World’s New Gateway to China

Beijing’s airport economic zone beckons to businesses worldwide for enormous development potential

Located in the hinterland of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster and boasting the comprehensive transportation methods of aviation, highways and railways, Beijing Daxing International Airport is driving the development of the region.

Known as the new gateway of China, it has become an important tool for the country to focus on the future development of world-class urban areas.

The airport’s annual passenger throughput is estimated to reach 72 million in 2025, according to the administrative committee of the Beijing Daxing International Airport Economic Zone.

The annual cargo and mail throughput of the airport is expected to reach 4 million metric tons in the next few years.

The Beijing Daxing International Airport Economic Zone, with an overall control area of about 1,028 square kilometers and a core area of about 150 sq km, is the only advantageous area in the country that has enjoyed the free trade zone policies of both a province and a municipality at the same time.

Of the 150-sq-km core zone, about 100 sq km is in Langfang, Hebei province, and the Daxing part in Beijing covers 50 sq km, which is further divided into two areas.

The eastern area to the airport is 24 sq km, with a comprehensive bonded area, an international aviation community, an international convention and exhibition center, an international consumption hub, an international school and a central ecological park.

As the eastern area puts emphasis on conference and exhibition services, as well as international consumption, the International Convention and Exhibition Center is planned to cover 400,000 sq m of indoor exhibition area and the International Consumption Hub is set to span 57 hectares, a rare large-scale commercial development in Beijing, according to the economic zone.

The western area is 26 sq km, including healthcare services, an international talent community, a science and technology innovation zone and a hospital.

On this 50-sq-km Beijing section of the economic zone, an airport economy is shaping up to promote the region’s sustainable development, with the life and health industry as the leading sector, hub services and aviation support services positioned as the two pillar industries, as well as new-generation information technology and smart equipment being prepared as complementary industries for future development.

As the only area in Beijing that integrates the favourable policies of a free trade zone, Zhongguancun Science Park and the city’s expansion in opening-up of the service industry, the Beijing section of the zone is beckoning to investors and entrepreneurs.

The economic zone boasts a widespread transport network including a high-speed railway linking the airport to Xiong’an New Area in Hebei and a metro line running through to the airport, which spans more than 40 km, with roughly 33 km of it in Daxing district.

The convenient rail transit has further reinforced the economic zone’s position as one of the front-runners in advancing the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. It will also be one of the perks of starting up business in the zone.

The administrative committee has also sorted out a list of idea invitations, targeting more than 400 leading companies, promoting the development of the two complexes — the International Convention and Exhibition Center and the International Consumption Hub — and planning four major industrial zones: a comprehensive bonded area, a smart logistics area, an international aviation community, and an international life and health community.

The airport economic zone will build six major industrial parks: the International Aviation Headquarters Park, the Life Medicine Incubator, the International Business Complex, the Regenerative Medicine Innovation Industrial Park, the Free Trade Innovative Center and the Medical Equipment Intelligent Manufacturing Park.

All these industrial and commercial platforms are expected to help attract global investment and businesses and promote international cooperation, according to the economic zone’s decision makers.

Building on the two complexes as well as industrial zones and parks, the Beijing Daxing International Airport Economic Zone is creating a diverse, open and international environment, and kickstarting the construction of a top global aviation city, aimed at becoming a new growth spot.

This year, Beijing and Hebei have jointly released 32 property development projects, seeking partners from around the world.

Of the projects awaiting global partners, 19 are located in the Beijing part, including the International Aviation Headquarters Park, an aviation sci-tech park, and the Medical Equipment Intelligent Manufacturing Park.

The Beijing Daxing International Airport Economic Zone highly values international investment attraction and has taken action worldwide, said Zhu Tianzhu, an official from the economic zone’s administrative committee.

To better promote itself overseas, the economic zone has established representative offices in targeting regions and countries, including Europe, North America, Middle East, the United Kingdom and Singapore. The Middle East office is sited in Ajman, the United Arab Emirates.

To date, more than 2,790 businesses have registered with the economic zone and nearly 50 of them are foreign-funded.

Innovative incubation projects such as Aige Stem Cell, Shanghai Cell, and Sino Valley have already landed in the zone’s innovation center.

Projects in the life and health fields have started construction, and the economic zone is advancing another group of projects focusing on the aviation industry such as the Civil Aviation Airworthiness Certification Center.

Government data show that more than 200 enterprises have each reported at least 50 million yuan ($7.4 million) in registered capital. Their combined registered capital has reached 71.4 billion yuan.

The latest move was the July 19 inauguration of two life sciences and medical equipment industrial parks, which focus on cooperation with Germany and Europe respectively.

The two parks will help more European healthcare businesses to settle in China and give a further boost to the economic zone’s international profile, Zhu said.

Wang Youguo, Party secretary of Daxing district, said at a news conference that settling in Beijing can be the first choice of international companies and professionals, while investing in Daxing is investing in the future of China and the world.