JSPES, Vol. 45, No. 1-2 (Spring-Summer 2020)
pp. 3-30

Shenzhen: A Model of the China Model? If Yes, Is It Replicable?    

Kerry Liu
Associate at The China Studies Centre, University of Sydney, Australia

The city of Shenzhen is known as China’s Silicon Valley. On 18 August 2019, Chinese authorities released a policy document stating that China will make Shenzhen a model city for others to follow. After an extensive literature review on relevant topics including economic development, innovation, and growth, regional economics and regional government analysis, the following conclusions are drawn: the key of the China Model is the government’s proactive and facilitating role in the economy; Shenzhen, which has been transformed from a tiny fishing village to a global innovation metropolis within less than forty years, is a model of the China model; part of the Shenzhen experience can be replicated in the rest of China. At the same time, challenges and uncertainties remain for both Shenzhen and China.