30 years on, China reviews development zone policies

Thirty years ago, the eastern coast of Tianjin was a patch of deserted land with a few scattered factories. Now it is home to more than 14,000 companies, 5,000 of which are foreign-funded.

"When China first decided to set up a development zone here, people had doubts about how it would progress and how far it could go," said Xu Hongxing, director of the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area.

Various kinds of development have since affected the economy in ways far beyond the expectations of the time. They have generated plenty of growth, but the question arises about whether the policy is still on track.