China sees Shenzhen as one of the nation’s most important cities because “it's been the most successful since China’s reopening process”, according to Lau Siu Kai, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies. He spoke with the South China Morning Post after Chinese President Xi Jinping started a visit to southern China on October 12, 2020, to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. Prof Lau said that despite a rise of protectionism in the West, he anticipates that China will continue on a path toward opening up and reform.