Recently, Yin Yong, Mayor of Beijing, has met separately with Adebayo Ogunlesi, Founding Partner and CEO of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP); Alderman Michael Mainelli, Lord Mayor of the City of London; and Ryan McInerney, CEO of Visa.

Yin said that China’s huge market remains a strong magnet for global companies and financial institutions as the country continues to unleash the potential of its domestic demand and economic growth. Beijing, the capital of China, is home to many national financial decision-makers and regulators, important financial infrastructure platforms, financial associations, and headquarters of financial institutions. The city’s financial sector features a solid industrial foundation, distinctive advantages, and promising development opportunities. Today, leveraging the development of the “two zones”, we are steadily advancing high-standard opening-up with a focus on institutional opening-up, and working to support the country’s financial regulation. The city is also promoting exchanges and cooperation with international financial hubs, enterprises and institutions in an effort to expedite reform and opening-up of the financial sector. Such endeavors have delivered favorable growth prospects and ample cooperation space to global financial enterprises and institutions.

He also mentioned that Beijing is committed to building a sound, efficient and practical modernized urban infrastructure system that is smart, green, safe and reliable, and the city is also improving the comprehensive management of its transport system and upgrading its energy mix. GIP is welcomed to seize the opportunity to increase its investment and presence in Beijing, and intensify infrastructure cooperation with the city in such fields as transportation and energy. Building on the fruitful cooperation between Beijing and the City of London over the years, it is hoped that the two cities will continue to draw on each other’s experience in developing the financial sector, and expand cooperation in areas such as green finance, technology finance, inclusive finance, and asset management. Since the beginning of this year, Beijing has introduced a series of measures to optimize payment services for international visitors. Yin encouraged Visa to give full play to its advantages as a global digital payment pacesetter, and deepen cooperation in cross-border payment, thereby bringing greater convenience in payment for global visitors. By improving its “service package” and “service steward” systems, Beijing aims to foster a market-oriented, law-based, and accessible business climate in keeping with international standards. These efforts will allow Beijing to provide high-quality services to support all types of financial enterprises and institutions to invest and do business in the city, and share the opportunities of its high-quality development and high-standard opening-up.

Upbeat about the future of China’s economy, Ogunlesi expressed GIP’s readiness to increase its investment and presence in Beijing, and deepen cooperation in energy, transportation, among other infrastructural fields, in a bid to support the city’s development. Highlighting the promising outlook and potential of China’s economy, Mainelli noted that the City of London stands ready to work with Beijing to jointly develop the financial sector through closer cooperation in the areas of green finance, inclusive finance, fintech, and flow of talent. McInerney expressed his optimism about the long-term prospects of China’s economy, adding that Visa is committed to further expanding its footprint in Beijing. More digital payment modes will be introduced to facilitate payment for inbound travelers, contributing to closer China-US economic and trade cooperation as well as people-to-people exchanges.

Mu Peng, Secretary General of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality， attended the meetings.