This year marks the 10th anniversary of the planning and development of Beijing Municipal Administrative Center (BMC). Sustained efforts over the past decade have transformed BMC into a vibrant modern city. On May 29, a special event in BMC was held as part of the “Foreign Diplomats Experiencing Beijing” series. More than 40 diplomats from 26 diplomatic missions in China visited BMC to gain firsthand insight into its vivid practices of high-quality development.
At the northern end of the millennia-old Grand Canal, more than 20,000 enterprises have established a presence in the Canal Business District, an area known among local residents as “Tongzhou’s CBD”. The diplomats’ first stop was the New Guangda Center, where they learned about the BMC’s planning and layout, industrial development, and efforts to protect, inherit, and utilize the Grand Canal culture. Overlooking the overall landscape of the BMC, the diplomats saw modern buildings arranged in graceful order, a smooth and well-organized urban road network, and lush ecological corridors. Many diplomats stopped to express their admiration. Bibek Rijal, Counsellor of the Embassy of Nepal in China, said that in the BMC, one can feel the integration of history and modernity. “What I saw is a model for future cities,” he said excitedly.
Diplomats Visit Technology Enterprises
Afterwards, the diplomats visited Transn (Beijing) Information Technology Co., Ltd. and Colorfulead Power (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd., where they experienced up close cutting-edge technologies such as intelligent translation, TCM constitution assessment, and new energy optoelectronics. The visits offered them a firsthand glimpse of the BMC’s dynamic sci-tech innovation and industrial resilience. “Today’s visit left a deep impression on me, and I would like to come here again with my family,” said Assia EL Ouatiki, Economic Counsellor of the Embassy of Morocco in China. She added that the event had deepened her appreciation of the BMC’s dynamic development and expressed her readiness to further strengthen exchanges and promote cooperation across multiple fields.
Diplomats Pick Cherries in Shagudui Village, Experiencing Rural Revitalization
The BMC’s achievements in modern agricultural development were equally impressive. Shagudui Village in Xiji Town, located in the southeastern part of Tongzhou District, is known as “No. 1 cherry-producing village in Beijing’s suburbs”. There, the diplomats gained a detailed understanding of Beijing’s progress in advancing rural revitalization across the board. At the end of the event, the diplomats took a boat tour along the Grand Canal and watched “A Journey on the Grand Canal”, a large-scale immersive waterscape performance staged along the route. The experience offered them a unique artistic ambience, as if the boats were gliding through a painting and the passengers moving through a live performance.
The event was co-hosted by the Office of Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, and Tongzhou District People’s Government. The “Foreign Diplomats Experiencing Beijing” series serves as an important platform for Beijing to showcase its urban development achievements to the international community and deepen international exchanges and cooperation. Through field visits and interactive exchanges, the initiative helps diplomatic envoys in China gain a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of Beijing, while striving for solid progress in international cooperation.
