Geographical Conditions：

Tianjin is geographically located between Latitude 38o42' and 45o15'N and Longitude 116o42'- 118o04'E. Its total area is 11,305 square kilometers with a 133 kilometers coastline. Tianjin lies mainly on a low and flat alluvial plain; mountains and hills occupy only 4.6% of its total area. Its flat land is suitable for agriculture cultivation and for railway and highway construction.

The city flower is the Chinese Rose and city bird is the Seagull. Tianjin has a warm temperature and semi-humid monsoon climate with four clearly distinct seasons. It has cold winters and hot summers while spring and autumn are short and pleasant. The annual average temperature stands at 14oC. January is the coldest month with an average temperature of -4oC. July is the hottest when temperature can reach over 30oC. The frost- free period last for about 230 days. The annual rainfall averages 558-679 mm, concentrating mainly in July and August. Tianjin receives between 2610-3100 hours of sunshine per annum.

Tianjin is an industrial, commercial and port city with a history of more than 600 years and is one of the cradles of China's modern industry. It is the largest coastal city in Northern China open to the world.

50km to the east is the Bohai Sea and China's capital Beijing is 120km to the northwest. Its vast hinterland covers an area of more than 5 million sq. km in the north of China. As one of the municipalities under the direct administration of the Central Government of the People's Republic of China, Tianjin is the economic center of China's Bohai rim and is being built a modern port city and a major economic center in Northern China. Tianjin is also a State-level city of historical and cultural value.

Natural Conditions：

Tianjn is rich in natural resources. Over 30 kinds of metallic, nonmetallic ores and fuel minerals have been found. The main ores include chambersite, manganese, gold, tungsten, molybdenum, copper, lead, zinc etc, among which chambersite was discovered for the first time in China.

The major non-metallic ores are: cement limestone, barite, stromatolite, marble, natural oil tone, pottery clay, maifanshi porous stone etc. The principal fuel deposits are petroleum, natural gas, coal and coal gas. Both the Dagang and Bohai oilfields in the southeast of Tianjin are well-known oil gas field in China. Tianjn is also rich in geothermal resources covering an area of 2968 square kilometers. Tianjin produces a large quantity of salt. With a sodium chloride content as high as 96-98%. It is an important raw material for the marine chemical industry.

There are over 270 square kilometers of barren and silt land awaiting exploitation and will serve as ideal ground for developing petrochemical and marine chemical industries.

History & Culture：

The history of Tianjin can be dated back over 600 years, through its　prosperity and development stand only in modern times. As an international trading port from the early days, the busy trading has invigorated the city enormous vitality and verified Tianjin's position and images as the major commercial port city in North China. Tianjin is located at the lower end of nine tributaries merging into the Haihe River which flows through the city. Tianjin's local culture enjoys considerable variety.

It has both the warm and honest old inner city culture, and the riverside culture, full of life, vitality and vigor. Thanks to its historical experiences, Tianjin has encountered many European cultures, and their integration within a Chinese society has made Tianjin's urban culture uniquely enchanting.

Tianjin's architecture is particularly unique, with a combination of traditional Chinese culture architecture and the rich mixture of architecture culture from other parts of the world. It is known as the World Museum of Architecture. Even as early as the 19th Century, Tianjin's national industries had developed to a sizeable scale. Its ship-building, dying and textile industries were at an advanced level nationwide. Tianjin has honest and simple social customs and morals; its art and folk culture are long respected and uniquely enchanting. The Ancient Street lies on the junction of three rivers and is the center of ancient Tianjin. With a Mazu Temple in its center, it is the cradle of Tianjin's riverside culture. The Great Wall, running through Jixian County to the north of Tianjin is of primitive simplicity and charm. and China's capital Beijing is 120km to the northwest. Its vast hinterland covers an area of more than 5 million sq. km in the north of China. As one of the municipalities under the direct administration of the Central Government of the People's Republic of China, Tianjin is the economic center of China's Bohai rim and is being built a modern port city and a major economic center in Northern China. Tianjin is also a State-level city of historical and cultural value.

Population,Education,Science and Technology：

The population of Tianjin is close to 9.6 million, and the overall quality of Tianjin people is among the best in the country.There are now 20 universities and colleges in Tianjin with 230 disciplines and a student population of over 90,000. Around 20,000 Bachelor, Masters and Doctorate students graduate each year. A system of higher education has been formed in Tianjin to provide a balanced composition of professional training.

As a result of a breakthrough development in secondary technical and professional education, Tianjin has over 320 vocational and technical schools with a combined total of over 80,000 students, 39,000 of which leave school and enter the workplace each year. These schools provide high quality industrial workers for different trades.

Situated in the Beijing-Tianjin area with a high density of intellectual talent, Tianjn possesses over 150 institutions for natural science research and more than 600,000 technical personnel. The number of foreign specialists and scholars invited from abroad exceeds10, 000. There are 159 scientific research institutes, 8 State-level laboratories, 10 State-level research centers for engineering technology and 27 State or Ministerial technical testing centers.

Tianjn is rates as number 3 among major Chinese cities with comprehensive Hi-tech capabilities. Tianjin's human resource advantages can provide overseas funded enterprises, new and hi-tech ones in particular, with high quality personnel.

Before 1949, Tianjin's education developed slowly, and by 1948, there are only 479 schools, 156 thousand students and 7 thousand teachers in Tianjin. The rate of school attendance among all school-agers is only 33.2%, on the contrary, the rate of illiterates among rural and urban people is above 80%.

After 1949, when People's Republic of China was founded, Tianjin's education grew vigorously and formed an integrated educational system from elementary education to higher education progressively, including preschool education, special education, adult education and cadre education. During the 40 years from 1949 to 1991, all types of schools in Tianjin have trained 824 thousand various qualified technicians.

Entering 90's, Tianjin stepped up reform in education and made great progress not only in the reformation in some fields such as schools running, schools management, socialization of rear service in schools, enrollment system and job-assignment system for graduating students; but also in quickening the adjustment of educational structure, improving educational quality and conditions of running schools, optimizing the teaching stuff, as well as perfecting the supervision system.

* Major Universities and Colleges in Tianjin:

Nankai University

Tianjin University

Tianjin Normal University

Tianjin Foreign Language Studies University

Tianjin Medical University

Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Tianjin University of Finance and Economics

Tianjin University of Commerce

Tianjin Agricultural College

Tianjin Art Institute

Tianjin Conservatory of Music

Tianjin Physical Culture Institute,etc.

Market Situation：

Tianjin was an international trading port for China in the early years, and as a large commercial city its trading reputation over the past 100 years has made it well known worldwide. As the largest bulk goods trading port in northern China and one of the first groups of coastal cities opened to the world, it has been active in engaging foreign trade.

It has established trade relations and marine links with more than 300 seaports in over 160 countries and regions around the world. Garments, textiles, machinery and electronic products are the main export items, and the import of large quantities of commodities has enriched the domestic market. Prosperous trade has promoted economic development and has drawn the attention on numerous investors. Tianjin has become a city for investment and trade.

By the end of 1999, the number of overseas-invested enterprises approved by the Tianjin Municipal Government had reached 12,989,with contractual investment of US$ 26.7 billion, and actual investment so far of US$13.3 billion. The total volume for import/exports in 1999 was US$ 12.6 billion, of which US$ 6.2 billion was for imports and US$6.332 billion for export.