Editor's note: Great achievements have been made in the past five years, as Beijing sped up its efforts to strengthen its role as the center for international exchanges. Beijing has planned and built a number of major landmark projects such as Yanqi Lake International Conference Center, China National Convention Center Phase II (CNCC-II), and the fourth embassy district. It successfully hosted more than 10 major diplomatic events including two editions of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, and major international sports events such as the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Hence, the ability to serve China's overall diplomacy has been enhanced significantly. Beijing has made continuous efforts to improve the business, working and living environment from an international perspective. As a result, the city has become more attractive to foreign-funded enterprises, international organizations and international talent, and has enhanced its position and role among cities in the world.

As the 13th Beijing Municipal Congress of the Communist Party of China is around the corner, Beijing Foreign Affairs Office opens a column themed on "Five Years in Improving Beijing's Role as the International Exchange Center", which presents local media's systematic review and reporting of the city's new progress in improving its role as the center for international exchanges, and reviews the efforts and the splendid and unforgettable moments in the past five years.

As the capital and center for international exchanges, Beijing is the key place for conducting major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. Over the past five years, all of us in Beijing have stayed committed to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy. We have been developing the service capability in line with the needs of China's distinctive major-country diplomacy and Beijing's position as the center for international exchanges and kept breaking new ground in developing Beijing into the center for international exchanges.

The spatial layout for international exchanges has been improved across the board

Located in the center of the Beijing Olympic Park, the China National Convention Center Phase II covers an area of 785,000 square meters, lying to the north of Phase I.

China National Convention Center Phase II

This is just part of our efforts to improve Beijing's role as the center for international exchanges. Apart from this, the Beijing Yanqi Lake International Conference Resort was upgraded and expanded. The Qihu Lake cluster project was ongoing across the board. The second and third phases of the New China International Exhibition Center commenced. The discussions on the site of a convention and exhibition center at Beijing Daxing International Airport were concluded. The development plans for Dongbaxiang were made, and the construction of the fourth embassy district was planned. The development of another "Sanlitun" commercial area was in progress. The construction of three major facilities of Beijing's Municipal Administrative Center was well underway, including a theater, a library and a museum. Beijing has made steady progress in these major projects to be the key place for conducting major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.

Additionally, we have been upgrading the key areas of its spatial layout of "one core, two axes". Special measures have been taken to improve the landscaping and environment in areas near Tiananmen Square, Zhongnanhai and other key areas which usually host major state events. The function and environment of Chang'an Avenue and its extensions for international exchanges were upgraded. The heritage of the Central Axis was well preserved to apply for its inclusion in UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site List, which helps to improve the function of the northern extension of the Central Axis for international exchanges. Besides, plans for the southern extension of the axis were made and implemented. Each of these efforts demonstrates the constantly improving spatial layout for international exchanges in Beijing. 

The platform for international exchanges has been upgraded

The Beijing China-Germany Industrial Park is China's first national-level Sino-German cooperative park themed on economic and technological cooperation. So far, the park has attracted 73 German-invested enterprises including Mercedes-Benz and Wilo. They generated an annual output of around CNY 30 billion, with some 100 German senior executives and engineers. Such latest achievement in building a new industrial cluster characterized by international cooperation results from Beijing's efforts to make full use of the "two zones" policy and explore opening-up with Chinese characteristics in major industrial parks.

In recent years, Beijing has been developing CIFTIS, the Zhongguancun Forum and the Financial Street Forum in a more international, professional and market-based fashion.  CIFTIS has become the only state-level, international and comprehensive fair for China's trade in services. The Zhongguancun Forum has been upgraded to a platform for global exchange and cooperation on high-tech innovation where the achievements of the exchange and innovation can be displayed, launched and traded. The Financial Street Forum is hailed as one of the pacesetters for China's financial reforms.

When it comes to integration into the global innovation network and contribution to building international technological cooperation platforms, Beijing succeeded in hosting its flagship activities for technological exchanges such as the Global Digital Economy Conference, the World 5G Convention and the World Robot Conference. This shows extraordinary improvement in Beijing's ability to distribute innovative sci-tech resources across the world.

International high-end factors has been gathering in Beijing at a faster pace

The Asia Financial Center is situated along the Central Axis of Beijing, resembling the "Lu Ban Lock", a Chinese puzzle. It also appears to be a Chinese knot from an aerial view. As the headquarters building of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), it is a super Grade 5A complex that fulfills the operational criteria of international organizations and building security requirements for embassies.

Asia Financial Center

Beijing has been improving mechanisms to ensure services for international organizations. The government unveiled plans to draw more international organizations to the city and introduced supportive policies. As a result, 106 international organizations like the UNESCO International Centre for Creativity and Sustainable Development, the Global Music Education League and the Global Alliance for Trade in Services have settled in Beijing over the past few years. 

Meanwhile, Beijing has been striving to foster a world-class business environment. It has most Fortune 500 headquarters. Also, it is home to 207 regional headquarters of multinationals and nearly 50,000 foreign-invested enterprises.

Beijing has also been speeding up efforts to build communities for international talent. It has been promoting the high-level building of eight international talent communities including Chaoyang Wangjing, Zhongguancun Science City and Beijing Future Science Park and developing international demonstration blocks with distinctive features such as Wangjing Street and Roman Lake in Shunyi District. Besides, the city hosted HICOOL Global Entrepreneur Summit and Entrepreneurship Competition twice, attracting some 8,000 domestic and international entrepreneurial talent.

(Reporter: Liu Xinxin)

(Photo: Beijing Foreign Affairs Office)