On the evening of March 26, a dinner themed “Reunion in Spring of Beijing” was held as a part of the China Development Forum (CDF) 2023 Annual Meeting, which took place in Beijing. Over 40 guests were in attendance, including global heads of multinationals, foreign leaders, and chiefs of international organizations and institutions. Yin Li, Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Beijing Municipal Committee, delivered a speech, while Lu Hao, President of the Development Research Center (DRC) of the State Council, Yin Yong, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Mayor of Beijing, and Liu Wei, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, were present.

General Secretary Xi Jinping attached great importance to the Forum and sent a congratulatory message to the 2023 Annual Meeting, said Yin Li, who in his speech expressed heartfelt thanks to friends and people from all walks of life for their longstanding care and support to Beijing’s development. According to him, Beijing is not only the capital of China with a rich history and splendid culture, but also an open, inclusive, and dynamic international metropolis. In the previous year, it led the country in terms of per capita GDP and overall labor productivity. Thanks to a large pool of educational and sci-tech professionals and a stable R&D intensity of over 6% of GDP, the city has made successive technological advancements It is also home to the largest number of Fortune 500 companies in the world for ten consecutive years.

He also said that the world has high hopes for Beijing, as the city is creating more opportunities for cooperation and development. By serving the country and remaining open to the global market, Beijing is building itself into an international consumption center with well-connected highways and railways, as well as two world-class international aviation hubs. It has ramped up the development of the International Center for Science & Technology Innovation, the world-leading sci-tech parks in Zhongguancun, and the protection of intellectual property rights to create an excellent innovation ecosystem for technological development. To build a benchmark city for the global digital economy, it is essential to nurture industrial clusters that will lead future development, especially in key industries such as next-generation information technology, medicine and healthcare, and artificial intelligence. Beijing will promote the “two zones” development and create a first-rate business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized to facilitate trade and investment. By sharing the opportunities arising from the super-sized market, the new round of technological revolution, the restructuring of the global industrial chain, and the deep and all-round reform and opening-up, we can foster closer trade, innovation, and industrial ties. Together,  we can create new growth drivers, benefit from openness, and create a better future through win-win cooperation.

Oliver Bäte, Chairman of the Board of Management and CEO of Allianz SE, delivered a speech on behalf of the guests, congratulating Beijing on its remarkable socio-economic achievements in recent years. He expressed his readiness to conduct further interaction and cooperation with Beijing, aiming to share opportunities and achieve win-win outcomes in the future.

Before the dinner, there was also an exhibition showcasing the “Beijing Central Axis”, and a captivating performance was also held during the dinner.

Municipal leaders Mo Gaoyi, Xia Linmao, Jin Wei, Zhao Lei, Yu Yingjie, Sima Hong, and Mu Peng, secretary-general of the municipal government, attended.

(Written by: Fan Junsheng, Yang Qi)