Population: 17.4 million.

Nearest Ports: The closest port is Tianjin, the fourth largest on China’s east coast. Tianjin is thirty minutes away by train, one hour by car.

International Airport: Yes, connected directly to most major international cities.

2007 GDP: US$126.8 billion.

Notable Foreign Investors: Bechtel, Shell, Nokia, Airbus, BASF, Nortel.

Description: Beijing is the political and cultural center of China, the center of national and international exchange, and one of the world’s most famous historic and cultural cities and ancient capitals. The seat of government is here thus it is an important investment destination for all foreign businesses involved in developing national platforms and for obtaining all license applications in major national industries such as banking, finance, and energy. To prepare for its role as host of the 2008 Olympic Games, the city underwent massive renovation that gave it a complete makeover, including works by some of the most sought-after international architects and designers.

Weather: Winter: cold, low -20℃; Summer: hot, high +40℃. Beijing has a dry climate.

Fast Facts

1. Olympics-related construction and other developments gave the city’s economy a RMB 1 trillion boost in 2008.
2. In 2010, minimum labor rates in Beijing rose 20 percent to the second highest in the country (after Guangzhou).
3. Serious water shortages, pollution, energy demands and land distribution issues are longstanding challenges facing both investors and the government.

Beijing is China’s center of politics, history, culture, and national and international exchange and is rapidly catching up to the economic centers of Shanghai and Hong Kong. This is reflected in its government-backed initiative to build up Financial Street, which aims to become the city’s version of Wall Street. In preparation for its role as host of the 2008 Olympics, Beijing underwent a massive makeover that has greatly improved transportation and communication infrastructure.

Infrastructure
Beijing’s road, subway and air infrastructure were recently expanded for the 2008 Olympics. A planned RMB 220 billion high speed rail between Beijing and Shanghai is also expected to be operational before the end of 2011. Other projects, including the construction of a second capital airport, new expressways, and the 7th Ring Road are underway. However, the public transportation system is still underdeveloped compared to other major cities, and congestion remains a serious problem.

Road
Beijing’s road network is comprised of nine expressways (Badaling, Jingcheng, Airport, Jingtong, Jingha, Jingshen, Jingjintang, Jingkai and Jingshi) with a further six on the way (Jingping/Jingji, Northern Jingjin, Southern Jingjin, Second Airport, Northern Airport and Litian Expressways). Further projects will see expressways linking Beijing with Hong Kong/Macau, Urumqi, Lhasa, Harbin, Shanghai, and Kunming, amongst other cities.

Railways
Beijing has four major passenger railway stations: Beijing Railway Station (Central Station) which serves the routes to the north and east; Beijing West Railway Station, which is Asia’s largest rail terminal and serves the south and west; Beijing North Railway Station, which mainly serves the suburban short-distance routes; and Beijing South Railway Station.

Beijing’s railway network boasts 10 major railway lines. To compete with the airlines, the construction of regional bullet and high-speed railways has developed rapidly in recent years. Bullet trains link Beijing with six major cities (Shanghai, Wuhan, Shenyang, Changchun, Harbin and Qingdao). The new Beijing-Shanghai high speed rail will also make stops in 24 different cities, including Tianjin, Jinan, Xuzhou, Bengbu and Nanjing.

Subway
The Beijing subway network has 14 lines covering 336km of track. Several lines were added just for the 2008 Olympics (line 4, line 5 and line 10) and a light railway to the Capital International Airport.

Air
The Beijing Capital International Airport is 26 kilometers northeast of the city center and has three terminals. More than 5,000 scheduled flights are available to 88 cities in China and 69 cities abroad. The government is beginning the first phase of construction for the second capital airport in Daxing district located south of the city.

City Infrastructure
Even with plans for the 7th Ring Road currently underway, the city center is a virtual parking lot during rush hour and remains gridlocked even outside peak hours. Private vehicles must abide by a system which bans cars with certain license plate numbers depending on the day.

Economy and Investment Climate
Beijing’s GDP for 2010 was RMB 1.38 trillion, a 10.2 percent increase year-on-year. Per capita GDP measured at RMB 70, 265 in 2010. Beijing’s GDP increased 11 percent during the previous Five-Year Plan, and its target goal for the 12th Five-Year Plan is 8 percent per annum GDP growth.

In 2010, the total imports amounted to US$245.94 billion and exports to US$55.47 billion. Beijing is the fourth largest region in China for foreign trade, accounting for 10.2 percent of the country’s total foreign trade.

Having the nation’s biggest science and technology research bodies, Beijing will continue to focus investments on its technology industries.

Resources
Government organizations
Beijing Government Website: www.bjgov.gov.cn