faster development towards a market economy and improvement in economic efficiency, he said. Mr Lu also noted that other major tasks for his administration were to strengthen the Government's role in building up and managing society. Admitting that the wealth gap within the province was still big, Mr Lu called on Hong Kong businessmen to invest more in the poor mountainous areas in the northern part of Guangdong, joining in the Government's efforts to relieve the problem. On the issue of Special Economic Zones, Mr Lu cited Mr Jiang, saying the party's General-Secretary had made clear remarks on that and it was unnecessary for Guangdong to discuss the issue again in its report. Local authorities expressed concern earlier over calls to abolish Special Economic Zones to end disparities in the country. But central leaders, including Mr Jiang, settled the debate by affirming the continuation of the zones but adding that they needed to further reform themselves.