BEIJING-- Over the past ten years since China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Tianjin has opened itself up to international companies, benefiting both the coastal city and its foreign investors.

Located in northern China, Tianjin is famous for its steamed stuffed buns called "Goubuli", or "Go Believe", which are held in high esteem by both locals and foreigners.

The branding of "Go Believe" is just one of the many examples of Tianjin's internationalization since China's entry into the WTO in 2001. The past decade witnessed a wave of Chinese enterprises "going global" and foreign companies "coming in."

Ren Xuefeng, vice mayor of Tianjin, said a growing number of transnational companies have been attracted to Tianjin, including telecommunications giant Motorala, Sino-French joint venture Dynasty Fine Wines Group, and more recently European aviation giant Airbus and Danish pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk.

European "giant bird" alighting on Tianjin

In 2008, aircraft manufacturing giant Airbus opened its first A320 final assembly line outside Europe in Tianjin, which is regarded as a fine model of China-Europe cooperation.

Airbus President and CEO Thomas Enders told Xinhua that despite the ongoing global economic crisis, China will take the center stage in the development of the global aviation industry and his corporation attaches great importance to the Chinese market.

The new assembly unit received great support from the Tianjin municipal government, said Jean-Luc Charles, general manager of Airbus Tianjin plant, adding that the two sides would continue to expand and deepen cooperation in the future.

Northern European "bull" in Tianjin

Novo Nordisk, a world-leading pharmaceutical firm in diabetes care, has been running business in China for 17 years. The Danish company is well received by Chinese diabetics and its logo of an Apis bull, the sacred Egyptian animal symbolizing eternal life, has become a familiar trademark among Chinese patients.

The Tianjin plant of Novo Nordisk was set up in 1996 and has undergone continued expansion ever since. Currently it is providing insulin products and injection devices to both the Chinese and international markets.

In 2008, Novo Nordisk started construction on a new insulin production plant in Tianjin with an investment of nearly $400 million, which is by far the company's largest single overseas investment.

The productivity of Novo Nordisk's Tianjin plants holds great significance, said Lars Rebien Sorensen, CEO of Novo Nordisk, noting that its insulin products can meet the demands of both Chinese and international markets.

President of Novo Nordisk China Thorkil Christensen said China's investment environment has changed remarkably since it obtained the WTO membership 10 years ago.

The Chinese government is taking a more welcoming stance toward foreign investors and provides greater support for foreign companies and joint ventures, he said, adding that Novo Nordisk would take the opportunity of China's economic development to achieve win-win results.

A popular investment destination for world giants

Of course, Novo Nordisk is not the only multinational giant to pick Tianjin as its favorite investment place. The coastal municipality, after successfully holding the 2008 and 2010 Summer Davos, is drawing more attention from global giants in various fields.

According to official figures, Tianjin's annual utilization of foreign capital increased from 2.56 billion dollars before China's WTO accession to $10.8 billion at present. Over the past decade, the overall amount is $51.1 billion.

During the ten-year period, Tianjin witnessed an influx of international high-tech projects, which promoted the upgrading and reform of its industrial structure, increasing the output of its high-tech industries by more than 10 percent.

Looking ahead into the next 10 years, Tianjin will better illustrate the connotation of "win-win" cooperation between China and the world. Just like what "Go Believe" denotes, Tianjin is and will always be a "believable" market for global businesses.