REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT

Delivered at the Third Session of the Sixteenth Beijing Municipal

People's Congress on January 14, 2025

Yin Yong, Mayor of Beijing

Fellow Deputies,

On behalf of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, I will now report to you on the work of the government for your deliberation and approval. I also invite comments from members of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

I A Review of Our Work in 2024

2024 was a pivotal year for achieving the objectives and tasks outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan. General Secretary Xi Jinping placed great importance on our work in the capital. After the successful inscription of the Beijing Central Axis on the UNESCO World Heritage List, he gave directives on better protecting, promoting and utilizing natural and cultural heritage. In his reply letter to the residents of Shixia Village in Badaling Town, Yanqing District, he emphasized the need for greater efforts to protect and pass on the historical and cultural heritage of the Great Wall. He sent a congratulatory message to the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), encouraging us to leverage CIFTIS to contribute to an open world economy. During a voluntary tree planting activity in the capital, he gave specific guidance on transforming Beijing into a garden city by expanding greenery, planting diverse flora for vibrant hues, and promoting vertical gardening. His caring attention to and earnest expectations for the capital have greatly inspired us in Beijing, motivating us to move forward and strive for excellence.

Over the past year, we have been working under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and the direct leadership of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee. We have also received support and supervision from the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress and its standing committee. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we have implemented the guiding principles established at the 20th CPC National Congress and the second and third plenary sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee. In alignment with General Secretary Xi’s directives on Beijing’s development, we have diligently executed the CPC Central Committee’s decisions and acted on the plans outlined by the State Council. As we pursue Beijing’s development as the national capital in the new era, we have concentrated on bolstering Beijing’s position as the “four centers”1 and improving our ability to provide the “four services”2. We have incorporated the five key initiatives3 into the new development paradigm and ensured both development and security. The economy has been steady and improving. Social harmony and stability have been maintained. We have successfully fulfilled the tasks and targets set at the second session of the 16th Municipal People’s Congress and taken substantial strides toward leading the nation in basically achieving socialist modernization.

We performed our duties with unwavering commitment to strengthen Beijing’s role as the national capital. We continued to carry out the Master Plan of Development for Beijing (2016-2035), improved our ability to support the functions of central authorities, and provided high-quality services for major events such as the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the founding of New China and the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Beijing now boasts eight UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites, including the newly added Central Axis, ranking first among cities worldwide. We made new progress in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development. The second group of municipal government offices moved to the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center (BMC), bringing the total number of government employees working at the BMC to nearly 33,000. We have acted responsibly at all times to ensure safety and stability, and consistently improved our capacity to guard against and respond to various natural disasters and extreme conditions.

We rose to challenges with great enterprise to achieve robust economic growth. Despite the complex and challenging environment characterized by mounting external pressures and internal difficulties, we fully mobilized all mechanisms to advance economic work, ensuring stable and upward momentum in the economy. According to our projections, in 2024, the city’s Gross Regional Product (GRP) grew by around 5.2%, general public budget revenue increased by 3.1%, surveyed urban unemployment rate was around 4.1%, per capita disposable income rose by approximately 4.5%, and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 0.1%. The city’s per capita GRP remained the highest among provincial-level jurisdictions in China, while energy consumption, water usage, and carbon emissions per 10,000 yuan of GRP were the lowest nationwide.

We pursued reform for breakthroughs to drive high-quality development. Acting on the resolution of the CPC Central Committee on further deepening reform comprehensively and the corresponding implementing rules of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, we leveraged reform measures to foster innovation, achieving significant progress in establishing Beijing as a global innovation hub. Beijing recipients won 58 of the State Science and Technology Awards, representing 28.7% of the national total. Beijing-based researchers secured 431 entries on the Highly Cited Researchers list, more than any other city in the world. Beijing ranked among the top three in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s GII 2024 top 100 science and technology clusters, and led the nation in the numbers of national high-tech enterprises, little giants4 and unicorn companies.

