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Editor’s Note:

In 1984, Xiaoping came to Shenzhen. Xiaoping was in Shekou and was with the young people in Shekou.

Gu Liji was one of them. He was the young man closest to Comrade Xiaoping at that time and recorded every detail of his day.

On the occasion of the 120th anniversary of Comrade Xiaoping’s birth, we recall with Gu Liji that epoch-making spring. Many threads of the present and the future are hidden in these historical details.

Gu Liji | Witness of Reform and Opening Up

Former Chairman of China Merchants Technology Group Co., Ltd.

Crossroads of Destiny

In the spring of 1982, someone came to Tsinghua University and knocked on the door of our dormitory.At that time, as students, we stayed up late to study in the early morning and slept in the morning. The old man rode a bicycle for several kilometers to find me, so I quietly left the dormitory and followed him to the downstairs of Building 1 of Tsinghua University. We sat on a bench outside and talked for more than half an hour.

Yuan Geng and officials from Shekou Industrial Zone took a group photo at Nanhai Hotel (Yuan Geng is the third from the right, and Gu Liji is the second from the right)

Now we all know that this old man is Yuan Geng.At that time, the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee had just ended and a lot of news from outside had reached the school. We were very concerned and discussed how to revitalize China, why it was said that the Chinese economy was on the brink of collapse, why the four small Asian tigers were doing better than us, and why it was said that we were falling behind. I was very unwilling to accept this and had a series of ideas of my own in my mind.

The weather in early spring was very cold, but this 65-year-old man was willing to have a long conversation with me outdoors. Yuan Geng told me a very simple story. He saidThe entire Chinese physique is like a basket of hairy crabs in a cattail bag. The crabs' legs are clamped on me and I'm holding yours. No one can move. No one can move., the entire Chinese system has reached such a situation.

Gu Liji during his student years

He hopes that a group of young people can carve out a path in Shekou, change the current situation of mutual restraint, and move forward together.I was studying with a salary, and the factory also paid me, so it was reasonable for me to go back there. But under his encouragement, I immediately agreed.

It can be said that without Yuan Geng's encouragement, I would definitely have returned to Shanghai. My decision also received great support. I discussed it with my wife, and she supported me very much. A year later, she followed me to Shenzhen. In Shanghai, the Textile Bureau and the factory were very open-minded and supported me. When they heard that I was going to Shenzhen, they not only agreed to let me go, but also paid me the salary for the past few years.

In November 1982, the second batch of students of the Shekou Enterprise Management Training Class took a group photo at the Shekou Yuantan Temple (Gu Liji is the fifth from the right in the back row)

I was very grateful and inspired by the support, so I gave up my personal ambition and returned to Shanghai. I followed Yuan Geng to Shekou, which was still a wasteland with low walls and leaky houses.

Spring Story

On January 26, 1984, it was another spring, and Xiaoping made his first southern tour to Shekou.

I was in the Shekou Industrial Zone Management Committee at the time, and Comrade Yuan Geng suddenly found me and gave me an important task:Follow the leader closely and write down everything he says word for word!But the Central Guard told us in advance that the leader would only look and not say anything this time, let alone ask him to write an inscription. I knew it clearly. We would abide by the foreign affairs discipline and national discipline. I have met many leaders in Tsinghua University, but I have never met such a big leader. I was inevitably a little nervous.

Deng Xiaoping inspected the Shekou Industrial Zone in Shenzhen

After Xiaoping got off the train at the first stop in Shenzhen, his expression is still vivid in our memory. It seems that Xiaoping was very worried and troubled. The atmosphere and temperature at the scene were also quite cold. He did not speak or express his views at the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee briefing or at the Shenzhen International Trade Center.

Along the way, Comrade Deng Xiaoping was very serious at first, but after seeing the entire Shekou Industrial Zone, his expression began to slowly relax, and he even became happier and happier.I followed Comrade Deng Xiaoping throughout the inspection, climbed up Microwave Hill to overlook Shekou Port and CIMC, and then listened to Comrade Yuan Geng’s report on the seventh floor of the Industrial Zone Building.

Deng Xiaoping listens to a work report in Shekou Industrial Zone

In the conference room, Xiaoping watched the panoramic model of the industrial zone while listening to Yuan Geng's report on the construction of the industrial zone. When Yuan Geng introduced that the industrial zone followed the"Three Priorities" and "Five Not to Introduce"When he was talking about the principle of , he smiled. At this time, someone happened to remind him that the stipulated reporting time had come, but Comrade Deng Xiaoping kept saying:"Keep talking, there's no time limit!"Whether it was how a floor of the China World Trade Center was built every three days, or how the living standards of the fishermen's village were improved... he really wanted to hear how Shekou was doing it, in order to hear our practices and also to verify his ideas.

