The Port of Tianjin is located in the estuary of the Haihe River just over 100 miles east of Beijing. It is mainland China’s biggest man-made sea and river port.
Port History
Called Zhigu until 1404, the name Tianjin was adopted to commemorate the fording of the river at that point by the Emperor and the establishment of a fort at the site.
During the Second Opium War in 1858, the Treaties of Tianjin were signed with Britain and France, opening the Port of Tianjin to foreign trade. Many countries (Britain, France, Japan, Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and Belgium) established concessions in Tianjin, and the occupation by foreigners was marked by conflict and violence.
In 1900, the Boxers took much of the Port of Tianjin, and the foreigners came under siege. From 1900 until 1902, the port was governed by a provisional government including representatives of occupying countries. In 1902, the Port of Tianjin was returned to Chinese control, and the Chinese began efforts to make Tianjin a modern city.
Western countries were allowed to stay in the area. During World War I, the United States joined foreign interests and sent the 15th Infantry Regiment. General George C. Marshall served there in the 1920s.
In 1937, the Port of Tianjin was only partially occupied by Japan, as they recognized foreign concessions until 1941 when they overtook the British and American areas. Japan held the area, allowing only Italy and France to remain there, until their 1945 surrender. American forces used Tianjin as a base from 1945 to 1947. Communists took the city in 1949.
Port Commerce
Since China began to open to trade in the late 1970s, the Port of Tianjin has grown rapidly. The Port of Tianjin trades with over 300 ports worldwide. It hosts ten shipping lines and operates a prosperous Free Trade Zone. Operated by the Tianjin Port Company Limited, the Port of Tianjin’s major trading partners are the US, European Union, Japan, and Republic of Korea. The Port of Tianjin has a busy container terminal, with throughput of 240 million tons in 2005. Cargo shipments equaled 96 thousand tons in 2005, and they are expected to grow to 500 thousand tons by 2010.
Tianjin’s Binhai New Area (BNA) may be the most profitable economic zone in China, and many foreign companies have located there. Information technology is a rapidly-growing sector of the local economy. With almost 100 miles of coastline, the BNA is home to almost three million people and includes the Port of Tianjin, the Tianjin Economic and Technological Development area, and the Free Trade Zone. The Chinese government offers strong support for port expansion and development, and $26 billion (US) was invested there over the last 10 years.
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