The Tianjin Binhai New Area, which has been embodied in the national development strategy in recent years, has undoubtedly become the most appealing area in China’s regional economic development, and Tianjin has hence had a clearer identity.

The Binhai New Area is located along the east coast of Tianjin, including three administrative districts of Tanggu, Han’gu and Dagang, and nine industrial functional areas known as Central Business Area, Aerospace and Aviation Industrial Area, Tianjin Binhai Hi-tech Industrial Development Area, High-end Manufacturing Industrial District, Sino-Singaporean Tianjin Ecological City, Binhai Tourism Area, Seaport Logistics Area, Tianjin Lin’gang (Harbor) Industrial Park and Tianjin Nangang Industrial Zone, and some parts of Dongli District and Jinnan District, covering a planned area of 2,270 square kilometres.

The Tianjin Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government have deemed the continuous development of the Binhai New Area as the priority of all undertakings. The Binhai New Area development and opening-up leading group was founded in July, 2007 to coordinate in studying and addressing major issues concerning the development of the area. After years of development and construction, the Binhai New Area’s major economic indexes have been increasing with 20 percent year-on-year growth every year.

At present stage, the Binhai New Area has entered a new stage in its development, with the development starting in some local areas extended to a full scale and all undertakings growing at a fast pace. In 2008, the Binhai New Area achieved a GDP valued 310.224 billion yuan, up 23.1 percent in terms of comparable prices. In the first half of 2009, the New Area has achieved a GDP of 157.683 billion yuan, with an increase of 23 percent based on comparable prices. The contracted foreign capital reached US$5.13 billion, increased by 9.5 percent, with foreign investment in place being US$2.738 billion, up 19.5 percent.

In terms of serving the regional economic development, the Binhai New Area is expediting the Northern International Shipping Center and International Logistic Center with its comprehensive functions upgraded and services significantly improved. Tianjin Port has expanded its Customs clearance business to 18 inland Customs including Lhasa and Chongqing, with the logistics business between inland areas and the port boosted substantially. The Binhai New Area has also opened up an electronic port and logistic information platform, taking the lead in adopting water-free port monitoring mode and establishing 10 water-free ports.

Presently, a multi-layer technological innovation system has been built with the establishment of 50 national and provincial research and development institutes, 83 entrepreneurial technological research and development platforms and 45 foreign-invested research and development centers.

The 17th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party has put forward a higher and clearer requirement on Binhai New Area’s development. In order to meet the requirement, the Binhai New Area is trying to embark on a road to innovation, putting forward innovative projects, resourcing high-tech and innovative people, launching system reform to provide security to all undertakings and establishing a more sophisticated innovative system progressively.

The Binhai New Area also increases technological inputs and optimizes its environment for innovation. The area begins with the establishment and perfection of technological innovative system, making and improving policies and regulations encouraging businesses to undertake technological innovation, give technological inputs and to share technological resource. The Area also increases its technological inputs and optimizes its innovative environment.

The Binhai New Area has started the construction of 100 national and provincial major technological projects including National Bio-Pharmaceutical International Innovative Park and Civil Aviation Technological Industrialization Base, with high and new technological industry production accounting for 47 percent of the Area’s total production. Some new high-tech industrial clusters have taken shape, which include electronic information, bio-pharmaceutical industry, optical-mechatronics engineering and new material. The area has also certain degrees of research and development strength in fields of biochip, membrane technology, electric vehicle, stem cells and NANO.

The development and opening-up of the Binhai New Area plays an important role in the further development of the whole country. The Area will follow the requirement of the Central Government on its development direction, and embark on a journey towards regional development which embraces a scientific outlook on development.