SHENZHEN - On the eve of its 30th birthday as China's first economic reform zone, Shenzhen received a lavish "coming out" gift from the central government.

The State Council, China's cabinet, on Wednesday decreed that the southern coastal city bordering the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is to become "a national economic center" and "a city of global clout" in exchanges of culture, economy and technology.

Its reclassification from "the central city in southern China" came in the State Council's reply to its urban development plan as the city prepared to mark its big anniversary on Thursday.