(XUE LIQIANG)

A national cruise ship tourism development zone in north China's coastal city of Tianjin has received approval to be built.

The international cruise home port in Tianjin's Binhai New District was put into operation in June 2010. Since then it has attracted the world's three largest cruise liner companies—Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Carnival Cruise Lines in the United States and Costa Cruise Lines in Italy. Official data showed that over the past two years, 85 international cruise ships have docked at the port. The number is likely to jump to 90 in 2013 alone.