'Manhattan' financial district in China?

Shenzhen, next door to Hong Kong, may have been China's first special economic zone, but a stylish new district in its western part is in need of some innovative urban planning, financial system, and investment methods, according to officials, scholars and entrepreneurs.

This observation about Shenzhen's "Manhattan-style" district of Qianhai, came at a forum last month in Shenzhen conducted by China's national television network CCTV. Its purpose was to promote CCTV's annual business leader award for 2010.

The 15-sq-km district, which got central government approval in August, is a pilot zone for the modern service industries of Hong Kong and Guangdong province.