BEIJING, March 18(Xinhuanet)-- Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference(CPPCC), sent a letter Friday extending his congratulations to the opening of a forum on economic development in the Bohai bay area in Tianjin, a city neighboring Beijing.

"The Communist Party and the State Council have attached great importance to facilitating economic development in the Bohai bay area and the Tianjin Binhai new area. It's a major part of China'sstate development strategy and a historical opportunity for Tianjin and the Bohai bay area," he said in the letter.

The Binhai area, located in the east of Tianjin, covers an areaof 2,270 square kilometers, including Tianjin's port, the biggest harbor in north China, and rich reserves of petroleum, natural gasand sea salt.