'Miracle' metropolis now a global magnet

Home to best, brightest

Xi's 2020 vision went beyond technological progress and economic competitiveness. He stressed that the ultimate purpose of reform and development was to improve people's lives, calling for more open talent policies to attract and cultivate leading scientists, young researchers and high-level innovation teams.

Diana Boraschi, a distinguished professor at Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology's pharmaceutical sciences faculty, said Shenzhen provides an environment where researchers can exchange ideas with talented colleagues from different backgrounds.

Boraschi said diversity is important because when different cultures and different ways of thinking come together, new ideas emerge.

Juan Du, director of the Shenzhen Design Museum and author of The Shenzhen Experiment: The Story of China's Instant City, said Shenzhen's remarkable rise cannot be explained by economic policies or industrial development alone.

The city, she observed, grew during an era of globalization that brought together people, technologies and ideas from across the world. Its capacity to welcome newcomers has been fundamental to its success.