According to information from Tongzhou District, the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center (BMC) continues to advance the “two zones” development with high standards and high quality on a strong foundation, to better foster new quality productive forces. Since its inception, the “two zones” project pool has registered 1,938 projects, 1,359 of which have been launched. Notably, 188 new projects were added to the pool in the first quarter of this year, with 172 projects launched, ranking third in the city.
The Version 2.0 Work Plan was introduced with 75 tasks
Since September 2020, the BMC has issued a series of documents, such as the Implementation Plan for the Tongzhou Cluster of the Pilot Free Trade Zone, the Three-year Action Plan, and the Plan for Deepening “Two Zones” Development. According to Zhang Feng, Secretary of the CPC Work Committee and Director of the Administrative Committee of the Canal Business District, and First Deputy Director of the Tongzhou “Two Zones” Leading Group Office, four cases of Tongzhou District, including cross-regional government service collaboration and innovation, were listed as national-level cases. Additionally, six cases, including the “Green Plus” industrial chain supporting national green development demonstration zone, were acknowledged as municipal-level excellent cases in Beijing. These efforts contribute the BMC’s approach to the national and citywide “two zones” development.
The BMC is further promoting “Green Free Trade” and other signature initiatives and upgrading policies with a focus on green finance, digital economy, cultural tourism, healthcare, ESG, and other distinctive industries. The recently released Work Plan of Tongzhou for the Development of Integrated National Demonstration Zone for Opening up the Services Sector (Version 2.0) proposes 75 tasks across five areas: deepening reform and opening up in key service sectors, exploring regulations for emerging business forms, improving the policy environment for public services, strengthening mechanisms for protecting rights and interests, and enhancing risk prevention and control systems.
On deepening reform and opening up in key areas of the services sector, there are 18 tasks in six domains, including digital economy, healthcare services, financial services, cultural tourism services, professional services, and reducing trade costs and barriers. On exploring regulations for emerging business forms, there are 16 tasks centered around the development and utilization of data resources, optimizing financial service models and management approaches, and fostering a green and low-carbon circular economy in financial services. On improving the policy environment for public services, 21 tasks have been outlined, including transforming government functions, establishing a system for commercialization of research results, innovating full-process talent service, and making government procurement and the overall business environment fairer and more transparent.
On the protection of rights and interests, nine tasks have been proposed in becoming a top-tier preferred destination for international commercial dispute resolution, refining dispute resolution mechanisms, and optimizing intellectual property protection systems. Meanwhile, On improving risk prevention and control systems, efforts have been proposed in strengthening risk prevention in culture, finance, bio-safety, and data security, and developing a collaborative regulatory system for risk prevention and control to ensure the secure and orderly progress of key tasks.
BMC Service Base of Beijing Stock Exchange starts construction
Canal Business District of the BMC
Photo by Li Bo, a journalist from people.cn
The BMC is demonstrating a stronger clustering effect by attracting major industrial projects. This includes a more prominent headquarters economy, marked by the settlement of centrally-administered and state-owned enterprises such as China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG), China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), State Grid Corporation of China, and China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC). Additionally, the headquarters of municipal state-owned enterprises, such as Beijing Tourism Group (BTG) and Huaxia Bank, are currently under construction. The pivotal role of the financial industry has been reinforced with the launch of groundbreaking projects, such as Sunshine Smart Technology Co., Ltd., BMC’s first insurance technology subsidiary of a national insurance institution, as well as Beijing’s first private equity fund manager in infrastructure development. The BMC Service Base of Beijing Stock Exchange of National Equities System has also commenced construction. Furthermore, the business service sector is flourishing as Beijing De Law Offices, the only domestic law firm specializing in professional and systematic solutions for wealth inheritance, and the globally renowned ICT market information consulting firm IDC established presences. In addition, the global legal service institution Yingke Law Firm opened a branch in the BMC.
The green finance ecosystem is gradually taking shape, as the BMC supports the China Beijing Green Exchange in becoming a national-level institution, and enhances carbon quota and environmental rights trading markets. The initiative to complete 100-billion-yuan green steel transactions has been launched, accompanied by the launch of China’s first standardized carbon chain platform that integrates standard certification, production and procurement, and financial support. China’s first “BOB Carbon e-Loan”, Beijing’s first CCER (China Certified Emission Reduction) pledged loan, and the city’s first 10-billion-yuan green infrastructure investment fund have been rolled out, marking a major step in pioneering green businesses both nationwide and citywide.
As the frontrunner in ESG industry research, the BMC sets an example by introducing the nation’s first ESG evaluation system with Chinese characteristics based on cost internalization and social contribution. It has also established the country’s first ESG-themed equity investment fund—the BMC ESG Fund. In addition, China’s first comprehensive guide to global ESG information disclosure standards, the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Information Disclosure Handbook will be published by the end of the second quarter of this year.
Li Chunshan, Executive Vice President of the Beijing National Institute of ESG, said that with the help of the handbook, the institute has developed China’s first ESG disclosure and evaluation system with Chinese characteristics based on cost internalization and social contribution. As the main drafter, the institute compiled the ESG information disclosure standards for Beijing enterprises, which are the country’s first local ESG standards. These standards will provide guidance for Beijing enterprises to improve ESG governance and fulfill their ESG information disclosure obligations. Moving forward, the institute will leverage its research findings to support the BMC in becoming a demonstration center for global ESG ecosystem innovation. The focus will be on exploring ESG standards, providing ESG governance services for enterprises, and building an ESG data center. With such measures, the ESG innovation ecosystem will take shape faster, contributing to the building of the national green development demonstration zone and Beijing’s high-quality economic and social development.
A top performer in Beijing’s business environment evaluation
The BMC is committed to providing comprehensive services to enterprises and enhancing government-enterprise cooperation. To this end, it has implemented a government-enterprise co-governance model featuring “think tank advice, industry supervision, and user feedback”, built Beijing’s first “Online VR Litigation Service Center”, and pioneered the integration of the printing of certificates of origin and other customs services into the government service center. In the Canal Business District, market and tax offices have been established to handle tax-related and other basic matters within the region, and a one-stop, multi-level, 24/7 industrial service system has been put in place to offer butler-style services to enterprises. Furthermore, the BMC has also assisted 20 innovative and entrepreneurial talents in obtaining recommendation letters for permanent residence under the current household registration system. For enterprises in the Pilot Free Trade Zone, relevant procedures for introducing new graduates can be completed within just three working days.
Steady progress has been made in providing integrated services within Free Trade Zone, which is marked by the signing of a pilot framework agreement between the BMC and China (Hebei) Free Trade Zone. This enables over 3,600 government service items and 267 public items in Beijing and Tongzhou, as well as 555 government service items in Hebei and 501 items in Tianjin, to be handled online, immediately, or in local offices. To date, 15,000 items have been processed across provinces through various channels.
Zhang Feng stated that the reforms in the BMC’s business environment have yielded remarkable results, making it the city’s first administrative district that receives the honor of both the Law-based Government Demonstration Project and Law-based Government Demonstration Zone. Notably, the BMC remains a top performer in Beijing’s business environment evaluation.
