▁a ▁separate ▁province ▁and ▁another ▁special ▁economic ▁zone . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁Chinese ▁leaders ▁further ed ▁the ▁process ▁by ▁setting ▁up ▁special ▁economic ▁zones ▁in ▁P ud ong ▁area ▁in ▁Shang hai ▁and ▁two ▁dozen ▁more ▁in ▁inner ▁cities . ▁Econom ist ▁Barry ▁N aught on ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁preference ▁for ▁setting ▁up ▁special ▁economic ▁zones ▁“ is ▁consistent ▁with ▁the ▁dual istic ▁system ▁that ▁was ▁such ▁a ▁prominent ▁feature ▁of ▁the ▁trad ing ▁regime ” ▁and ▁“ perm itted ▁increment al ▁progress ▁within ▁a ▁rig id ▁system .” ▁Special ▁economic ▁zones ▁in ▁this ▁sense ▁were ▁a ▁labor atory ▁for ▁Chinese ▁leaders ▁to ▁test ▁the ▁economic ▁policies . ▁If ▁successful , ▁they ▁could ▁either ▁set ▁up ▁more ▁such ▁zone ▁or ▁implement ▁those ▁policies ▁in ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁China ; ▁and ▁if ▁not , ▁they ▁could ▁also ▁contain ▁the ▁failure ▁within ▁the ▁zone ▁and ▁keep ▁control ▁over ▁the ▁Chinese ▁economy . ▁While ▁the ▁conserv ative ▁fiction ▁within ▁the ▁party ▁drew ▁comparison ▁between ▁special ▁economic ▁zones ▁and ▁foreign ▁con cess ions ▁in ▁late ▁Q ing ▁and ▁Republic ▁period , ▁reform ers ▁considered ▁the ▁zones ▁a ▁sign ▁of ▁commit ment ▁to ▁economic ▁change . ▁D eng ▁X ia op ing ' s ▁Southern ▁Tour ▁sign aled ▁the ▁continu ation ▁of ▁reform ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁N aught on ▁also ▁rem inds ▁that ▁special ▁economic ▁zones ▁res emble d ▁export - processing ▁zones ▁in ▁other ▁Asian ▁countries , ▁but ▁with ▁greater ▁liberal ization . ▁While ▁the ▁economic ▁development ▁and