Editor's note: Strengthening the role as the center for international exchanges is a glorious mission entrusted by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core to Beijing. Districts across the city have faithfully implemented the overall plan by the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, and made concerted efforts in view of their respective strong edges in location and resources in pushing ahead with relevant tasks and achieved impressive results.

To celebrate the success of the 20th CPC National Congress, the official WeChat account of the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office (WeChat ID: bjszfwb) posted a collection of "Highlights in Strengthening Beijing's Role as the Center for International Exchanges by Each District", showcasing the progress and achievements made by each district in related tasks and how they will build on past successes to further advance the capital city's development in the new era.

Pinggu District has strengthened its top-level design in line with the "two zones" initiative and its strategic goals (building the High-Tech Farming Z-Park, a logistics hub, and a world-class leisure valley), made plans to sustain Pinggu’s economic growth in the new era, continued improving its international business environment and services, and attracted international high-end elements for building an international industrial development platform. With these efforts, the district has contributed to the improvement of Beijing's role as the center for international exchanges.

Coordinating Plans to Enhance the Ability to Serve Large-Scale International Events

Taking the priority of the municipal government as its own, Pinggu District has taken the lead in formulating an action plan to improve Beijing’s role as the center for international exchanges during the 14th Five-Year Plan period at a district level. It has mapped out a plan to serve Beijing’s international exchanges and develop industries in the district, playing its part in improving Beijing’s role as China's center for international exchanges across the board.

The district has hosted the 2021 Beijing-Pinggu World Leisure Congress as well as the AgriTech/FoodTech track of the HICOOL 2022 Global Entrepreneurship Competition.

The district has also offered a wealth of talent for foreign exchanges and cooperation. It has introduced special training programs themed on the international exchange center to produce professional talent who can effectively communicate in international settings with a global perspective. The local government has established a professional talent pool by updating its foreign language talent pool across the district and selecting outstanding foreign language talent at different levels.

Also, Pinggu District has standardized foreign language signs before they were put up and strengthened inspections of them, optimizing the international language environment across the board.

Building Three Magnets for International High-End Elements

Build the High-Tech Farming Z-Park to produce quality seeds for China’s agriculture. Pinggu District has sped up its efforts to gather international scientific and technological innovation resources for agriculture by introducing sci-tech innovation platforms and research institutes into international industrial parks. It has co-built the Agricultural Innovation Campus with Wageningen University (Netherlands), and promoted cooperation programs in an orderly manner with enterprises such as Beijing CP Egg Co., Ltd., Syngenta Group, and Bayer. Consequently, the district has created a high-level international industrial cooperation platform, and the High-Tech Farming Z-Park has begun to take shape.

Build a logistics hub in the capital to integrate itself into the new development pattern. The synergy effect of such a comprehensive logistics hub has been amplified as Pinggu District has signed contracts with 15 leading logistics companies including GLP, JD.com, and DNE Group. The district has sped up its efforts to develop its logistics hub into an important node of the international trade and transportation system and in the Belt and Road initiative. The district has been striving to build a Beijing-based logistics center that offers services to Tianjin and Hebei, reaches out to the whole country and connects the world.

Build a world-class leisure valley to embrace a new consumption pattern and lifestyle. Pinggu District has taken the opportunity of hosting the Beijing-Pinggu World Leisure Congress to build a world-class leisure valley. It has been developing emerging types of consumption such as leisure sports as well as organizing new outdoor events and activities. It has launched two flagship international cultural festivals, China (Beijing) Leisure Conference and the International Peach Blossom Music Festival, as well as five leisure sports events with global influence including the International Half Marathon and Sanfo Triathlon.

Combining Online and Offline International Exchanges to Promote Development

Cooperating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Central School of Communist Youth League of China, Pinggu District has invited Chinese and foreign young diplomats to pay a visit to the district and played host to Cuban young diplomats in China for a field trip to learn about local rural revitalization. In this way, the district has made better known its resources for industrial development and achievements in rural revitalization.

Pinggu District has carried out online and offline exchange activities with South Holland of the Netherlands, the Hauraki Region of New Zealand, and New South Wales of Australia. The exchanges were designed to leverage respective resources and tap the potential of cooperation, promote exchanges of technologies and cooperation programs, and drive industrial development. In 2021, the Youth Orchestra from Llíria, Pinggu’s sister city in Spain, recorded a performance video for the Beijing-Pinggu World Leisure Congress. In 2022, Mayor Manuel Civera Salvador of Llíria sent a video to extend congratulations on the opening of the 24th International Peach Blossom Music Festival, and the two sides renewed their friendship through "cloud communication".