A 30-square kilometer eco-city project in the northern port city of Tianjin, which is jointly planned by China and Singapore, is expected to break ground in July and be completed in 10 to 15 years.

The three-square-kilometer start-up area will start to be developed in three to five years, according to a plan revealed on Tuesday.

This urban development project, second joint project by the two governments after the China-Suzhou Industrial Park in east China's Jiangsu Province, will not take place at the expense of the environment as buildings in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin eco-city will be energy efficient, according to the plan.

The eco-city is 40 kilometers from Tianjin city and 150 kilometers from Beijing.

One third of the land to be used is salt pan, one third is deserted beach and one third is water.

"To build the eco-city in a harsh natural environment shows the ecological essence of the project," said Lin Xuefeng, deputy head of the eco-city administration commission.

When completed, the eco-city is expected to be a model for other cities in China.

(Xinhua News Agency May 8, 2008)