We implemented targeted measures, bolstering areas of weakness while capitalizing on our strengths, to enhance the quality of life for our citizens. Intensified efforts were devoted to managing air pollution. This year, despite adverse weather conditions such as dense fog and air stagnation during the autumn and winter seasons, we succeeded in containing the annual average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at 30.5 μg/m3, a reduction of 6.2% from the previous level. This achievement was accompanied by a total of 290 days of good or excellent air quality, 19 days more than the previous year. Beijing emerged as the top city in the national evaluation of pollution prevention and control. We doubled the numbers of initiated and completed renovation projects targeting run-down residential compounds, and improved the environmental conditions of over 2,100 backstreets and alleys. We continued to advance reform to ensure prompt responses to public complaints. By focusing on one key issue per month, we addressed 13 common and thorny concerns frequently raised by the public. We effectively resolved 96.7% of the complaints made through the “12345” hotline, with a satisfaction rate reaching 97%. Thanks to these initiatives, we successfully addressed a multitude of public concerns.

Notes：

[1]The four centers refer to the national political center, cultural center, center for international exchanges, and center for scientific discovery and technological innovation.

[2]The four services refer to services for the central authorities, for international exchanges, for science, technology and education, and for the betterment of people’s lives.

[3]The five key initiatives refer to building Beijing into an international center for innovation; making progress in building the “two zones”; developing the digital economy; stimulating and creating new demand through supply-side structural reform; and making greater headway with Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development through relocation of functions non-essential to the role of the capital.

[4]The little giants refer to top performers among specialized, high-end and innovation-driven SMEs that provide distinctive products or services.

Last year, we accomplished the following work:

1. We implemented a series of targeted measures to ensure stable growth, delivering sustained and upward momentum in the economy.

We rigorously implemented national macro-regulation policies. Through proactive efforts, we obtained 208.3 billion yuan in central government financial support, including ultra-long special treasury bonds, to better deliver on key tasks. We initiated the construction of 86 projects designed to implement major national strategies and strengthen security capacity in key areas. Our equipment upgrade and consumer goods trade-in programs resulted in a rapid increase in equipment procurement and other associated spending. We intensified our efforts to deliver the “three major projects”5. The renovation of 20 urban villages was launched. The construction of 89 public infrastructure projects for both regular and emergency use proceeded smoothly. A total of 71,000 units of subsidized rental housing were made available, and 83,000 units of subsidized housing were completed. We rolled out a raft of timely policy measures, such as reducing down payment requirements, lowering mortgage interest rates, and refining restrictions on housing purchases, to restore and stabilize the property market.

We introduced proactive counter-cyclical adjustments. General expenditures in the budget recorded 839.7 billion yuan, an increase of 5.3% over the previous year. New government investment funds were expanded to cover eight industries, driving 28.6 billion yuan in private investment. The incentive package to stimulate productive investment has been strengthened. Fixed-asset investment in the city experienced rapid growth. The ratio of projects under construction to total project reserves reached 1:3.4, a new high in recent years. We adopted a combination of policy measures to boost consumption. Fifteen commercial areas, including Xizhimen, were upgraded. Several successful large-scale events, such as the Jingcai Lantern Show, were held. After a five-year interval, the city’s two airports once again achieved a passenger throughput of over 100 million. Inbound visits surged by 186.8%. Both tourist arrivals and tourism revenues reached record highs.

We continued to improve Beijing’s government services to foster a more favorable business environment. We deepened the “All-in-One-Go” government service reform. “Scan-to-Inspect” has been adopted by almost all regulatory departments across municipal, district, and sub-district/township levels. We supported scientific and technological innovation and development of the manufacturing sector, and relieved businesses of over 150 billion yuan of financial burdens through tax and fee cuts and tax refunds. We cleared 1.29 billion yuan of outstanding payments owed to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The latest initiative on expanding and upgrading the reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) was fully implemented. Beijing’s SOEs ranked among the top in the country in terms of R&D input. We worked to invigorate the private sector and offered more than 270 billion yuan of investment opportunities for major projects to private investors.

