Special economic zones are the important pivots for China to implement the unbalanced growth strategy. From the theoretical aspect，the establishment of special economic zones originates from the western theory of unbalanced growth. The theory of unbalanced growth says that the economic growth is unbalanced and breakthrough for economic growth shall be found. While absorbing the essentials of this theory，Mr. Deng Xiaoping has formed his idea of unbalanced growth，which has become the solid foundation for the establishment and development of the special economic zones in China. The special economic zones have realized the expansion from one type to various types based on the requirements for the economic growth of China in different historical periods. The special economic zones have opened the road to build socialist modernization of Chinese characteristics； this road is a road for unbalanced growth and road for progressive reforms. The roles of special economic zones in the unbalanced growth of China are demonstrated in：firstly，they drive the rapid growth of the economy of China by becoming the growth poles of the economy of China； secondly，they become the pilot for institutional reforms，realizing the fundamental transformation from the system of planned economy to the system of market economy and also driving the reforms in politics and vulture fields； thirdly，they have effectively exerted the effects of window，demonstration and driving functions，become the window of reform and opening-up，the demonstration area of modernization construction，and thus have driven the development and reform in the surrounding regions and other regions of China. The exertion of the special economic zones’ roles depends on forming the good interactive and innovation systems between decentralization reform and opening up.