China`s new president to visit Shezhen a la Deng style

New Chinese leader Xi Jinping has made Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, the venue of his first inspection trip as the head of the Chinese Communist Party, expressing his determination to further deepen reform there.

His visit brought back memories of the southern tour made by Deng Xiaoping in 1992, and was apparently aimed at presenting a reformist image.

○ New reform and opening

According to the state-run People`s Daily Sunday, Xi offered flowers to Deng`s statue at 9:55 a.m. Saturday and bowed three times. He told residents there, "The party`s reform and opening up plan was the correct decision. We need to closely adhere to achieving the goal of becoming a rich nation and people and pioneer a new direction."

Deng visited Shenzhen two decades ago as part of his tour of southern China. He also had visited Luhou in 1984. Xi was accompanied on his trip by Wang Yang, the Guangdong secretary of the Communist Party, and four veteran party members who had accompanied Deng.

Xi did not order traffic control when he visited Beijing Museum Nov. 29. For this event, he also told security guards to leave alone travelers, who freely took photos of him. The president had no red carpet when offering flowers.

No representatives from state-owned media were mobilized, but two Hong Kong-based reporters were allowed to interview Xi, who told them, "Hong Kong will continue to be prosperous." A visitor from Sichuan shook hands with Xi and said in surprise, "I hadn`t expected to be given such a chance."

Xi left Shenzhen in the afternoon and arrived in Zhuhai, and received a briefing on a plan to develop Hengqin. He is expected to visit Guangzhou afterwards.

○ Why Shenzhen?

Xi`s visit to Shenzhen, which was the first place of China`s reform and opening up and echoes Deng`s legacy, seems a reconfirmation of the administrative plan he stressed when inaugurated. This reflects a political act of making Deng a model for politics.

Xi`s predecessor Hu Jintao had chosen Xi Baipo, Shijiazhuangm, in Hubei Province for his first trip as party secretary-general in 2002. Xi Baipo is where Mao Zedong selected as the last place for command before entering Beijing after ousting Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek from the country in 1949. Hu visited Xi Baipo to praise Mao and take over the latter`s mantle, while Xi toured the southern area to get a feel for Deng`s DNA.

Shenzhen is also where Xi`s father Xi Zhongxun, who was vice premier under Mao, led reform and opening. Foreign policy officials in Beijing say Xi`s tour could lead to concrete reform measures.

koh@donga.com