Tanggu District of Tianjin, a municipality in north China, is about to launch an expansion project to reclaim lands from the sea in its low beach area. The first phase, covering 200,000 square km, should be finished by the end of 2005. Eventually, more than 500,000 square km of new land will be created for development of an industrial district.

Reclaiming land from the sea is a great move in Tianjin's marine economic development. According to the city's comprehensive strategy, the new land will become a platform for the production of ethylene, oil refining and desalination of seawater. Based on the Tianjin Port, the area will become the city's biggest industrial growth spot.

The Tanggu coastal line stretches 92.16 km, with the low beach area covering 188 square km, 30 km of which has already been developed. The 20-square-km low beach area planned for reclamation is comparatively high after years of silting, with the highest part reaching 3 meters above sea level and the slope being 0.7 per thousand. This has created favorable conditions for reclamation.

It is reported that the first phase investment will reach 1.8 billion yuan.

(China.org.cn translated by Li Jingrong, January 16, 2003)