On Aug. 18, 2019, the Central Government unveiled a detailed guideline on supporting Shenzhen in building a pilot demonstration area of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We are publishing a series of reports on what Shenzhen is doing to implement the strategy.

Focusing on the common concerns of the people, Shenzhen has intensified efforts to develop its education and medical care and further raise people’s sense of happiness and security over the past year, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.

In 2020, the construction of public kindergartens in Shenzhen has been put on a fast track. The proportion of children in public kindergartens in Shenzhen has jumped from less than 4 percent at the end of 2018 to 50.85 percent by November 2020.

The proportion of children in public kindergartens and inclusive private kindergartens has reached 86.4 percent, with inclusive preschool education resources having increased significantly.

The year 2020 was also the first year to kick-start Shenzhen’s five-year senior high school construction plan. Three newly built senior high schools were put into use last year, which could provide space for more than 6,000 new public senior high school students.

Shenzhen has also rolled out a plan to further push forward the quality development of basic education. It is planned that 740,000 public school places for compulsory education, 118,000 public senior high school places and 145,000 kindergarten places will be available by 2025.

In 2020, Shenzhen insisted on putting people’s life and health first and kept improving its public health emergency management system.

Last August, Shenzhen introduced the country’s first local public health emergency regulations in a bid to comprehensively strengthen its pandemic surveillance, early warning, and prevention and control capabilities.

The city also issued the country’s first local health regulations and deepened reforms in the health-care sector last year.

More convenient public transportation has also enhanced people’s sense of fulfillment and happiness. By the end of last year, the total mileage of the city’s Metro network in operation had reached 411 kilometers, extending from the central urban areas of Futian, Nanshan and Luohu districts to the peripheral central areas of the city.

The 51-kilometer first phase of the Outer Ring Expressway, one of the most important east-west expressways in Shenzhen, was opened Dec. 29, 2020.