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Foreign Affairs

Three interesting facts about the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City

15 August 2023

How big is it, who’s funding it, and what does it look like?

Four wind turbines with the backdrop of Tianjin Eco-city

#Didyouknow? The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City is the second Government-to-Government project between Singapore and China. The project provides a platform for our countries to explore new collaborations and ideas, and share best practices in sustainable urban development.

Here are 3 more things you may not know:

1. It is thrice the size of Sengkang

The entire project spans 30 km2 — about three times the size of Sengkang. So far, an 8 km2 start-up area in the south has been completed.

The project is located within the Tianjin Binhai New Area (TBNA), on the coast of the Bohai Sea, and is part of the Bohai Economic Rim. TBNA is a Special Economic Zone and is a new growth area in China.

Map showing distance of Ecocity from Beijing and Tianjin


2. The Singapore Government does not fund the Eco-City’s infrastructure development

A local Chinese Government authority oversees the project with a master developer – the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Company Limited, which is a 50-50 joint venture between a Singapore consortium led by Keppel Group and a Chinese consortium led by Tianjin TEDA Investment Company Limited.

Singapore contributes to the project through the sharing of professional expertise and experience. Our experts from various agencies, such as URA, NParks, NEA, PUB, HDB and BCA, have been working closely with their Chinese counterparts in the planning and development of the Eco-City. Experts from both countries have gained professionally from the mutual sharing.


3. This is what it looks like (before and after)

Before the site broke ground in 2008, it comprised mainly saltpans, non-arable land and polluted water-bodies. Today1, this land has been transformed into a green, vibrant and liveable home to over 130,000 people living or working there, served by a range of social amenities. There are also more than 23,000 registered companies in the Eco-City.

Eco-City site in 2008 where it is mostly flatlands with no buildings

Before: Eco-City site in 2008 before project broke ground (courtesy of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd.)

Aerial view of Tianjin Eco-City today being well-structured with high rise buildings.

After: Green and vibrant Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City today (courtesy of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd.)


The next phase of development will focus on the central district where the Central Business District will be located.

A semi-express rail line is under construction and, when completed, will connect the Eco-City to Beijing, Tianjin city and the rest of Tianjin Binhai New Area(TBNA). This will forge closer economic integration with TBNA and the surrounding Jing-Jin-Ji (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei) region, providing a further boost to the Eco-City’s growth.

For more information on the Tianjin Eco-City, click here.

1 As of 2022

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