Recently, at the first Conference on Sustainable Development of Global Intelligently Interconnected Digital Economy, the first batch of "Global Intelligently Interconnected Digital Economy Demonstration Cities" was announced. Beijing ranked No. 1 on the list, with over 200,000 digitally capable companies and a digital economy size expected to exceed 2.5 trillion yuan.

The "Global Intelligently Interconnected Digital Economy Demonstration City" program, jointly launched in February this year by the World Internet of Things Convention and other international organizations, is aligned with the United Nations' global digital cooperation and sustainable development goals. It recognizes cities with global influence and strong IoT and digital economy innovation capabilities. The selection process involves methods such as applications by cities and recommendations from governments and international organizations, with evaluations conducted by a review committee comprising experts from over 20 countries worldwide.

In 2021, Beijing officially set the goal of building itself into a global pacesetter in the digital economy. Data show that in 2024, the added value of Beijing's digital economy surpassed 2.2 trillion yuan, which accounted for over 52 percent of its GDP. Also, the number of AI  companies in the city surpassed 2,400, with the core industries' revenue exceeding 300 billion yuan. By the end of 2024, nearly 600 manufacturing enterprises above the designated size in Beijing had reached digital transformation standards, and Beijing ranked first among cities in the number of patented inventions in digital technologies around the world.

(Source: Beijing Daily)