SHENZHEN Press Group, one of the largest modern press groups in China, was officially established yesterday as local newspapers merged into one media titan.

　　Based on the merger of two local media institutions Shenzhen Special Zone Press Group (SSZPG) and Shenzhen Economic Daily, the establishment of Shenzhen Press Group marked a milestone of local media development.

　　The new group owns eight newspapers and four magazines including Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, Shenzhen Economic Daily, Shenzhen Evening News, Daily Sunshine, Shenzhen Daily and Shenzhen Metropolitan Weekly.

　　It has total assets of 5 billion yuan (US$605 million) and more than 5,000 staff members.

　　Wu Songying, former president of Shenzhen Special Zone Press Group, was appointed president of the new group. Huang Yanglue, former president of Shenzhen Economic Daily, was named vice president and chief editor of the new group. Wu vowed in his inauguration speech yesterday to build the group into a modern socialist and globally competitive press group with Chinese characteristics.

　　Hundreds of officials from central and local authorities and news publication circles attended the plaque-unveiling ceremony.

　　Jiang Yongxin, secretariat of the All-China Journalists Association, said the establishment of the group was a good example of China's media reform.

　　The Chinese-language Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, the flagship newspaper of the former Shenzhen Special Zone Press Group, has played an important role in helping spearhead China's reform and opening up since its establishment in 1982.

　　It is well-known for its exclusive reporting of Deng Xiaoping's 1992 historic visit to Shenzhen, which pushed China to a new round of reform.

　　President Jiang Zemin, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China, wrote words for the newspaper in 1992: "Window for reform and opening up to the outside world." Jiang's handwriting is regarded as a top honor for a Chinese newspaper.

　　Shenzhen Special Zone Press Group, which had five newspapers and two magazines, was one of the top three media groups in terms of comprehensive strength.

　　Shenzhen Economic Daily, which was established in 1989 and had two sister newspapers and two sister magazines before the merger, is a top 10 daily newspaper in China focusing on economic reports.