Beijing currently boasts 52 medical institutions with dedicated international medical departments, 156 that provide full-process foreign-language services, and 167 that accept international card payments.
This was announced at today’s press conference on sci-tech innovation, which was held as part of the commemorations for the fifth anniversary of Beijing’s “Two Zones” Initiative. Wang Yu, Member of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, introduced that over the past five years of the “Two Zones” development, the Commission has focused on major health needs and key varieties in biomedicine. Led by the development of research-oriented wards, efforts have been made to deepen reform and innovation in clinical research mechanisms, improve clinical research platforms and support systems, and roll out the Measures to Accelerate the High-Quality and Efficient Development of Research-Oriented Wards in Beijing and the Implementation Plan for Strengthening the Management of Research-Oriented Ward Demonstration Projects. These measures have created a systematic framework for developing demonstration research-oriented wards.
As of now, Beijing has launched three batches of demonstration projects involving 30 research-oriented wards, establishing a well-organized support system for clinical trials that covers nearly all of the city’s leading specialties. Eligible registered clinical trial projects must undergo a pre-approval review before being included in the research-oriented ward demonstration projects. These projects have effectively alleviated the tight supply of clinical trial beds, significantly enhanced the city’s infrastructure, capabilities, and management efficiency of clinical research, and reduced the timeline for multi-center clinical studies. The average startup time for clinical trials has been reduced to 24.9 weeks, with faster cases reaching 17.1 weeks, 7.7 weeks less than the previous year, facilitating the approval and launch of 25 innovative drugs.
To promote the high-standard opening up of the medical sector, the Beijing Municipal Health Commission has issued the Work Plan for the Pilot Program to Expand the Opening-up of Wholly Foreign-Owned Hospitals in Beijing. The plan aims to steadily advance foreign investment access in healthcare by clarifying the investment entities, establishment, operational requirements, pilot areas, industry access rules, professional practice, supervision, and administration for wholly foreign-owned hospitals. Other initiatives include policy dissemination and service support.
Beijing continues to expand its international medical service resources and supports the development of international hospital projects. Beijing GoBroad Hospital in Zhongguancun Life Science Park, the International Clinical Division of Peking University Hospital of Stomatology in Haidian District, and Beijing Fucheng Hospital have all officially opened. The city encourages public hospitals to tap into their potential and establish or develop international medical departments within the limits permitted by national regulations. To date, 52 medical institutions in the city have set up international medical departments, 156 offer full-process foreign-language services, and 167 accept international card payments. Furthermore, Beijing has begun selecting pilot hospitals for international medical services, with 18 institutions currently designated as pilot sites citywide.
Beijing actively facilitates the use of foreign nationals’ identity documents, such as foreign permanent resident ID cards and passports, on medical service platforms, including appointment systems. TheMedical Guide for Foreigners in Beijing has been released on the government’s official English website. The English version of the 114 Appointment Platform has been launched as a pilot on the “Jingtong” mini-program. So far, eight pilot hospitals for international medical services have joined the 114 Appointment Platform, namely the Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Xuanwu Hospital, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, and Beijing DCN Orthopedic Hospital.
Wang Yu stated that, moving forward, the Beijing Municipal Health Commission will further harness the spillover effects of innovative policies in advancing the “Two Zones” development to meet the evolving expectations of market players. The Commission plans to actively promote the establishment of wholly foreign-owned hospitals and continue to offer policy interpretation and support, and to issue the2025 Medical Guide for Overseas Patients in Beijing to support international hospital projects and enhance the quality of international medical services.
