Over the past year, Beijing’s “two zones” development has gathered pace, with 85.7% of the tasks outlined in the State Council’s Work Plan to Support Beijing in Pursuing the Initiative for the National Comprehensive Demonstration Zone for Greater Openness in the Service Sector (2.0 Plan) implemented within just one year. According to the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, the number of newly established foreign-funded enterprises in the city grew by 16.4% year-on-year in 2024, 6.5 percentage points higher than the national average. A total of 7,187 new projects were launched under the “two zones” framework.
Steady Expansion of Institutional Opening Up
Inside the bonded warehouse of Kyuan Trade in the Tianzhu Comprehensive Bonded Zone, Voxzogo (vosorotide)—a medicine for children with achondroplasia—is readily available on refrigerated shelves, awaiting to bring hope to young patients. Once an order is placed by the Beijing Children’s Hospital of Capital Medical University, the medication will be transported via cold-chain logistics directly to the hospital’s storage facility.
Achondroplasia is a rare disease that significantly impacts patients’ quality of life. Voxzogo, the world’s first approved treatment for children with achondroplasia, has not yet been approved for marketing in China. In November 2023, the State Council approved the establishment of a pilot zone for rare disease drug access in the Tianzhu Comprehensive Bonded Zone. This initiative aims to explore pathways for importing rare disease medications not yet registered in China to be used under the supervision of designated medical institutions.
The policy has brought hope to patients with rare diseases. Municipal government departments across Beijing have worked closely together to establish a fast-track approval channel for rare disease drugs and set up a full-chain, closed-loop regulatory system. Upon arrival at the airport, the imported drug is immediately traceable via the tracing system managed by the Beijing Municipal Medical Products Administration (BMPA). Through the drug’s traceability code, doctors and patients’ families can access information about the drug’s import batch. According to a representative from Kyuan Trade, more than 1,400 vosorotide injections have been delivered to the Beijing Children’s Hospital of Capital Medical University since April 11, 2024.
Beijing has pioneered several opening up initiatives, including the establishment of China’s first pilot zone for rare disease drug access, the launch of pilot programs to expand openness in value-added telecommunications and healthcare sectors, and the release of the country’s first scenario-based, field-level negative list for cross-border data flow of companies in the pilot free trade zone. These pioneering efforts have driven the continuous upgrading of Beijing’s Pilot Free Trade Zone. In the 2023 annual performance assessment released by the General Administration of Customs, Beijing’s Tianzhu Comprehensive Bonded Zone ranked second among all comprehensive bounded zones nationwide, marking its best performance ever.
A Series of Landmark Projects Unveiled
“Deloitte University Asia Pacific China (DU AP China) campus has garnered three international awards for its design!” This exciting news came from Deloitte’s office shortly after the new year started.
As a key project under the “two zones” initiative, DU AP China was independently planned, invested, and constructed by Deloitte China. It stands as Beijing’s first leadership and professional skills development center operated by an international brand. Situated at the foot of the Great Wall near the Yanqi Lake, the campus is based on the renovation and expansion of some old factory buildings with new constructions to establish an innovation system aligned with the Huairou Comprehensive National Science Center.
After several years of construction, DU AP China was inaugurated in October 2024. Upon entering, visitors are greeted by the “Tree of Cultural & Values,” a landmark installation designed as a high-tech display in the shape of a tree, seamlessly blending modern technology with artistic design. Suspended red lantern installations utilize high-tech materials to create diverse visual effects through changing lights.
In addition to the main teaching building, the connected hotel provides over 140 guest rooms. The campus is also equipped with dedicated banquet hall, innovation spaces, restaurant, and other facilities, with a capacity to accommodate up to 20,000 learners annually. Patrick Tsang, CEO of Deloitte China, said that the center will offer learning and development opportunities for talent in China, the Asia-Pacific region, and globally, serving as a window to showcase Beijing’s investment and development environment.
Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and six other renowned international pharmaceutical companies have established new research and innovation institutions in Beijing. The world-renowned technology transfer company, Steinbeis, has also set up its China headquarters in Beijing. A new batch of landmark projects has been launched, accelerating the aggregation of global innovation resources in the capital. In 2024, the total number of “two zones” projects in Beijing reached 9,945, with 7,187 new projects implemented, and an expected investment of 1.02255 trillion yuan.
Foreign Enterprises Expand Business Scale
In the underground parking lot of SOLANA, a supercharging station provides convenience for new energy vehicle (NEV) owners. “The car was fully charged in the time it took to have a meal!” said Ms. Sun, a resident of Chaoyang District. She noticed that the charging station signage features both BMW and Mercedes-Benz logos, remarking that it “looks quite unique.”
In 2024, Chaoyang District introduced implementation guidelines and several measures to accelerate the development of the NEV industry, striving to boost the quality and competitiveness of the sector. Mercedes-Benz (China) Investment Co., Ltd. and BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. established a joint venture—Beijing IONCHI New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.—in Chaoyang District to provide Chinese customers with fast, convenient, reliable, and tailor-made charging solutions. In October 2024, the first batch of IONCHI supercharging stations started operations in commercial areas such as Dongba Wanda Plaza, SOLANA, and the China World Trade Center. Vehicle owners can locate charging stations through apps and mini-programs, make online reservations, and enjoy a digitalized charging experience.
As of now, IONCHI has established 23 supercharging stations in Beijing and over 200 nationwide. The company aims to build a network of at least 1,000 advanced supercharging stations across China by the end of 2026. Additionally, where conditions permit, IONCHI will also procure electricity generated from renewable sources and introduce green energy facilities such as photovoltaic and energy storage systems at select stations.
As the environment for foreign investment continues to improve, a number of foreign-funded enterprises have established a strong presence in Beijing, actively expanding their investments and business operations. Standard Chartered Securities (China) Limited, the first newly established wholly foreign-owned securities company in China since the lifting of foreign ownership restrictions, has officially commenced operations, contributing to the high-level opening up of China’s capital markets. Additionally, Mastercard NetsUnion, the country’s second joint venture bank card clearing institution, has started operations and launched new card products. According to statistics, in 2024, the number of newly established foreign-funded enterprises in Beijing increased by 16.4% year-on-year. The actual use of foreign capital in the Beijing Pilot Free Trade Zone accounted for 39.9% of the city’s total, an increase of 20.6 percentage points compared to the same period last year.
According to the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, this year, Beijing will deepen comprehensive reform in the “two zones” and formulate the 3.0 version of reform measures, thereby further advancing high-level opening up.
