Editor’s Note:

Beijing Overseas Talents Center (BOTC), as an exemplar in promoting people-to-people exchanges, delivered a presentation at the Meeting on People-to-People Diplomacy of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee on March 28. Let’s take a closer look at BOTC’s wonderful stories and discover the charm of people-to-people exchanges.

BOTC has closely aligned its efforts with the citywide endeavor to build Beijing into a center for international exchanges, coordinating resources to promote international exchanges and cooperation to facilitate people-to-people connectivity with dedication and sincerity.

Building Networks and Platforms to Promote Innovation-Driven Development

In collaboration with domestic and international organizations such as Switzerland’s Biz Switzerland, Spain’s Global Switch Data Center, and France’s automotive industry association PVF, BOTC initiated the Contact Beijing • Global Network for Innovation Services (GNIS). To date, it has forged partnerships with 66 institutions across 13 countries, channeling global innovation resources into Beijing while empowering Beijing’s innovation resources to reach the world.

GNIS International Cooperation Salon on New Quality Productive Forces

GNIS Hard Tech Achievements Transaction Roadshow Event

BOTC has organized four editions of the Beijing International Youth Innovation and Development Forum and launched a variety of initiatives, such as the “Innovation Talk”, to empower young innovators worldwide in multiple dimensions. By creating a platform for exchanges and cooperation in engineering technology, these efforts have served over 800,000 people over the past four years. Notably, Brazil’s StartSe, leveraging the “Innovation Talk”, has organized 15 business delegations to visit Beijing, bringing hundreds of Brazilian entrepreneurs for field visits and project matchmaking, building a bridge for collaboration.

2025 Beijing International Youth Innovation and Development Forum

Delivering High-Quality Services and Telling Engaging Stories to Promote People-to-People Connectivity

Over the past three years, BOTC has organized more than 30 diverse events, engaging over 3,000 foreign nationals in Beijing. Through activities such as traditional festival gatherings, cultural performances, hands-on intangible cultural heritage experiences, and “Happy Chinese” programs, BOTC has helped foreign friends gain a deeper understanding of Beijing.

To showcase Beijing to the world, BOTC collaborated with China Daily to create the “Beijing Highfliers” media matrix. Its “Hi Beijing” short video series highlights the city’s livable, business-friendly, open, and inclusive environment. One featured story is that of Muhammad Ammar, a Pakistani educator who has lived in Beijing for 18 years. Six members of his family have studied in the city. Ammar shared that his father came to Beijing in the 1970s, drawn by China’s rapid infrastructure development, while he himself stayed for Beijing’s international environment. For their family, Beijing has become a second home.