Tianjin taking all due precautions as it gets back to work

Tianjin High-tech Area, one of the five functional areas of Binhai New Area, will provide up to 100 million yuan ($14.2 million) to subsidize local companies to procure medical protective materials.

To date, a total 41.1 million yuan has been issued to companies, which have been under pressure to resume production, especially from overseas orders, said an area executive in a news conference on Thursday.

Zhu Caibin, vice-director of the administrative committee of the Tianjin High-tech Area, said the move is part of efforts to implement the city's 21 measures announced early this month to help local companies overcome current difficulties amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia and allow them to resume production.

Among the 41.1 million yuan, a total of 5 million yuan worth of surgical masks, liquid soap and cleansing chemicals has been procured by the administrative committee and delivered to local companies.

It also rented three express hotels to help accommodate employees as their new dormitories in a bid to secure one staff per room, from previously three to four staff per room.

To date, the area has seen up to 333 companies restart production, including 166 large-sized companies with annual revenue above 20 million yuan, he said.

Yang Pengfei, Party secretary of Tianjin San'an Optoelectronics Co Ltd, said the company did not halt production during the Spring Festival because of "demand from overseas orders".

The company was provided with 2 million yuan from the high-tech area to procure medical protection facilities for its staff members, he said.

Wang Nianju, executive vice-president of Tianjin Lishen Battery Joint Stock Co Ltd, said the company plans to resume up to 80 percent of its total production capacity, because "we have to complete orders from our international clients including Samsumg, Google and Mercedes-Benz, and we have benefited from the new dormitory from the high-tech area".

Currently, the company is producing up to 200,000 batteries daily with its current 15 production lines involving 1,200 staff members.

Qin Shaohua, general manager of Siemens Mechanical Drive Systems (Tianjin) Co Ltd in the area, said the company has seen 300 staff members rejoin the production crew, including 10 foreign members.

Within the 50,000 square meters of workshops, half of its products will be exported overseas.

"We have great confidence in combating the current difficulties thanks to policy support, material preparation as well as emergency prevention measures from the government," he said.