Pi Qiansheng who is secretary of the Tianjin Binhai New Area Industrial Committee was a delegate at the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). In discussion with other Tianjin delegates he offered his views on the report given at the Party Congress by Jiang Zemin, "Thirteen years have now passed since the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee. These years have seen remarkable developments take place. The nation has grown so much stronger and the people are now enjoying the material benefits that this new strength has brought. There is sound evidence to support this view and the development achieved in the Tianjin Binhai New Area is a good example."

"In the 1990s, the CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee together with the Tianjin Municipal Government adopted four goals, which became known as 4-5-8-10. These ambitious targets were to double gross domestic product (GDP) in four years, to redevelop the city's unsatisfactory housing stock and unsafe buildings in five years, to reorganize the large and medium-size state-owned factory sector in eight years and to develop the Binhai New Area within 10 years."

Pi Qiansheng said, "These four goals have already been achieved. In particular the Binhai New Area has been established one year ahead of schedule. It represents a sound base for modern industry and has been instrumental in promoting significant economic growth."

"In 1994, the CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee together with the Tianjin Municipal Government took the decision to set up the Binhai New Area. The aim was to generate new drivers for economic growth in Tianjin by combining the proven benefits of the development zone and the tax-protected zone. The initiative has acted as a catalyst for development by strengthening exports and promoting inward foreign investment. This has led to a migration of industry in favor of east Tianjin.

"The nine years since the founding of the Binhai New Area have been a time of great change," Pi Qiansheng said enthusiastically. "These have been years in which we have seen real progress made. The economy has continued to grow and has done so rapidly. The speed of development achieved in the Development Zone has actually ranked top among development zones nationwide. An export-oriented economy has been established in the New Area. Local industry is now more effectively integrated into the world economy. The infrastructure has been developed and the very face of the city itself has changed. The development and growth in the Tianjin New Area can be seen as a microcosm representative of the development and growth which have been witnessed nationwide."

Pi Qiansheng stressed, "We should implement the Three Representatives, especially the call to represent the advanced productivity through the development of the New Area. The development trend of advanced productivity is a basic component of the Three Representatives and requires that development should be continually kept up-to-date."

Reflecting on the development of the New Area, Pi Qiansheng spoke of, "Forging an advanced productive capacity. This would realize gains in productivity by bringing together the factors of production in a spirit of cooperation and in the context of today's increasingly global markets."

So the New Area's aim is to provide a sound manufacturing base in which industry can come together to make best use of available investment, reduce costs and benefit from economies of scale.

(China.org.cn by Zhang Xi November 16, 2002)