The Shenzhen hi-tech zone ranked second in a national evaluation of such zones in late February.

The Shenzhen hi-tech zone got the highest scores in the evaluations of operation efficiency and innovation and the second-highest score in innovation and entrepreneurship vitality.

With more than 5,000 hi-tech enterprises, the zone’s gross domestic product hit 785.26 billion yuan ($124.3 billion) in 2020, creating about 30 percent of Shenzhen’s GDP on only 8 percent of the city’s land.

The zone was set up in December 1996 with a planning area of 11.52 square kilometers, and in 2019, it was expanded to 159.48 square kilometers.

According to the city’s plan, the zone’s input in research and development is expected to account for 13.67% of its GDP by 2025. Meanwhile, the number of high-tech enterprises should reach 7,000, with 200 listed on the stock market.