Shenzhen, with its new mission to lead China's socialist development, is set to become a bellwether for the country's 21st Century economic model, said Robert Kuhn, a leading US expert on China.

Shenzhen will be built into "a pilot demonstration area of socialism with Chinese characteristics," said a document issued by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council last week.

"China's new vision for Shenzhen applies China's historic approach of developing pilot or test areas first, employing experimentation and feedback, such that they become bellwethers for the entire country," Kuhn, chairman of the Kuhn Foundation, told Xinhua.

Just as Shenzhen illustrated the "astoundingly successful" model of China's special economic zones in early 1980s, Kuhn noted, it now "exemplifies the new era of China's 21st Century economic model," combining innovation, science and technology, high-quality public services, and ecological environment

The southern Chinese city, being part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, is also a boost for the latter's development plan unveiled by the central government in February, Kuhn said.

By 2025, Shenzhen will become a leading city globally in terms of economic strength and quality of development, according to the blueprint set by the central government's document.

By 2035, the city will become a hub of innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity with international influence, and by mid-21st century, a top cosmopolis worldwide, said the document.