Book excerpt: This annual report presents an overview of the development of China’s special economic zones in 2021, including reform pilot zones and some new special zones, from the perspective of the overall national development strategic planning. It takes the development status, comparative analysis and policy suggestions of the special zones as the starting point, summarizes and analyzes the transformation problems, carbon production and sustainable development problems, scientific and technological innovation problems, social security problems, employment service problems, financial system reform problems, cultural industry problems, and puts forward suggestions for development.