Since the beginning of this year, Beijing has been advancing the development of the Integrated National Demonstration Zone for Greater Openness in the Services Sector and the China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone (hereinafter referred to as the “Two Zones”) to high standards. The city has made major progress in institutional innovation, in leveraging the advantages of opening-up platforms, and in attracting investment, injecting strong momentum into the capital’s high-quality development.

Institutional innovation continues to deliver results. Beijing has introduced the 3.0 version of its comprehensive reform plan to facilitate cross-border data flow, marking a new stage of the reform on cross-border data facilitation shifting from compliance and convenience to comprehensive implementation. The city has launched a pilot program to import calculus bovis, broadening its supply channels and addressing the long-standing shortage of high-quality raw materials for traditional Chinese medicine. Beijing has introduced a tax credit policy for the reinvestment of profits by overseas investors, helping enterprises effectively reduce capital costs. The city has released the first batch of the 2026 “whitelist” for imported biopharmaceutical R&D items, further benefiting enterprises. Meanwhile, efforts to expand openness in value-added telecom services and biotechnology have been accelerated, with participation growing from early pilot trials involving the first batch of pioneering enterprises to more than 80 enterprises at present.

The advantages of opening-up platforms are being unleashed. The China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone has deepened coordination with the China (Tianjin) Pilot Free Trade Zone and the China (Hebei) Pilot Free Trade Zone, jointly releasing a list of cooperation opportunities for collaborative development across the entire industrial chain and building a platform for targeted business matching. Comprehensive bonded zones have been upgraded for higher quality and greater efficiency. Using the Tianzhu Comprehensive Bonded Zone as a hub, the orphan drug supply network has been effectively extended to Tianjin and Hebei. The clearance and sampling response mechanism for imported pharmaceuticals at the Beijing Daxing International Airport Comprehensive Bonded Zone has been further improved. The main structure of Phase II of the Zhongguancun Comprehensive Bonded Zone has been topped out. Beijing E-Town Comprehensive Bonded Leasing Co., Ltd. has settled in the Beijing E-Town Comprehensive Bonded Zone, accelerating the formation of an integrated bonded leasing industrial ecosystem. Specialized industrial parks are gaining new vitality. The total number of enterprises in the Beijing Lize Financial Business District has exceeded 1,600. Four large-scale scientific facilities in Huairou Science City have been opened to the world. A human genetic resources service platform in Zhongguancun Life Science Park has been officially launched.

Investment attraction has yielded fruitful results. Beijing’s first Qualified Foreign Limited Partner (QFLP) fund, the Beijing Prologis Equity Fund, was established in Xicheng District this year. Mizuho Securities, the second wholly foreign-owned securities company newly established in Beijing, has been set up in Chaoyang District, further promoting healthy competition in Beijing’s financial sector and enhancing the city’s level of international services. Cardif Airstar Insurance, a Sino-foreign joint venture property insurer, has officially commenced operations, focusing on specialized auto insurance products for the new energy vehicle (NEV) ecosystem to enhance service experience for NEV owners. Multinational pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly has announced further investment in Beijing, entering into a strategic production partnership with Pharmaron. Merck China BioPark R&D Center and Harbour Biomed–AstraZeneca Innovation Lab have also been officially launched. In the first two months of this year, boosted by several landmark projects, Beijing’s actual use of foreign capital increased by 75.8 percent year on year.

An official from the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau stated that, moving forward, Beijing will leverage the development of Two Zones to advance greater openness in the services sector, and roll out the phase 3.0 work plan for developing the Integrated National Demonstration Zone for Greater Openness in the Services Sector. The city will fully implement the strategy to improve the China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone, explore the establishment of development areas that coordinate with the pilot free trade zone, expand the openness of key industrial parks, and continuously foster new growth drivers. These efforts aim to accumulate new experience for China’s efforts to expand high-standard opening up and make greater contributions to the city’s high-quality economic and social development.