VBS News Net: The fifth week of flag-raising assembly was held on 27th September and it was undertaken by 8F. Principal Yang made the speech about 'Remember the glory to create future - 40th anniverary of Shenzhen's founding'.

The speech was as follows: 

Dear teachers and students,Good morning!

Shenzhen Special Economic Zone was founded on 26th August 1980. This year is the 40th anniversary of Shenzhen's founding. After 40 years of transformation, Shenzhen has become a first-tier city, the 11th global financial centre from a village. In this piece of 1997.47 square kilometers land, amazing things happen every single day.

The economy has been developed rapidly over the past 40 years with significant rise on economic aggregate. GDP back in 1979 was only 196 million yuan, but in 2019 it was 2.69 trillion yuan, ranking the third across China and the first in GDP per capita. Shenzhen was ranked fourth in the Global City Competitiveness Report (2019-2020) jointly issued by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and UN HABITAT in the 74th UN General Assembly.

Shenzhen is known for its technological development with many tech companies founded. According to the statistics by the People's Government of Shenzhen Municipality, eight companies from Shenzhen are ranked in Fortune Global 500. By the end of 2019, Shenzhen has more than 17000 national high-tech enterprises, ranking below Beijing. The rate of increase in application for PCT-WIPO has topped the world from 2011 to 2016 more than twice of that in Tokyo, more than thrice of that in Silicon Valley. Drones made by DJI are popular across the globe and some are purchased for military use. The top three companies who filed the most applications were Huawei, ZTE and China Star Optoelectronics Technology in 2016.

The cultural development is prevailing with constant renewal - aiming to become the city of books, pianos and design. It has been awarded the city of design and global model for the promotion of reading by UNESCO to become the famous image for urban culture across the globe.

Skyscrapers . The 160-metre International Trading Centre was built in 1985 and became the tallest building in China for a decade. The 384-metre Shun Hing Square was built in 1996 to become the tallest building across Asia. Pingan International Finance Centre became the tallest building in Shenzhen in 2016 with its height 592.5 metres.

Transformed from the world's factory and special economic zone to the city of design and the pilot demonstration zone, Shenzhen always aims higher - in particular, to become a new model modernised international city by 2025, the example of a city in a modernised socialist strong nation by 2035 and the global pilot city by the middle of 21st Century. 

Shenzhen received a sensational policy on reforms - Guidelines of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Supporting Shenzhen in Building a Pilot Demonstration Area of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics on 18th August 2019.

In this pivotal year of the establishment of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area and the pilot demonstration zone of socialism with Chinese characteristics, teachers let us work together, dare to be the first to create special curricula and take up responsibility to build a new model of international school to prepare students for their future. 

Dear students, the strength and progress of a nation comes with the strength and progress of its youth. The future is yours, may you study hard, be patriotic, possess international horizons and have the courage to create your own future, work towards the splendid development of Shenzhen and the great rejuvenation of Chinese dream in this vibrant, innovative and international metropolis.