On October 14, the Information Office of Beijing Municipality held a press conference to showcase the high-quality achievements of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, with a dedicated session on the development of Beijing’s role as the center for international exchanges. Officials from both the Office of Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, the Beijing Municipal Administration of Government Services and Data Management, Chaoyang District, and Beijing North Star Company Limited provided briefings and took questions from the press. The event was moderated by Wei Bin, Deputy Director of the International News Division of the Publicity Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee.
Wei Mingqian, Executive Director and Deputy General Manager of Beijing North Star Company Limited:
As Beijing’s only municipal-level state-owned enterprise (SOE) specializing in conventions and exhibitions, Beijing North Star is committed to serving national strategies and contributing to capital development, working to advance Beijing’s role as a center for international exchanges and to promote the high-quality development of the convention and exhibition sector. With 35 years of dedicated efforts, the company has built an integrated convention and exhibition industry chain. It has gained extensive experience and achieved remarkable results in supporting diplomatic events, organizing high-level conventions and exhibitions, managing venues and hotels, setting industry standards, providing research and advisory services, and pursuing digital empowerment. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the company has taken active measures to support Beijing’s role as a center for international exchanges, developing service platforms for international exchanges and fulfilling its responsibilities as an SOE.
First, the company has solidified its role as a “national reception hall” strengthened infrastructure to boost Beijing’s capacity to host international exchange events. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has paidmultiple inspection tours to Beijing, clearly defining the city’s strategic positioning as the “four centers”. The Master Plan of Development for Beijing (2016-2035)highlights that in enhancing its role as a center for international exchanges, the city, should serve as a key platform for major diplomatic and foreign affairs events, supporting the country’s opening up. As a leading brand in Beijing’s convention and exhibition industry and a major platform supporting the capital’s role as a center for international exchanges, Beijing North Star has fully leveraged its expertise in operation and management. It mobilized all available resources to plan and self-fund the construction of two major municipal projects: Phase II of the China National Convention Center (CNCC) and the Capital International Exhibition & Convention Center (CIECC). Both venues came into operation this year, injecting fresh impetus into Beijing’s international exchanges. The city now ranks third nationwide with a total indoor exhibition area of 670,000 square meters, marking a significant leap in its international exchange facilities and event hosting capacity.
Among them, the CIECC, with an indoor exhibition area of 210,000 square meters, has become Beijing’s largest, best-equipped, and most technologically advanced exhibition venue. It is designed for large-scale, exhibition-focused, comprehensiveprofessional events of over 100,000 square meters. This year, the CIECC has hosted several major events, including the 19th China International Machine Tool Show (CIMT) and the China International Auto Service, Products and Equipment Exhibition (CIAACE). For the first time, the CIMT, held in Phase I of the New China International Exhibition Center (NCIEC), reached over 310,000 square meters, setting a new record in Beijing’s history.
CNCC Phase II, in conjunction with Phase I, forms a convention and exhibition complex with a total floor area of approximately 1.3 million square meters—the largest of its kind globally— serving as the core venue for state-level events as well as high-level international conferences. The international finance conference held in May 2024 marked a milestone in global financial events. This year, we have hosted major events including the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum, the 10th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the 29th World Gas Conference (WGC2025), and the recently concluded Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women, upholding the “national reception hall” standard with top-tier facilities and services.
Second, upholding the highest standards to enhance service quality and fulfill our critical role of supporting major national events.Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, under the leadership of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, the Beijing Municipal Government, and the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality (Municipal SASAC), Beijing North Star has supported more than 20 major state and government events, adhering to its principle of “pursuing excellence and ensuring flawless execution”. We have received over 1,000 ministerial-level and higher-ranking guests from home and abroad at the major events personally attended by General Secretary Xi Jinping or received his congratulatory letters. These events range from Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games marking “A Date with Snow and Ice”, to the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) pursuing “Silk Road Connectivity”, from the inaugural China–Central Asia Summit in 2023 underscoring “Good-neighborliness and Mutual Trust”, to the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China–CELAC Forum strengthening “South–South Cooperation”, and finally to five consecutive sessions of the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) promoting “Opening up and Win-win Cooperation.” In August 2021, following the instructions of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and the Beijing Municipal Government, Beijing North Star joined hands with leading domestic and international enterprises to establish Beijing Capital Group Exhibitions & Events. As the market-oriented operator of CIFTIS, the group has, for consecutive years, taken full responsibility for investment and exhibition promotion, market development, professional visitor engagement, operational support, and regular event hosting. Leveraging its expertise and full-industry-chain advantages, it has driven the comprehensive and sustained upgrading of CIFTIS.
Each event is like a major test. Through practice, we have refined the standards of our “state guest service team” and forged a support unit that can be swiftly mobilized, perform under pressure, and deliver with excellence. We have also established a standardized workflow covering preparation, execution, and review. Our “state-guest-level” services have not only earned high recognition from governments and organizers at all levels, but have also become a benchmark of “Beijing Service”.
Third, building a “Convention and Exhibition Plus” ecosystem by establishing a global cooperation platform and leveraging the sector’s role to empower a wide range of sectors. As an integral part of modern services, the convention and exhibition sector serves as a key platform for connecting industries, promoting trade, and facilitating economic exchange. Beijing North Star has taken the initiative to act as a bridge linking the world and promoting cooperation, facilitating the hosting of high-level international exhibitions in Beijing. Among them, Swift International Banker’s Operation Seminar 2024 (Sibos 2024) and WGC 2025 stand out as flagship industry events organized during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, serving as national-level platforms for opening up. The company has also boosted cooperation with more than 10 leading global organizers, including RX, Messe Frankfurt, GL events, and dmg events, to bring high-quality international exhibition resources to China. We have supported several CIFTIS sectors, including telecom services and healthcare services, as well as the China Refrigeration Expo in expanding their global presence. In addition, we have facilitated the establishment of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) China Office at CNCC Phase II, advancing mutual recognition of professional certifications in the convention and exhibition industry worldwide. In collaboration with Chaoyang District, we have developed the Chaoyang Data Factor Industrial Park and the AI Convention and Exhibition Industrial Park in the central area of Beijing Olympic Park, and promote the establishment of a one-stop service center for foreign-related affairs, further enhancing the internationalization of exhibitions and conferences and facilitating exchanges for foreign individuals.
Meanwhile, we have explored new models for innovative development. Since its launch in May this year, CNCC Phase II has not only hosted multiple major events to the highest standards, but also leveraged its multi-functional venues to stage music performances, art exhibitions, fashion shows, and other activities. These initiatives have generated a multiplier effect, with each exhibition stimulating multiple industries and fostering a new ecosystem for coordinated development in the convention and exhibition sector.
As the pioneer and key developer of the Yaao area, Beijing North Star has spearheaded the establishment of the Yaao Business District New Consumption Innovation Alliance. The company is exploring the integrated development of conventions, exhibitions, commerce, culture, tourism, and sports, with the goal of turning the Yaao Business District into a new international consumption landmark. We have also partnered with multiple parties to initiate the AI Convention and Exhibition Ecosystem Alliance, promoting digital and intelligent transformation of the industry, and providing a “Chinese solution” for its innovative development worldwide.
At this critical juncture—closing the 14th Five-Year Plan and preparing for the 15th—Beijing North Star will further promote the high-quality development of the capital’s convention and exhibition industry under the guidance and support of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, the Beijing Municipal Government, the Office of the Leading Group for Improving Beijing’s Role as the Center for International Exchanges, Municipal SASAC, and other relevant authorities. The company will further contribute to shaping the international image of Beijing and supporting its role as the “four centers”.
