On the morning of June 26, a special session on improving Beijing’s role as the center for international exchanges was held as part of the press conference series on “Beijing’s Implementation of the Guiding Principles of the 20th CPC National Congress”. Speaking of the new progress in Beijing since the beginning of this year, Xiong Jiuling, Director General of the Office of Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, highlighted five keywords: heavy, resolute, high, fast and excellent.
She explained that Beijing’s task of serving China’s overall diplomacy turned heavier. As China’s diplomatic events and major state events started to be held offline once again, there has been a surge in demand for related services. In the first half of this year, Beijing received 78 delegations of Party and state guests, totaling 3,000 visits, which is twice the number of delegations in the past three years.
Efforts to promote the high-quality development of the capital became more resolute. Beijing has proactively planned and organized high-level foreign affairs activities by tapping into the resources of multinational companies, sister cities, and international organizations. In the first half of this year alone, municipal leaders attended 119 foreign affairs events, half of which focused on the economy and trade. In particular, the Reception Hosted by Beijing Municipality in Honor of China Development Forum 2023, which was themed “Reunion in Spring of Beijing”, sent a strong signal of the city’s unwavering commitment to expanding opening-up and attracting foreign investment.
The vitality of international exchanges reached a higher level. The approval process for APEC business travel cards was streamlined, establishing a green channel for businesses going global and foreign investors visiting Beijing. International air travel showed signs of expedited recovery in Beijing’s two aviation hubs, namely, Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport. In May, 18 international routes were added or resumed, and the number of inbound and outbound flights passed through customs supervision reached 4,912, a 19.8% increase from the previous month. Moreover, Beijing demonstrated strong resilience in trade with countries along the Belt and Road as its first China-Europe freight train set off.
Major projects were carried out at a faster pace. The Qihu Hotel’s main structure has been completed and the construction of Yanqi Lake North No.2 Road has been stepped up. China National Convention Center Phase II is undergoing further renovation, and the planning and design of the road and utility pipelines in the Fourth Embassy Zone have been finalized. The permanent venue for the ZGC Forum and the main structure of the New China International Exhibition Center Phase II are expected to be completed within the year. The construction of the Giant Panda Research and Breeding Base has kicked off.
Foreign-related services and the international environment became more excellent. Multilingual public services were more accessible, with the accuracy rate of foreign-language signs reaching 94% at district level and 98.2% for the whole city. Substantial efforts have been made to enhance the international environment for consumption and recreation, and to boost the inbound tourism market. In the first quarter, the number of inbound visits stood at113,000, up 49% year-on-year.
(Reporter: Fan Junsheng)
