From fishing village to metropolis: An interdisciplinary research into the key factors of Shenzhen's success

Abstract

This paper examines the key factors in the economic success of Shenzhen's ‘Special Economic Zone’ (SEZ), examined firstly from three separate disciplinary perspectives - economics, political history, and social geography. The economic view will assess the zone's limitations and successes. Political history examines the link between China's authoritarian central government and Shenzhen's development. Finally, social geography examines Shenzhen's demographic growth and the ways this benefited the SEZ. The disciplinary insights are subsequently integrated to form a deeper understanding of the processes that have enabled Shenzhen's development. This process describes how legislative authority granted to Shenzhen, along with political and economic incentives, enabled innovative and revolutionary reform measures to be implemented. These created a favorable environment for foreign investment and drew migrants to Shenzhen, both from the countryside and internationally. This combination of investment and migration contributed to Shenzhen's (inter)national competition through increased skills, knowledge, and cheap labor, resulting in a strong comparative advantage.