Beijing is the political center of China where the Party’s Central Committee, the State Council, ministries and commissions under the government, and more than 140 foreign embassies are located.
In 2003 Beijing’s GDP was RMB 361 billion Yuan, an increase of 10.5% form the previous year. Being one of the biggest industrial bases in China, Beijing’s industrial production is the second largest in value among all Chinese cities. An industrial system with iron and steel, coal, machinery, chemical and petroleum, textiles, electronics and other industries as its mainstays has already taken shape. During the 1991-1197 period, the tertiary sector grew at an annual rate of 13 percent, which was higher than that of the primary and secondary sectors. In 1999, the added value of the tertiary sector grew by 9.4% to RMB 1,238 billion Yuan. The tertiary sector has surpassed the secondary industry to become the biggest economic sector in Beijing, accounting for 57 percent of the city’s GDP.
As the country’s center of culture, education, science and technology, Beijing has more than seventy universities, and among them are the world famous Peking University and Tsinghua University.
Beijing is also a major transportation hub. The Capital Airport, the largest and most advanced one in China, has more than twenty international airlines connecting countries in Asia, Africa, America, Europe and Oceania. The five ring roads with 9 toll express-ways, the newly-built City Rail and the Olympic Subway will contribute to an efficient transportation system.
As the Capital of four dynasties before the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing abounds in numerous
|
