S.I.P. Inspires T.E.C. and Builds V.S.E.Z.
February 13th, 2008 | by This is China! |Channel NewsAsia reported at the end of last month that the Chinese and Singaporean governments have decided on an encore performance of jointly developing an Industrial/Residential Zone in Tianjin called an “eco-city”.
”When completed, there will be some 300,000 residents living and working in energy-efficient buildings in Tianjin’s Binhai New Area. 90 percent of them will make “green trips” by walking, cycling or using public transportation to ensure the city lives up to its eco-friendly premise.”
Tianjin is a great place for such an experiment. The city has a huge reputation as an industrial city that Time Forgot, simply because Beijing chose to focus its largess on Shanghai until recently. In its time – a hundred years ago, and then again during Mao’s reign – the city was the focus for transshipment and for industrial production. From the start of Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms until just a couple years ago, the city had been mothballed – with the exception of the promotion of the Tianjin Economic Development Area (TEDA).
”The eco-city is the second project endorsed by both governments after the landmark Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP).”
It seems, despite all the Singaporean-investor hand-wringing in the late 90’s, that the first joint venture between the two countries made quite an impact on all parties involved. At that time, the father of modern Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew returned to Suzhou to complain that the city government was shunting potential investors in operations from SIP to the economic development zone on the other side of town, Suzhou New District – which the city fathers had indeed been. I certainly know from first-hand experience that the development and promotion of SIP certainly raised the performance bar for many economic development zones in Jiangsu Province. Not a few times have I led groups of interested spies – I mean, government officials – from other zones, explaining how it came by its success in attracting so many Western companies.
Groundbreaking for the eco-city is due to take place in July.
Meanwhile, the Suzhou Industrial Park itself is an investor and developer in a Special Economic Zone in Laos,the Vientiane Special Economic Zone of Laos, according to the China Trade Information Blog. Bypassing the frenzy surrounding investment in Vietnam, SIP is using the same foresight that brought about the development of SIP in the first place in the marshes near the small, quaint city of Suzhou to under-developed Laos. Brilliant strategy to extend the brand and diversify interests, if you ask me.
The SIP website reports:
“The approval was announced on the website of the [Chinese] National Development and Reform Commission. In the said project, which is supported by the governments of China and Laos, SIP Overseas Investment Co., Ltd. will apply its rich experience in planning, construction, management and investment promotion in SIP to promote the economic development of Vientiane Special Economic Zone.”
The only problem I can see with the new Laotian zone is that the name makes for a lousy acronym.
Bill Dodson
SUZHOU, China
