RECALLING HARD TIMES: Xi Jinping (third left), General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, talks with retired officials who pioneered local reforms and economic development in Lianhuashan Park in Shenzhen during his recent visit to southern Guangdong Province (LAN HONGGUANG)

Replicating a famous tour of southern Guangdong Province made in 1992 by the chief architect of China's reform Deng Xiaoping, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), sent out a clear message that China will deepen reform and opening up. The trip's timing has made it particularly significant as the country's economy has showed signs of slowdown and embraced arduous tasks of restructuring.

Xi was elected to the Party's top post at the 18th CPC National Congress in November. During his first official trip outside Beijing after election from December 7 to 11, Xi said, "No stop in reform, and no stop in opening up."

Professor He Maochun at the Department of International Relations of Tsinghua University told the China News Service that Xi's trip showed that China will adhere to the path of reform and opening up, which will boost domestic and international confidence in the country's future.

Mirroring an iconic journey

Xi said that he chose Guangdong, which served as the testing grounds for reform and opening-up policies more than 30 years ago, as the destination of his inspection tour because he wanted to "conduct an on-site retrospective of the history of reform and opening up and declare the resolve to continue to push forward the policy."

On the morning of December 8, Xi paid homage to Deng's statue in Lianhuashan Park in Shenzhen, China's first special economic zone established in 1980.

"We'll unswervingly strive to achieve new progress, new breakthroughs and new steps in boosting reform and opening up and the country's modernization drive," Xi said at the ceremony.

Xi hailed reform and opening up as "the source of vitality" in the development of modern China, as well as "a magic tool" for the Party and the Chinese people to use to keep pace with the times.

Xi stressed that China's reform has come to a juncture where it will be more complicated to tackle difficult issues, and the CPC should deepen reform in vital fields with more political courage and wisdom in a timely manner.

Professor Ren Xianghua at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee said when Deng inspected Guangdong 20 years ago, people were debating over whether the country had moved too fast and too far from the socialist model; while 20 years later, people's views clash over whether reforms need to be furthered to meet emerging risks and difficulties.

Xi described reform and opening up as a "win-or-lose movement" for deciding China's fate and determining whether the country will achieve the great renewal of the Chinese nation and accomplish the goals meant to be met by 2021 and 2049, the years marking the centennial anniversaries of the founding of the CPC and the People's Republic of China, respectively. In his report to the 18th CPC National Congress in November, the then CPC Central Committee General Secretary Hu Jintao said that China will complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects in 2021 and turn itself into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious in 2049.

"We should dare to tackle difficulties and venture along dangerous paths to break through barriers to reform presented by theoretical differences and vested interests," Xi said.

Xi said the CPC should work out a comprehensive plan to deepen reform and also respect innovations made by the people.

Shenzhen was a small sleepy village on the border with Hong Kong before it was designated a special economic zone in 1980, beginning its transformation into a bustling economic powerhouse.

"Shenzhen is the showcase of China's reform and opening-up initiative," local technology executive Zhao Yang told the Xinhua News Agency, adding that the open environment in the city had fostered the successful achievements of many youths.

Zhao believes that Xi's visit to Shenzhen gave a clear signal to the world that China will resolutely deepen its reform and broaden its opening up in the future.