North China's Tianjin is applying for the a free trade zone of its own after the first such zone went operational late last month in Shanghai.
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Zong Guoying, head of the Tianjin Binhai New Area (BNA), confirmed to Xinhua on Thursday that the BNA had completed a draft plan for the zone, and all documentation was with the central government.
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"We are optimistic that the plan will get approval but we are not certain," said Zong, also the vice mayor of Tianjin.
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"No matter what, we will continue to open up," Zong said, noting that the Tianjin BNA would explore a "negative list" approach for investment.
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The proposed Tianjin free trade zone will be centered on the Tianjin Dongjiang Bonded Area, which covers an area of abut 10 square kilometers.
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The Shanghai pilot free trade zone kicked off on September 29th to test market reform. Upgrade of the bonded area into an FTZ is already listed by Tianjin as a priority for 2013.
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Zhou Liqun, a professor with Nankai University who studies coastal development, said Tianjin FTZ would needs to progress step by step.Â