Mr. Shangkong | Xi Jinping's visit to Shanghai zone gives new hope to economic reform
Free-trade zone welcomes its most prominent supporter, leading to speculation the visit could create momentum for more such experiments
The Shanghai free-trade zone, which has so far received mixed feedback from foreign investors since it was launched last October, finally won its biggest supporter last Friday - a surprise first-time visit by President Xi Jinping.
Some may say Xi's visit to the zone, the first of its kind on the mainland and modelled on Hong Kong's free port and market system, may only be symbolic, but such symbolic visits have often significantly changed the path of mainland economic development.
For example, late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping's visit to southern China in 1992 eventually led to a wider opening-up of the mainland market to foreign investors.
Xi claimed to be a big fan of the free-trade zone and what had been done since its opening
Xi didn't say too much about the Shanghai project when it was launched last October. It was widely considered the baby of Xi's subordinate, Premier Li Keqiang.
Indeed, Li fought hard against internal party opposition to economic and market liberalisation and regarded the zone as his first attempt to make a mark for himself as a different kind of premier compared with his predecessor Wen Jiabao, who was considered too political and conservative.
For reasons that are not clear, Li surprised everybody by not showing up for the free-trade zone's opening ceremony.
Instead, he sent some ministerial-level officials in his place. This fuelled speculation over how committed China's top leadership was in supporting the project, and economic reform in general.
