Beijing leads the way in building Belt and Road

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The Beijing municipality will continue to seek high-quality development, further open up its service sector, and improve the business environment to better contribute to the construction of the Belt and Road, said Tan Xuxiang, director of the city's development and reform commission, at the first press briefing of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation on Wednesday.  

As a hub of business, technological innovation and people-to-people exchanges, Beijing has been deeply involved in the Belt and Road Initiative since the initiative was proposed in 2013. 

The Chinese capital has established sister-city relations with 56 cities in 51 countries and held the China-CEEC Capital City Mayor's Forum in Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Serbia. Between 2013 and 2018, Beijing and Hong Kong inked 118 cooperation deals worth US$42.5 billion. The city's circle of friends along the Belt and Road is still expanding.

Data shows that Beijing's foreign trade between 2013 and 2018 totaled US$3 trillion. In 2018, Beijing's overseas investment reached US$7 billion, an increase of nearly 70% compared with 2013.

The capital city has strengthened international cultural exchanges through a series of signature events such as "Charming Beijing" and the Beijing International Film Festival. It has teamed up with Athens to establish the China Cultural Center in Athens.

Beijing is quickening its steps to build itself into a global technological innovation center. Apart from the Zhongguancun Science Park - known as China's Silicon Valley - Beijing has introduced a series of science parks and innovation hubs including the China-Italy Design Innovation Base and the China-Israel Innovation Center. In the future, Beijing aims to further build the "Zhongguancun along the Belt and Road."

As China's only pilot city for further opening up the service sector, Beijing is leading the service sector opening with greater access for foreign companies. The city's industrial structure has been optimized, with finance, information and technology industries contributing 67% of the city's economic growth. In 2018, the service sector accounted for up to 81% of the city's total GDP.

In 2018, Beijing's GDP per capita reached US$21,300, the most in the country, pushing the city's pursuit of high quality development to a new level.

Beijing Daxing International Airport - the city's new mega-airport project - will be put into operation in September, which would boost Beijing's transportation capacity and help Beijing play a more crucial role in the construction of the Belt and Road.


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