New Policies to Further Develop Binhai

Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province may benefit from coordinated efforts.

A series of policy measures are expected to further develop Binhai New Area, a coastal area of Tianjin, and boost coordinated development among Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province, as well as support reforms and opening-up, said Lian Maojun, the Party chief of the area.

His statements come on the heels of a spate of pivotal policies issued by the State Council in July to support the high-quality development of Binhai, marking a significant endorsement from the central government for the area.

They are also in line with the State Council’s declarations in 2006 and 2019 to elevate the area into a national-level reform and experimental zone.

The policies introduced in July prioritize driving industrial growth through scientific innovation, upgrading the region’s productive capacities and fostering coordinated progress among Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.

They also focused on establishing new scientific innovation platforms and bolstering strategic emerging industries such as aerospace and information technology, which serve as critical hubs for air and sea transportation. Key aspects of the measures include enhancing the international competitiveness of the financial sector, alongside efforts to enhance reform and opening-up in the region.

Tianjin has played an important role in promoting coordinated development, serving as a central hub within the Bohai Rim area and the city clusters of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Notably, Tianjin Port, the largest port in North China, stands as a strategic linchpin connecting China with the global economy.

In alignment with the State Council’s directives, Binhai will concentrate on key areas to propel its development forward, Lian said.

He also emphasized leveraging the momentum of these new measures to solidify the area’s role as a strategic functional zone within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development framework.

This involves facilitating the transformation of scientific innovations into industrial outcomes, restructuring Beijing’s industrial clusters, nurturing new productive forces, enhancing its role in air and sea transportation, fostering financial innovation mechanisms, expediting reform and opening-up initiatives and cultivating a more hospitable environment within the new area.

Moreover, the focus is on further comprehensively deepening reform and opening-up, strengthening the integration of reform systems, expanding high-level external openness, creating a top-notch business environment and enhancing the intrinsic driving forces for high-quality development.

“Binhai New Area has the conditions, capabilities and, more importantly, the responsibility to play a bigger role and achieve greater results in promoting high-quality development,” he said.

Binhai is home to five national level development areas and 41 themed industrial parks. There are five industrial clusters focused on such sectors as green pharmaceuticals and electronic information, with each cluster generating an industrial value of up to 100 million yuan ($14.1 million).

In the first three quarters of this year, the regional GDP of Binhai grew by 4.7 percent year-on-year, accounting for 43.2 percent of Tianjin’s total output, data from the district showed.

Additionally, it holds huge potential for growth as there are 377.5 square kilometers of undeveloped areas, including 110 sq km designated for industrial use and 85 sq km earmarked for urban development. The port area alone comprises 36.5 sq km awaiting development.

Since the implementation of policy measures, it has adhered to quantifiable goals, detailed measures, project actualization, policy transformation and clear responsibilities, accurately driving implementation, he said.

Significant progress has been made on 36 key tasks in the new area, with landmark achievements such as the formal establishment of the China Resources Recycling Group and the nationwide first pilot project of segmented production of biological products by Novo Nordisk. In addition to the ports, Binhai will take advantage of the ports, optimize the port and shipping functions and develop the port economy, he said.