Three former municipal districts in east China's Tianjin - Tanggu, Hangu and Dagang - will be integrated to form the new Binhai district, www.people.com reported. The new district takes up 2,000 sq meters, with a population of 1.47 million.

New Binhai district will have more authority in development, reform and creativity, according to the Tianjian municipal Party committee. Important projects in Binhai district will no longer be supervised by the Tianjin municipality, but by the central government directly.

A new district government will be established from mid-November to the coming January. All governmental departments will be in place at the end of the following January.

Before the merger, the area had seven police stations, five commerce and industry bureaus, six tax bureau and six courts, an inefficient and costly arrangement.

Zhang Gaoli, the Party chief of Tianjin municipality, said: "Reform is the fundamental element to drive up the economy and reach a sustainable development."

(chinadaily.com.cn November 11, 2009)