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Premier urges coastal area to step up development

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-29 10:34

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has urged Tianjin Municipality in north China to step up opening and reform of its Binhai New Area.

Wen made the remark during his inspection tour in the coastal municipality on the sidelines of the 2008 Summer Davos Forum which was held in Tianjin on Saturday and Sunday.

The Tianjin Binhai New Area includes Tianjin Port and a low-tax area. In all, it is 2,270 square km and has a population of 1.4 million.

Lying between China's capital and the Bohai Gulf, the area has been decided by the State Council, or the Cabinet, to be one of the key economic powers in the country.

Taking an intercity high-speed railway shuttle from Beijing, the Premier asked the administrators of the shuttle line to provide a safe, fast and convenient service for people living in the two cities.

After arriving at the Binhai New Area, Premier Wen inspected some industry zones near the port. He was accompanied by Tianjin's Communist Party chief Zhang Gaoli.

Wen attended an opening ceremony for an assembly factory of the Airbus A320 model in the area.

"The Binhai New Area should take the advantages of various economic policies given by the central government and constantly improve its abilities of innovation and international competition," said the premier.

During his visit to the city, Wen also went to local households to convey his greetings of the National Day, which falls on October 1.

When visiting a supermarket in the old community of Tianjin, Premier Wen asked the supermarket to ensure the quality of the products on sale.

He also went to a children's hospital where many parents sent their babies to have medical examinations in lieu of the toxic milk scandal.

The premier urged doctors in the hospital to carefully examine every child and to set parent's hearts to rest.