4Becoming Shenzhen tracks the rise of a small fishing village to a world-leading metropolis on China's south coast. Within the space of four decades Shenzhen has grown into a global hi-tech hub, home to some of the world's largest tech companies, including Huawei, Tencent, and BYD. Frequently dubbed the Silicon Valley of China, the city has also been a template and spearhead of nationwide economic reform since the 1980s.

This book follows the journey of some of those financial groups and institutions at the heart of Shenzhen's story: The People's Bank of China, China Merchants Group, Ping An Group, Shenzhen Rural Commercial Bank, Shenzhen WeBank, and OneConnect. Told from their perspective, each chapter provides a valuable and unique insight into the various factors contributing towards today's astounding achievements. Taken as a whole, these examples can help one to understand the notable financial and technological transformation of Shenzhen from the perspective of the private sector and micro-finance. Without the contribution of this sector, Shenzhen would not be the city that it is today.