Tianjin: Beijing by the sea

Situated 120km south-east of Beijing, Tianjin was for a long time just the port, somewhat off-centre on the shores of the Yellow Sea. Today, it takes just 35 minutes by train to reach this ancient, peaceful town split by the Hai He river, which Gustave Eiffel's workshops decorated with a beautiful blue metal bridge during the French Concession. Expandable, the city is constantly expandingin both width and height. "Like Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing, Tianjin has the status of a municipality and, as such, is directly administered by the central government, which aims to make it an economic powerhouse for the Beijing-Hebei region, focusing in particular on innovation.explains Shi Chun, Director of the Tianjin Commission of Commerce. In my opinion, if you want to know the history of contemporary China, you have to know the history of Tianjin."

A story undoubtedly looking to the future, and to the new Binhai high-tech industrial development zonelocated about an hour's drive east of the city centre. Newly developed over 300 km²This zone already has a population of three million. Officially established in 1994, but really launched in 2006, on the occasion of the 11^e As part of the five-year plan, the area is working to counter the imbalance between China's fast-developing south and the more staid north. Today, Binhai has established itself as the country's third economic hub, after Shenzhen and Shanghai Pudong. The results, while living up to the government's expectations, are no less disconcerting. On either side of the Binhai Mass Transit - an aerial metro system opened in 2004, running for almost 60 km and capable of speeds of up to 100 km/h - are clusters of identical, surprisingly tall and completely soulless high-rise apartment blocks.

High-tech library

In the distance, like a lighthouse in a concrete haze, the 530-metre-high Chow Tai Fook Financial Centre rises above the mineral scrum, set to become a financial mecca by the end of 2018. All around it, avenues that are so long and wide that they are impassable on foot lead to the Binhai Cultural Centre, a cultural and commercial centre that is still not very popular. In autumn 2017, it opened its famous library... without books. The majestic and spectacular entrance to this temple of knowledgedesigned by Dutch architects MVRDV, has been dubbed The Eye. Given the number of cameras monitoring visitors, this is understandable. However, behind this flashy entrance, with its trompe-l'œil volumes, lies a real library, where real books are waiting...

In recent years, the town's economy has grown rapidly - by around 10 % - mainly due to the activities of the new high-tech zone and the aeronautical, telecommunications, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. "Tianjin is a major source of talent, as it is one of the country's oldest university towns."says Shin Chun. In all, 55 universities, 159 research institutes, eight laboratories and 10 technology centres are home to around 500,000 students. "If you set up your business in Tianjin, you can be sure of finding a highly skilled workforceshe continues. Moreover, the city has strengthened university cooperation between the Binhai area and Zhongguancun, Beijing's technology hub. The pillars of Tianjin's industry - aeronautics and aerospace, electronics, automobiles, metallurgy, petrochemicals and new technologies - have been driven by research.". He added that "Among the sectors that have been particularly dynamic in recent years, new energies are also at the forefront."Taking advantage of the presence of several wind turbine manufacturers in the region, the government has decided to make clean energy its new hobbyhorse.

To 400 ports around the world

When it comes to logistics, Tianjin is also a top performer: as North China's largest commercial portTianjin is one of the world's leading ports of call, with connections to 400 ports in more than 200 countries and regions around the world. In 2016, the port of Tianjin handled 551 million tonnes of freight. The new Binhai area has also been directly linked to Beijing since the opening of the Yujiapu high-speed train station in 2015. As for the international airport, it has established itself as one of the main air freight centres in China, handling around 13 million passengers a year.

These excellent infrastructures, together with the presence of the free trade zone, have resulted in a strong presence of international companies, favourable to the rapid development of an economy geared towards the high and new technologies industry. Foreign companies have made a significant contribution to growth. 32 % of industry-related revenue came from foreign investment in 2016, a figure that also includes investment from Hong Kong. In addition, high- and new-technology products accounted for almost 40 % of the city's total exports, notably to the United States, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

Leading companies headquartered in Tianjin include Tewoo Group (raw materials, minerals and logistics), Bohai Steel Group (steel), GMCC (high-tech), Tianjin Chase Sun Pharmaceutical, Zhongxin Pharma and Tasly (pharmaceuticals and Chinese medicine). More than a hundred foreign companies Fortune Global 500 companies also have a presence here, from Canon and Volkswagen to Bosch, Chrysler, Hyundai, Microsoft, Exxon Mobil, Thyssen Krupp, General Motors, LG International, Motorola, Nestlé, Samsung, Sanyo, Alcatel, Lafarge, Schneider and Veolia. But it is mainly Airbus that has increased its French presence in recent years, notably through the opening of an Alliance française in 2010.

For Pierre Dijkstra, a young French entrepreneur who has been based in Tianjin for thirteen years, where he has opened a restaurant as well as a consultancy business, China is above all a land of opportunity. "Tianjin is a fast-growing city where prices are lower than in Beijing. more favourable to foreign entrepreneurs"he explains. Over the years, Pierre Dijkstra has been able to observe the development of his adopted city and remains convinced that it will soon be absorbed into the Beijing conurbation, forming a kind of super-megalopolis with it. Another of Tianjin's assets, in his view, is the free trade zone. "In China, customs duties are very high, so you can take advantage of tax-free Chinese labour."he stresses.

In recent months, the Binhai high-tech industrial development zone has continued to expand, with rumours of the creation of a new free trade zone dedicated to... cinema. The aim is to attract foreign productions interested in making films based on Chinese history and culture. According to the zone's management committee, the film industry is too focused on Western culture. A free zone would sidestep the issues of customs duties, visas and the equipment needed for filming, while encouraging the production of films with content geared towards China. This is undoubtedly a desire to ensure that culture is not forgotten in this great business broth. Culture currently contributes 6 % to the region's GDP, and is likely to contribute 10 % by 2020. So it's time to get creative... but with strong economic potential, of course.