An expert group dispatched by the State Council Friday completes a 10-day inspection tour of economic powerhouse Shenzhen in South China to review the city's development strategies.

An official with Shenzhen's Communist Party committee said the group is investigating and researching ways to turn Shenzhen into a world-class city.

"To achieve that goal, we should have detailed strategies in place," the official surnamed Wang said.

The high-ranking 10-person group headed by National Development and Reform Commission officials could not be reached for immediate comment but local media reported it is listening to proposals from local officials.

After they finish their research Friday, the group will deliver an official report to the State Council, China's cabinet.

"The reconsideration of Shenzhen's development strategies has resulted from deepening of China's reform process," said Wang.

Shenzhen, which has served as China's laboratory for reforms since 1980, has enjoyed many preferential development polices in taxation, industry and foreign capital investment.

"But as China has expanded its reforms and extended them from coastal areas to central and western regions, more and more other cities have also benefitted from the preferential polices," said Wang. The preferential policies have to become general preferential schemes now that China has joined the World Trade Organization.

Huang Manli, Party head of Shenzhen, recently said Shenzhen will seek closer economic and trade ties with Hong Kong Special Administration Region.

At the same time, the booming city is set to expand. At present, the city covers about 900 square kilometres and only 30 square kilometres are yet to be developed.

An anonymous expert with the Guangzhou Provincial Academy of Social Sciences said the Guangdong government already plans to integrate Huizhou and Dongguan with Shenzhen.

(China Daily August 8, 2003)