The grand celebration of the 30th anniversary of Xiamen Special Economic Zone on December 26, 2011 (ZHANG GUOJUN)

On December 26, 2011, the celebration conference of the 30th anniversary of the construction of the Xiamen Special Economic Zone was held at the Xiamen International Exhibition Center.

Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President of China, sent a congratulatory letter. He Guoqiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, attended the conference, delivering the keynote speech.

In his letter, Hu Jintao pointed out that in the past 30 years, Xiamen has been committed to reform and innovation, and continued to expand the scale of opening up. Xiamen has made great accomplishments in social and economic development, and the local people's livelihood has also been improved. Xiamen has played a vital and demonstrative role in the country's reform and opening up, as well as in modern construction campaigns. It has also made a unique contribution to promoting cross-Straits economic and trade cooperation, cultural communication and personnel exchange.

In his speech, He Guoqiang affirmed the accomplishments Xiamen has made in the past three decades. He noted that Xiamen was one of the first four special economic zones after China adopted the reform and opening-up policy. In the past 30 years, Xiamen has made remarkable achievements in economic, political, cultural, social and ecological construction, with its economic power being strengthened and all social undertakings improved. Xiamen has played a vital role in pushing the country's reform and opening up and promoting the peaceful reunification of China. He highlighted the new changes in international and domestic situations, the new developments of the CPC and various national undertakings and the new hopes of the people have given new construction and development missions to the special economic zone.

At the conference, He made five suggestions for the special economic zone.

First, accelerate transformation of the mode of economic development and promote scientific development. Xiamen should speed up strategic economic restructuring, bring its advantages and the function of the special economic zone into full play, and further boost Fujian Province's economic and social development and propel the economic construction of the west coast of the Taiwan Straits.

Second, continue to expand reform and opening up. Xiamen should apply reform and innovation to each link of the construction and development of the special economic zone, explore new ways and learn from the experience of reform from other regions. Xiamen should adopt a proactive opening-up strategy, raise the level of opening up, and create new advantages of international economic cooperation under the circumstances of economic globalization.

Third, adhere to the people-oriented principle, improve the people's livelihood, actively promote social harmony and safeguard social stability. Xiamen should keep improving the people's livelihood and strive to meet people's needs in education, culture, employment, social security, public health and housing.

Fourth, make new improvements in economic growth and cultural progress. Xiamen should actively promote the construction of the socialist core value system and continue to improve the people's comprehensive quality. It should also promote the comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development of the cultural undertakings and cultural industry, and better suit the people's spiritual and cultural needs.

Fifth, make more contributions to cross-Straits communication and cooperation, as well as the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations based on reality and its own advantages. Xiamen should keep in mind the peaceful development theme of cross-Straits relations, implement the cross-Straits economic cooperation framework agreement, further explore new cooperative areas, safeguard the legitimate rights of Taiwan compatriots and build an active platform for cross-Straits communication and contact.

More than 3,000 people attended the conference, including officials from the State Council, the National People's Congress, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee, guests from Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou and Hainan special economic zones, Shanghai Pudong New Area and Tianjin Binhai New Area, guests from other countries, representatives from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and those of overseas Chinese, as well as representatives of all walks of life from Fujian Province and Xiamen.