Mapping China: Urbanisation - 2 Regional Cities and City-Regions: Bohai Rim

Bohai Rim comprises the political centre of China. It covers the area of the capital city of Beijing, as well as Tianjin and other harbour cities surrounding Bohai Bay.

One of the most significant infrastructure projects in the area is the high-speed railway network that connects all the cities together. The ports built along Bohai Bay have contributed enormously to the local and national economy, creating employment opportunities for millions of people. Tianjin Port was designated as a special trade zone known as a Bonded Area in 1991, leading to a booming port economy in and around the port area.

Bohai Rim has long been one of the leading city-regions in the country’s economic development along the coast. However, it faces the challenge of unbalanced development. In Beijing, the districts on the outskirts are in sharp contrast with the inner-city area, in terms of economic capacity as well as living conditions for people. The government of Beijing is trying hard to stimulate the development of the outskirts by designating important facilities to the satellite towns, such as relocating universities and government departments to such areas. On the other hand, it is criticised for the fact that a large part of the development of Bohai Bay area relied on the industrial exploitation of natural resources, which is considered one of the leading factors in the formation of the current air pollution in the cities.