With a planned area of 2,270 km2, a coastline of 153 kmlong, and a resident population of 1.4 million, Tianjin New Coastal District (hereinafter referred to as the TNCD) lies in the center of the Circum-Bohai Region and the eastern seaboard of Tianjin. It includes such three function zones as TianjinPort, Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA), and Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone, such three administrative districts as Tanggu District, Hangu District, and Dagang District, and part of Dongli District and Jinnan District. With a favorable geographic location, rich natural resources, a concentration of talents in science and technology, a solid industrial foundation, and convenient transportation and communications, the TNCD enjoys the comprehensive advantage of having an international port, highly open function zones, and large tracts of land open for development.

    Founded in 1994 and through more than 10 years of development and construction, the TNCD has achieved remarkable success. The GDP of the TNCD increased from 11.2 billion yuan of 1993 to 160.863 billion yuan of 2005 with an average annual increase of 20.6%. Per capita GDP has reached 14,200 dollars. The fiscal revenue has increased 12.4 times more from 2.36 billion yuan to 31.72 billion yuan. The export value of foreign trade has increased 36 times more from 500 million dollars to 18.5 billion dollars. The accumulative actually utilized overseas investment has reached 15.9 billion dollars. With the world's top 500 enterprises having invested in 152 enterprises in the TNCD, the TNCD has become one of China's regions with the highest rate of return for overseas investment. Increasingly exhibiting its strong power as a growth engine, the TNCD now has the foundation and capability for serving the regional economy.

    As was stated in the 5th Plenary Session of the 16th CPC Central Committee, "China will continue to give full scope to the special economic zones and Shanghai Pudong New Area and promote the development and opening of regions with favorable conditions such as the Tianjin New Coastal District to drive the regional economic growth." As the Eleventh Five-Year Plan and the Government Work Report approved by the 4th Session of the 10th National People's Congress further stated, "China will promote the development and construction of the Tianjin New Coastal District to drive the regional economic growth." Ever since, Chinahas integrated the TNCD, along with the special economic zones and Shanghai Pudong New Area, into the national development blueprint. This is a significant decision that the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have made after careful consideration. The enforcement of this decision is favorable for the realization of China's positioning on Tianjin Municipality, promotion of the economy of the Circum-Bohai Region, implementation of the overall planning for coordinated regional development, and China's participation in the regional economic growth of the world.

    According to China's roadmap of regional economic growth, the function of the TNCD is positioned as: “By basing itself upon Tianjin, depending upon Beijing and Hebei Province, serving the Circum-Bohai Region, radiating its influence into the North China, Northeast China, and Northwest China, and facing the Northeast Asia, Tianjin New Coastal District is to be turned into an advanced modern manufacturing and R&D transformation base, an international shipping center and logistics center in the north of China, and an eco-city with ideal setting for human existence.” We should focus on two respects. One is to turn the TNCD into a new modernized economic zone which is highly open, socially harmonious, and environment-friendly to serve the revitalization of the regional economy. The other is to launch pilot comprehensive supporting reforms in the TNCD to accumulate experience and reference for regional reform and opening.

    According to such a positioning, the TNCD’s development goal is to accomplish an average annual increase of 17% in the Eleventh Five-Year period for the GDP to reach more than 320 billion yuan by 2010, an average annual increase of 20% for the fiscal revenue to reach more than 50 billion yuan, an urbanization level of 90%, a ratio of over 50% of the hi-tech industrial output value in the total industrial output value, a decrease of over 20% in the energy consumption per unit GDP over the end of the Tenth Five-Year Plan period, good protection of the eco-environment, increasingly steadier sustainable development, notable improvement of the overall function, all-around development of social undertakings, and new progress in constructing a harmonious city.

    To fulfill the above-mentioned roles and objectives, an "axis," a "belt," three urban areas and eight industrial zones will be set up in the TNCD. A hi-tech industry axis will appear along the Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu Expressway and the lower reaches of the HaiheRiverand a marine economic belt will emerge along the coastline and the Haibin Expressway. This axis and the belt will form a T-shaped structure, where lie such three eco-towns as Tanggu, Hangu, and Dagang and eight industrial zones, i.e. an advanced manufacturing zone with a planed area of 97 km2, a hi-tech zone with an area of 36 km2, a chemical zone with an area of 80 km2, a CBD with an area of over 10 km2, a seaport logistics zone with an area of 100 km2,an airport-based industrial zone with an area of 102 km2, and a coastal leisure and tourism zone with an area of 75 km2. While constructing the TianjinPort, a port-based industrial zone will also be set up.

    The major tasks set for the TNCD now is the following. The first is to accelerate the construction of the modern manufacturing and R&D transformation base to upgrade its industrial structure and R&D capability in accordance with international standard. Priorities will be set on the development of the leading sectors like the electronics & information, petrol & marine chemical, auto & equipment manufacturing, etc. More brands with proprietary intellectual property right will be built so that the TNCD will step on the track of developing hi-tech-oriented modern manufacturing at a high speed. By the year 2010, the total industrial output value will reach 750 billion yuan, industrial value added 200 billion yuan and production capacity of mobile phones will amount to 100 million sets, that of automobiles 800,000, and that of ethylene 1.24 million tons. The second task is to build itself into an international shipping and logistics center with top caliber managerial capability. 50 billion yuan will be invested in the construction of the 250,000-ton deep water channel and the 300,000-ton crude oil dock of the TianjinPort.What is more, the total area of the TianjinPortwill be expanded from 30 km2to 100 km2. DongjiangBondedPort, which covers an area of 15 km2, will be built according to our plan and Tianjin Binhai International Airport will be built into an air freight center of North China. The third task is to construct the TNCD as an eco-city in an all-round way so that the TNCD will occupy a leading position globally in resource-saving and environmental protection. Two ecological conservations covering total areas of 500 km2 will be constructed in both the north and south of the TNCD. By the year 2010, the greening coverage rate of the TNCD will be 40% and the sewage water disposal rate in urban areas will reach 90%. The Blue Sea Action will be carried out to protect the inshore environment.