Northern China's only pilot free trade zone of its kind, in Tianjin, says it is looking at an expansion project and is discussing possibilities of making Caofeidian Port in Tangshan, Hebei province a part of the zone.

Yan Qingmin, vice-mayor of Tianjin, says that the move will be used to help bring Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei together as has been discussed at this year's two sessions in Beijing in March.

The vice-chairman of the Hebei CPPCC, Duan Huijun said he believes that since Caofeidian sits in between the Bohai Sea and the Beijing-Tianjin area, it has become an important place for many national strategies. And, it and the Tianjin zone have similar port, land, and industry advantages and complement each other.

The zone's deputy director, Yang Bing, added that the Tianjin zone's bonded goods exhibition and import functions can be tested in Beijing and Hebei. There is also a European trade center in the Tianjin Airport Economic Zone that is used for the Tianjin zone's bonded goods exhibition and import and its GM, Ling Chaoxiang, says that they have an influence that extends to northern China and that many people in Beijing and Hebei drive there for shopping, as do merchants from Beijing, Hebei and northeastern China looking for supplies.