Founded in 1404, Tianjin is the biggest coastal city and largest seaport in northern China.  It functions as neighboring Beijing's gateway to the sea, and is one of four Chinese municipalities under the direct jurisdiction of the central government.  This city of 11 million has a strong industrial base in automobiles, pharmaceuticals, metallurgy, petrochemicals and such new fields as environmental services, and saw GDP growth of nearly 16% from 2003 to 2004, when its total output was worth US$36.3 billion.  The city added 214,500 new jobs in 2004, 18% more than the prior year and saw per-capita income rise 14%.