The creation of special economic zones in China: positive and negative impacts on their implementation

At the end of seventies, Deng Xioaping, President applied a modernization policy in China, that during more than 30 years allow to reach high economic growth rates above 8% average per year. This reform included the instauration of four Special Economic Zones (sez) in the southeast of the country, three in Guangdong (Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shantao) and one in Xiamen, Fujian. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the backgrounds of sez, the reasons of Chinese Government to implement its and the positive impacts and barriers to become operational. The conclusion in this article is that sez arise like an experiment of the Chinese central government economic policy to apply capitalist measures in design previous regions, the most important benefit has been the strong attraction of Foreing Direct Investment, explained in a surplus trade balance, sustanaible economic growht and technological transference. However, the most significative operational barrier has been the legal rigidity in the imported overseas products, a change of nacional politic-ideology system and problem asociated with burocracy and corruption.