Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday urged people in Guangdong, the southern province with the biggest GDP in the country, to further free their mind and continue to take the lead in the modernization process.

Wen made the remarks when he joined the Guangdong delegation to the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), the parliament.

He called on the Guangdong lawmakers to raise creativity by emancipating the mind and improve innovation at work with the renewal of ideas.

Guangdong acted as a pioneer and frontline in carrying out the opening up and reform policy 30 years ago. Guangdong people were bold in vision and courageous in action, which encouraged people nationwide in reform and opening up, Wen said.

Emancipating the mind is a magic instrument for developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, and China has made historic success in the past three decades, the premier added.

Reform and opening up were launched at the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1978, with late leader Deng Xiaoping being the "chief architect".

The CPC Central Committee and the State Council in 1979 approved reports on special and flexible policies in foreign economic activities submitted by the Guangdong and Fujian provincial committees of the CPC, and decided to set up special economic zones in Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou, and Xiamen.

The establishment and development of special economic zones and opening-up zones have prompted the creation of a group of regional economic growth centers, vigorously bringing along opening up across the country.

Last December, Guangdong Communist Party chief Wang Yang said the special economic zones in Guangdong were the brainchild of mind emancipation.

(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2008)