Bohai Economic Rim

Bohai Economic Rim [1]
环渤海经济圈
Beijing
Tianjin
The 3 Main Economic Rims of China
Country  CHN
Major Cities Beijing
Tianjin
Dalian
Tangshan
Shenyang
Jinan
Qingdao
Weihai
Population
 • Metro 66,400,000
Bohai Economic Rim
Simplified Chinese 环渤海经济圈
Traditional Chinese 環渤海經濟圈
Hanyu Pinyin Huán Bóhǎi Jīngjìquān

The Bohai Economic Rim or BER or Bohai Bay Economic Rim is a term used to describe the economic hinterland surrounding Beijing and Tianjin. It also includes areas in Hebei, Liaoning and Shandong which surrounds the Bohai Sea. This region has gone through major changes in economic and infrastructures. This emerging region is rising as a Northern economic power house and rivals the Pearl River Delta in the south and the Yangtze River Delta in the east .

Contents

Economy

The Bohai Economic Rim has traditionally been involved in heavy industries and manufacturing. Tianjin's strengths have always been in aviation, logistics and shipping. Beijing complements this with strong petrochemical, education and R&D industries. The area is becoming a significant growth cluster for the automobile, electronics, petrochemical sectors, especially with Shenyang's automotive industry, software and aircraft, Dalian attracting foreign investments in manufacturing and Qingdao for its health services.[2][3]

The Chinese central government has made it a priority to integrate all the cities in the Bohai Bay rim and foster economic development. This includes building an advanced communications network, better highways, increased education and scientific resources as well as tapping natural resources off the Bohai rim.[4]

In recent decades, petroleum and natural gas deposits have been discovered in Bo Hai.

Transport

Air

Major airports include:

Smaller regional airports:

Land

There are many major highways servicing the routes within the Bohai rim area. This includes the following expressways:

The following six China National Highways pass through Tianjin:

Rail

Since 2000, there have been rapid infrastructure developments within the Bohai Economic Rim. Rail projects of varied natures have been built, including high-speed inter-city rail, metros and suburban rail.

High-speed rail

In August 2008, the Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway opened providing a direct route between Beijing and Tianjin. The initial trains run on average 300 km/h and have cut journey times between the two municipalities to half an hour.[5] Also under construction is the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, which will connect the Bohai Economic Rim to the Yangtze River Delta.

Light rail

Metros

Suburban railway

Geography

The gulf is formed by the Liaodong Peninsula to the northeast and the Shandong Peninsula to the south. Bo Hai consists of three bays: Laizhou Bay to the south, Liaodong Bay to the north, and Bohai Wan to the west. The rivers Huang He, Liao He, Hai He and Luan River empty into Bo Hai.

The Bohai economic rim includes Beijing, Tianjin, part of Hebei province, part of Liaoning province, and part of Shandong province. List of major cities or ports in these municipalities and provinces are listed below:

Inner Rim

City Chinese Hanyu Pinyin Population Image Information
Beijing 北京 Beijing 17,430,000 Beijing is a metropolis in northern China and the capital of the People's Republic of China. Governed as a municipality under direct administration of the central government. Beijing is China's second largest city after Shanghai, with more than 17 million people in Beijing's area of jurisdiction
Tianjin 天津 Tianjin 11,760,000 The sixth largest city of the People's Republic of China in terms of urban population. Administratively it is one of the four municipalities that have provincial-level status, reporting directly to the central government. Also, its urban land area is the third largest in China, ranked only after Beijing and Shanghai.
Tangshan 唐山 Tangshan 7,100,000 a mainly industrial prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It became known after the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, 7.5 on the Richter scale which flattened the city. The city has since been rebuilt and has become a tourist attraction.

Outer Rim, South

City Chinese Hanyu Pinyin Population Image Information
Jinan 济南
濟南
Jinan 5,900,000 Jinan is a sub-provincial city and the capital of Shandong Province in the People's Republic of China.
Qingdao 青岛
青島
Qingdao 7,579,900 Qingdao is a major city in eastern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders Yantai to the northeast, Weifang to the west and Rizhao to the southwest. Lying across the Shandong Peninsula while looking out to the Yellow Sea, Qingdao today is a major seaport, naval base, and industrial center
Weihai 威海 Weihai 2,596,753 Weihai is a prefecture-level city in eastern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The easternmost prefecture-level city in the province and a major seaport, Weihai borders Yantai to the west and looks out to the Yellow Sea to the east.

Outer Rim, North

City Chinese Hanyu Pinyin Population Image Information
Shenyang 沈阳
瀋陽
Shenyang 8,240,000 Shenyang is a sub-provincial city and capital of Liaoning province in Northeast China. Along with its nearby cities, Shenyang is an important industrial center in China, and the transportation and commercial centre of China's northeastern region.
Dalian 大连
大連
Dalian 6,200,000 Dalian is the second largest city of Liaoning Province, after Shenyang, the provincial capital. Dalian City is governed by the Mayor and its Dalian Municipal People's Government.

Pollution

A Xinhua News Agency report in February, 2007, states: “Effluent has turned the sea a dark red and given it an acrid stench at Guanxi’s Silver Beach, a national tourist attraction. Local staff say it is not the first time this has happened – sometimes it occurs every few days. They blame the run-off from nearby shellfish processing plants.” [6]

Jiaozhou Bay-Laizhou Bay Canal

In April 2004, an official of the Shandong province raised the possibility of constructing a canal between Jiaozhou Bay and Laizhou Bay as a means of easing the pollution problem in the Bo Hai.[7] The proposed canal will also be open to ships traveling between Bo Hai and the Yellow Sea. A meeting held in Qingdao in October, 2006, was attended by more than a hundred members of academia.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Foreign investment shows trend of "moving northward"". china-embassy.org. 2004-05-14. http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/zt/1/t106401.htm. Retrieved 2010-01-09. 
  2. ^ Regional Definition: Bohai Sea Unep.Org Retrieved 2010-01-09
  3. ^ Tianjin at a Glance uschina.org Retrieved 2010-01-09
  4. ^ Gain a strategic advantage in the Bohai Bay region sdic.com.cn 2007-06-11 Retrieved 2010-01-16
  5. ^ Express railway brings Beijing and Tianjin closer China Daily 2008-09-27 Retrieved 2010-01-16
  6. ^ China’s water resources: environmental security needed chinadialogue.net 2007-03-07 Retrieved 2010-01-09
  7. ^ (Chinese) 國家擬投千億 開鑿運河連通渤黃 takungpao.com 2007-11-23 Retrieved 2010-01-09

External links