Editor's note: Strengthening Beijing's function as the center for international exchanges is a lofty mission entrusted to Beijing by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. In recent years, all districts in Beijing have earnestly implemented the general plan of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee and leveraged their advantages in location and resources to advance various tasks in improving Beijing's role as the center for international exchanges, making remarkable achievements and impressive progress.

To celebrate the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office started this new column themed "Improve Beijing's Role as the Center for International Exchanges: Development of Districts" to display the progress and achievements in all districts. Building on past successes, we will advance our cause and redouble efforts to promote the development of Beijing as the national capital in the new era.

Shunyi District fully implements the national strategy of opening up and optimizes the organizational structure of the leading group of Shunyi District to promote its role in building Beijing into the center for international exchanges. It has formulated the Three-Year Action Plan for Promoting Shunyi's Role in Building Beijing into the Center for International Exchanges to strengthen its top-level design, continued to improve services, promoted advanced manufacturing, and offered more platforms. In this way, the district has been deepening international exchanges, attracting international elements, optimizing government services as well as improving the international environment to serve the overall diplomacy of the country and further improve Beijing's role as the center for international exchanges.

I. Facilities & Mechanisms: Improving Services for Major State Events

Shunyi District has hosted multiple important state events, from which experiences have been drawn, mechanisms have been optimized and capacity has been boosted. The district has facilitated the "Rebuilding the National Gateway" initiative of Beijing Capital International Airport, improved the function of the airport and port hub as well as gathered headquarters-based and pivotal resources to better demonstrate the charm of the "First National Gateway". The district has also been accelerating the development of the international convention and exhibition zone in Beijing. After completion, the second phase of the National Convention Center will play an important role in serving Beijing as the center for international exchanges and hosting major diplomatic and foreign affairs events.

Architectural Rendering: The Second Phase of the National Convention Center

II. Openness & Innovation: Stimulating the Vitality of Industries to Improve Quality and Efficiency

Shunyi District has kept innovating policies to promote openness. It has implemented multiple original policies such as allowing domestic buyers to purchase medicines from foreign suppliers via e-commerce platforms and streamlining the regulation of bonded aviation supplies. Since the "two zones" initiative was launched, 8,159 new market entities have been added with 776 projects put in the pipeline and 455 projects put in place. The National Base for International Cultural Trade (Beijing) has introduced more than 20 top international galleries. The popular commercial area, Shine Hills, and the old shopping areas have been linked. As a result, 46 retailers above the designated size and 2 commercial complexes have been added, boosting consumption by 59.4 billion yuan.

National Base for International Cultural Trade

China-Germany Industrial Park (Beijing) has taken the lead in innovating mechanisms and cooperation, gathering more than 80 German-invested enterprises such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Bosch and Wilo SE, with a total investment of 4.5 billion USD.

China-Germany Industrial Park (Beijing)

The economic zone of Beijing Capital International Airport is the largest of its kind by scale, openness, internationalization and the number of air service providers, gathering nearly 100 Global 500 companies, more than 70 Beijing-based enterprises and more than 500 foreign-funded enterprises.

Committed to serving international entrepreneurs, the Business Creation Center for International Talent in the pipeline will offer integrated services including policy consultation, tax incentives, trading technology, and foreign-related business assistance. In the next five years, the city will introduce five international innovation incubators and welcome thousands of international innovators and entrepreneurs including 5% of foreign nationals.

Planning Map of the Business Creation Center for International Talent

III. Platform & Service: Cultivating Quality Flagship International Events

Shunyi District has been striving to build a quality international platform to expand international exchanges. During the 2022 Beijing China-Germany Forum for Industrial Cooperation and Development, the Twin Centers for Industrial Cooperation of China-Germany Industrial Park were officially inaugurated, with 17 key projects signed and put in place.

The HICOOL Global Entrepreneur Summit and Entrepreneurship Competition were held in Shunyi for three consecutive years, attracting 14,000 entrepreneurs and 11,000 entrepreneurial projects from 94 economies around the world and incubating eight unicorns and 44 enterprises that use special and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products.

By hosting the World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference, Shunyi District has attracted a wide range of international talent and investment, gathering more than 80 upstream and downstream businesses in the supply chain.

The district also hosted the China International Forum on Innovation and Development of Airport Economy, further gathering resources for international aviation and high-end airline services.

China International Forum on Innovation and Development of Airport Economy

IV. Environment & Culture: Optimizing the Internationalized Environment to Attract High-End Resources

Shunyi District has been exploring multiple ways to help overseas Chinese talent return to China to innovate and start businesses, contributing to building Beijing into a magnet for high-caliber professionals. It has been building international talent communities, highlighting Shine Hills as an international business demonstration area, and Tianzhu culture and art demonstration zone and others as distinctive demonstration blocks. Additionally, the district has established nine international talent communities which have hosted more than 50 cultural activities and 17 online lectures.

The district has made great efforts to optimize its international language environment. It has implemented the Beijing Municipal Regulations on Improving the City's Language Environment for International Exchanges, strengthening the standardized management of foreign language signs in key areas and carrying out joint inspections to ensure the correct use of foreign language signs during international events.

Joint Inspection of Foreign Language Signs

The district has organized colorful international cultural activities such as the Chinese and English Song Contest of Shunyi District, and 24 sessions of English Corner and 10 cross-cultural international talent community exchange activities this year, creating a more international environment.

The 4th Chinese and English Song Contest of Shunyi District