Trajectories of China’s Integration with the World Economy through SEZs: A Study of Shenzhen SEZ

Abstract

By exploring the role of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in China’s integration with the world economy, we also investigate the underlying challenges faced by the economy. This analysis suggests that SEZs enabled the Chinese economy to trigger its growth standards and to achieve its ambition of integrating with the world economy without compromising its political ideology. This transformation, however, has been accompanied by a few challenges of late that have been posing obstacles to the broader process of development. We argue that the experience of Chinese SEZs provides a number of policy directions for other economies, which may be followed with discrimination.