Role of TBNA in regional cooperation in conjunction with New Silk Road and NE Asia

Role of TBNA in regional cooperation in conjunction with New Silk Road and NE Asia7FE大陸橋物流聯(lián)盟
By Binod P Bista, Chief Economist/BFA7FE大陸橋物流聯(lián)盟

Tianjin Binhai New Area (TBNA) has achieved significant progress ever since the city was made an integral part of China’s west ward drive. First, this area has successfully raised a significant amount of investment capital, both domestic and foreign, amounting to nearly 4.98 billion Yuan (over 600 million USD) in the first nine months of 2006. It is not only the size of investment but also the quality of investment has been quite high, pertaining to high technological content, strong competitiveness nature and high value content, as guided by the 11th Five Year plan of China. Most importantly, the area has also attracted regional players which are critical for its long term sustainability. In turn, regional players outside China would also gain tremendous benefit from this area which can be considered as a bridge. In fact, it is being referred to as “continental bridge from Asia to Europe’ because of its geo-strategic advantage.7FE大陸橋物流聯(lián)盟

China’s current development plan (the 11th 5-year plan) puts Tianjin at the center of several infrastructure projects. Of the three international shipping centers, Tianjin occupies an important place along with Shanghai and Dalian. Tianjin will be having three sets of railways service, including the new rapid railway system now under construction. Tianjin section of Beijing-Shanghai expressway, being connected to the national highway, will play an important role in the development of the area. Besides the availability of critical services such as telecom, power and water supply, the area is also distinct as the source of labor and talent pool in the region.7FE大陸橋物流聯(lián)盟

By successfully hosting the 12th Assembly for Mayors of Cities in Bohai Rim Area in April, Tianjin has effectively supported the initiative of Mayors (from 32 cities) as expressed in “Tianjin Proposal to Boost the Cooperation of Bohai Rim Area”. By focusing on health, tourism and communication sectors, it has provided a fit with the Silk Road Initiative program. Earlier, the First Silk Road Mayor’s Forum, an integral part of Silk Road Initiative and held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in the fourth quarter of 2005, witnessed the participation of mayors from important regional players such as Japan and ROK besides the mayors from the Silk Road countries, namely China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. This forum focused on tourism development, investment promotion, infrastructure expansion so that trade among the countries in the Silk Road countries as well as trade between the region and Europe can be enhanced. Importance was also given to the branding of the region as it was in the ancient times. More than the specific areas, the Forum succeeded in attracting the attention of the participants on the need to find “creative responses to regional challenges”.7FE大陸橋物流聯(lián)盟

Such a response needs to be a comprehensive one. Ensuring regional security with the help of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in cooperation with every sovereign country of the region alone would not be enough. Peace and stability would gradually deteriorate and is likely to disappear if the region were not to embark on productive economic activities. Silk Road Initiative is fully supported by important UN programs and organizations such as UNDP, UNWTO and UNCTAD with UNDP taking the active coordinating lead. More and more local and provincial authorities of China have shown increasing interest in the realization of the Silk Road campaign. TBNA, owing to its clear advantages over others, comes on top.7FE大陸橋物流聯(lián)盟

China seems to be supporting the Silk Road campaign fully through the allocation of massive   financial resources to support regional activities in a priority basis. In addition, institutional support is also being accorded with the help of focused program such as New Eurasia Continental Bridge Program of China as well as The China International Centre for Economic and Technical exchanges.7FE大陸橋物流聯(lián)盟

As one of the strategic partners of the Silk Road campaign, Boao Forum for Asia has been cooperating with other active players engaged in the campaign. In fact, the Forum played a vital role in the organization of the first Euro-Asia conference in Xian.7FE大陸橋物流聯(lián)盟

The challenges outlined in the Xian declaration points out to a mismatch between current resources and required investment for rail, road and airports which can only be accomplished effectively with a strengthened public-private partnership. While modern day China is capable to overcome obstacles posed by lack of infrastructure in a record time, the same may not be true with other countries in the region strapped for resources. The activities singled out for the Silk Road Initiative, particularly investment promotion, tourism development and energy resource management, while being important economic activities in their own merits, also provide the necessary economic support to the countries in need. While tourism promotion among the countries of the region helps in creating necessary employment to the local people and the country in the shorter run, development of the strategic resource, the energy, in an efficient manner would be the key to long term sustainability of the region’s economy as a whole.7FE大陸橋物流聯(lián)盟

These measures and activities will not be realized in the absence of the required investment flow to the region. Besides China, Japan and ROK could play an important role by investing in the region. As much as it is in the interest of the countries of the region, it is equally so for Japan and ROK as their need for uninterrupted availability of energy for their sustainable economic growth is more likely to come from a region that is stable, progressing and prosperous than not. The Euro-Asia region including the Russian Federation has already become the most coveted source for energy outside of the gulf region. Countries having oil or gas reserves derive benefit from their development whereas the others lacking resources would nevertheless benefit from the pipelines or other forms of transport that have to be established in the process of energy transfer to needed countries. Even those countries that have neither oil/gas reserves nor are located strategically will benefit from a secured uninterrupted source of supply preventing any sudden supply fluctuations causing higher prices that do impact their economies adversely. In fact, closer cooperation and collaboration in the Silk Road region appears to be a “win-win situation” for all.7FE大陸橋物流聯(lián)盟

TBNA has started the process on its own with massive support from the central government of China. This process of strengthening of infrastructure development needs to be continued further along the silk route. As it is, there seems to be several options available to the private sector to cooperate in different areas from finance to tourism to energy, not to mention of the importance of ICT and related services. Private sector alone may not have the capacity to bring about the necessary change in the region as there are also other forms of challenges such as cumbersome customs and visas procedures, inadequate health facilities and other matters requiring government’s involvement. While a public-private partnership of every country in the Silk Road region is a first necessary step to kick start the process, available support from expert institutions, both in track one such as UNDP, UNCTAD, UNWTO, SCO as well as track two such as BFA would be necessary to promote and hold the attention of investors for as long as it takes to realize the Silk Road Initiative dream. 7FE大陸橋物流聯(lián)盟

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