As China’s traditional manufacturing base of bicycles, Tianjin aims to actively build a high-end bike manufacturing and service center as well as facilitate the construction of the China Bicycle Industry Park. The objective of this plan is to promote and speed up the comprehensive growth of the bicycle industry both in Tianjin and all of China, with the rapid development of the Municipality’s Binhai New Area as an important backdrop.

China, a kingdom of bicycles, makes 85 million bikes per year. About 56 million of those are exported annually, making up 70 percent of the global bike trade volume. Tianjin produces more than half of China’s bikes. But as the industry grew, problems arose: the scale of the industry did not make up for the fact that it was not strong enough; products were mostly targeted toward the lower-end of the market; R&D capacity was limited and branding begged to be fostered and promoted. In order to improve the overall development of the bicycle industry, Tianjin proposed the strategic plan for the construction of the China Bicycle Industry Park in 2006. The park was eventually chosen to be set up in the municipality’s Wuqing district after several rounds of discussions. The park was listed as one of the priority projects of Tianjin in 2007, and a key component of the Municipality’s bicycle industry development layout for the period of 2006 to 2010.

Wuqing, along a golden corridor connecting Tianjin and Beijing, is not only uniquely positioned, but also has always been an important production base for bikes. With more than 350 bicycle manufacturers, the district makes 40 percent of Tianjin’s and almost a fifth of the country’s bikes, or some 13 million bikes a year. The Tianjin Municipal Government has listed the park as one of its key construction projects. The park is projected to build a manufacturing and processing base for high-end bicycles and spare parts, a R&D and manufacturing base of new materials as well as a manufacturing base for related industries. The park is also poised to become an industrial cultural center for bicycle exhibitions, sports, education and leisure activities.

The planned area of this industry park is 22 square kilometers. Since the project started in February 2007, 35 enterprises, with a total registered capital of 3.6 billion yuan and an investment of 5.5 billion yuan, have been attracted to the park. A pioneer area covering 3.6 sq km of infrastructure and standard workshops with a total size of 100,000 sq m have been completed, showing an increasingly strong cluster effect. Moreover, an exhibition center that takes up 3,500 sq m is already in place. By 2012, an estimated 200 enterprises are expected to move into the park, bringing an investment of 20 billion yuan, a trade volume of 60 billion yuan and tax revenue of 2 billion yuan.