Before coming, Comrade Yuan Geng placed a sign on the road for everyone to see, which read"Time is money, efficiency is life",Yuan Geng dared to bring up this sensitive topic with Deng Xiaoping, saying, "We have a slogan, 'Time is money, efficiency is life'..." His young daughter interjected, "We saw it on the way in."Deng Xiaoping said "yes".But how should we understand the word "right"? Does it mean that the sentence is right, or that the fact of "seeing this sentence" is right?We pondered it for a long time at that time, but in the later Selected Works of Xiaoping, we clearly understood that this was a confirmation of this slogan.

Deng Xiaoping shakes hands with workers at Huayi Aluminum Factory in Shekou

In Shenzhen, Xiaoping saw the construction, but in Shekou, he wanted to see more details, so we accompanied Xiaoping to the Sino-foreign joint venture Huayi Aluminum Factory. I followed him, and Comrade Xiaoping carefully looked at and asked questions, such as how many millimeters is this aluminum foil? What is it used for? He also asked the workers where they lived and what their living conditions were like.Comrade Xiaoping conducted a very in-depth and down-to-earth investigation of the enterprises in a special economic zone, and he also wanted to know more about the details.

Deng Xiaoping shakes hands with workers at Huayi Aluminum Factory in Shekou

Some people reminded us that the leader only watched and did not say anything this time, and some people told us that the leader was in a bad mood these two days. But what we saw was that from the time he arrived in Shekou to the time he left Shekou, Comrade Deng Xiaoping was not only willing to listen, but his mood was getting higher and higher. That's why he wrote the inscription for "Sea World" when he had lunch on the "Minghua" at noon, and that's why he said after the inspection.Deng Xiaoping's inscription to Shenzhen: "Shenzhen's development and experience have proved that our policy of establishing special economic zones is correct."

Hello, Xiaoping

My impression of Xiaoping is that he is a very kind old man, and he actually has very close ties with the common people.For example, there was a tidbit at that time. After Deng Xiaoping named the "Sea World", he paused and did not write his own name. At this time, someone next to him joked that "it is worthless if you don't write your name", which made the whole audience relaxed and happy. This little story actually shows that Deng Xiaoping was a leader who got along well with the people below. He was not a high-ranking leader, but an approachable leader.

Deng Xiaoping boarded the Minghua

At the same time, he was also unambiguous about the construction of Shenzhen Shekou.At that time, the road to the top of Microwave Mountain was inaccessible by car. In order to see the development of Shekou as soon as possible, after getting off the car, the 80-year-old man strode over the 12 steps and walked very quickly until he reached the platform on the top of the mountain. He saw Shekou Port, CIMC, and a large area of ​​standard factory buildings that had been built in Shekou. It was a thriving scene. Only then did he stop and take a closer look.

Deng Xiaoping wrote an inscription for Shenzhen: Shenzhen's development and experience have proved that our policy of establishing special economic zones is correct.

Xiaoping’s first southern tour was of great significance to China’s reform and opening up.Comrade Xiaoping had a far-sighted vision. He first affirmed the four special economic zones and then the 14 coastal open cities. The Shekou that Comrade Xiaoping saw was not only already taking shape, but also had a complete set of practices, and this complete set of practices was completely consistent with his idea of ​​establishing a special economic zone.

So after he returned to Beijing, he told various ministries and agencies about our practices. It was not until October 1st, National Day, that the float in Shekou announced to the world that "time is money, efficiency is life."The most crucial thing about reform and opening up is the change of concepts. Only when concepts are changed can people’s enthusiasm be mobilized and many concepts at all levels be changed, until now.

Shekou National Day Float

That is why he praised Comrade Yuan Geng and agreed with his proposals of "three priorities" and "five non-introductions". This is what the central government hopes for and what many special economic zones cannot do. Some people think that a small fishing village can become a strong city of science and technology as long as it invests, but this is not the case. Yuan Geng's practice in Shekou is based on the experience and lessons of the four Asian tigers. The employees in this experimental field dare to do it, are not afraid of difficulties, and are not afraid of offending people.To make people's lives better, we must break through some of the current rules and regulations and act in accordance with the laws of the market economy. If we do not act in accordance with the laws of the market economy, it will be impossible to change this backward situation.

At that time, we were facing pressure from the Ministry of Transport, Shenzhen City, and economic benefits. It was unknown whether we could withstand the pressure. So it can be said that Comrade Xiaoping saved Shekou and this test tube. During his first southern tour, Comrade Xiaoping affirmed Shekou and Shenzhen, which led to the development of Shenzhen.

Say again, "Hello, Xiaoping"

Without the first southern tour, there would not have been a second southern tour. By then, Shenzhen had already had a relatively good development situation. His affirmation of Shenzhen's construction also promoted the development of the national reform and opening up. So this contribution is really irreplaceable.

Without Deng Xiaoping, there would be no Shekou, and there would be no Shenzhen today.