Fast Facts

1. Tianjin is the largest producer of mobile phones and related components in China.
2. Tianjin Port is the third largest port in China in terms of general cargo (2010).
3. Despite being close to Beijing, the cost of living and labor is significantly less than that in

the capital, and there is an abundance of competitively-priced land.

1. Established in 1984, the Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA) is one of the first state economic-technological development areas in China.

Once the second largest industrial city in China, Tianjin is now on its way back to glory. Tianjin is one of four direct-controlled municipalities, bordered by Hebei province and Beijing municipality and bounded to the east by the Bohai gulf portion of the Yellow Sea.
Tianjin is divided into the old city and the Binhai New Area – a new growth center where most foreign investment takes place. As a base of China’s advanced industry, financial reform and innovation, Binhai is able to maintain an annual GDP growth rate of nearly 30 percent. Moreover, by the end of 2010, 285 Fortune Global 500 companies invested and established branch offices in Tianjin.
Infrastructure
Situated in the heart of northern China, Tianjin lies at the crossroads of major traffic links. It is 180 kilometers (two hours) away from Beijing Capital International Airport, 36 kilometers (45 minutes) away from Tianjin International Airport and four kilometers away from Tianjin New Port. The area is also easily accessible by nine railways and ten roads and highways.

Road
There is a four-lane expressway running from Beijing to Tianjin that draws the capital city even closer to Tianjin. Meanwhile, seven state expressways and six national highways connect Tianjin with major cities including Harbin, Fuzhou, Macau, and Guangzhou.

Railways
The Beijing-Tianjin intercity passenger transport railroad line was opened on August 1, 2008, which reduced travel time between the two cities from two hours to 30 minutes. Note that the newly constructed Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway does pass through Tianjin, making the city an A plus location.

Air
The Binhai International Airport is located about 13 kilometers east of downtown Tianjin and is one of the major domestic air cargo centers in China. Currently, international flights are primarily operated by Asian airlines such as Korean Air and Japan Airlines, but with expansion underway the airport soon will be able to connect Tianjin to other major cities in the world.
Ports and waterways
Tianjin New Port is the largest port in northern China in terms of both area and general cargo throughput. Annually, it can handle 413 million tons of cargo and 10.9 TEUs. Connected to over 300 ports in 160 countries, the port plays a dominant role in northern China’s trading business. Local and foreign investors predict great potential for the economic growth of the port, as it enjoys more preferential policies on financing and tax than other free ports.

Economy and investment climate
Tianjin was historically regarded as one of the major trading centers in China for its convenient location, abundant natural resources and rich culture. After being stuck in stagnation for almost a decade, Tianjin is catching up with other large Chinese coastal cities. In 2010, Tianjin’s GDP hit RMB910.883 billion with a year on year growth rate of 21.4 percent. Total exports and imports amounted to US$82.2 billion.

Tianjin’s industry centers around six core industrial sectors, namely information technology, automotive, chemicals, metallurgy, medicine, new energy sources and environmental protection. These combine to produce over 70 percent of Tianjin’s total industrial output. It is also an export-processing base for a wide range of products, in particular machinery, raw materials and mineral fuels.

Labor costs in Tianjin are far lower than those of Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing. The 25 universities and more than 140 research institutes present in Tianjin serve as a source of professionals.

Resources
Government organizations
Tianjin Government Website: www.tianjin.gov.cn