We advanced comprehensive reform in the “two zones”6. Beijing ranked first in the overall evaluation of pilot and demonstration areas for greater openness in the services sector, and produced a number of pioneering outcomes. For instance, Beijing was the first in China to adopt a scenario-based, field-level negative list for outbound data flow of companies in the pilot free trade zone. Beijing CBD was elected President of the Global Business Districts Innovation Club. The E-Town Comprehensive Bonded Zone received administrative approval. The Zhongguancun Integrated Bonded Area began operations. Phase two of the Daxing International Airport Comprehensive Bonded Zone passed final inspection and acceptance. The Tianzhu Comprehensive Bonded Zone rose from ninth to second place in the national performance evaluation. Our efforts to boost foreign trade and investment yielded results, with eight renowned international pharmaceutical companies establishing R&D facilities in the city. The China-Germany Hidden Champions Forum 2024 was hosted in Beijing, marking the first edition held outside Germany in the forum’s 14-year history. The city’s total international trade volume exceeded 3.6 trillion yuan.

Notes：

[5]The three major projects refer to affordable housing, public infrastructure for both regular and emergency use, and the renovation of urban villages. 

[6]The two zones refer to the Integrated National Demonstration Zone for Greater Openness in the Services Sector and the China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

2. We accelerated Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development by progressively shaping a more interconnected growth framework.

We continued to relocate functions nonessential to Beijing’s role as the capital with firm resolve. Another 104 general manufacturing enterprises were upgraded or moved out of Beijing. Over 20 million square meters of illegal structures were demolished. Urban and rural construction land was reduced by another 6.6 square kilometers. New projects, such as Beijing Friendship Hospital Shunyi Branch and phase two of Beijing Technology and Business University’s Liangxiang campus, began operations.

We continued to increase coordination between Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, both in scale and extent. We supported the relocation of key projects owned by the central authorities, such as the China Satellite Network Group Co., Ltd, to Xiong’an New Area in Hebei Province. The Xiong’an Education Group of Beijing No.4 High School was officially established, and the Xiong’an Xuanwu Hospital recorded 190,000 outpatient visits. The Xiong’an sub-park of Zhongguancun Science Park is now home to 130 enterprises, and the Xiong’an Center of the Jingjinji National Center of Technology Innovation entered into operation. Meanwhile, we advanced the development of the BMC to high standards. The Tongzhou campus of Renmin University of China began trial operations, and the three cultural landmarks7 located in the Central Green Forest Park continued to gain popularity. The national trading platform for China Certified Emission Reduction (CCER) was launched. The Dachang-Tongzhou Road was opened to traffic. We also strengthened cooperation and resource sharing in key areas. Working in partnership with Tianjin and Hebei, we established several national-level advanced manufacturing clusters in fields such as intelligent connected new energy vehicles. The Beijing-Yuxian Expressway was opened to traffic. Consistent standards have been applied to 230 administrative service items across the free trade zones in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.

We made solid progress in promoting the balanced development of key regions. We actively planned for the construction of the southern part of the Beijing Central Axis and the coordinated development of the “two parks and one river”8 areas in western Beijing. We supported the high-quality development of new towns in the flatlands with district-specific policies, and led the country in applying ecosystem regulating services accounting in eco-conservation areas. We solidified our standing as a top performer in the national assessment on east-west collaboration and paired-up assistance.

Notes：

[7]The three cultural landmarks refer to the Beijing Library, the Beijing Performing Arts Centre and the Grand Canal Museum of Beijing.

[8]The two parks and one river refer to Shougang Park, Beijing Garden Expo Park and the Yongding River.

3. We leveraged technological innovation to cultivate new quality productive forces, stepping up efforts to modernize the industrial system.

We boosted the overall performance of the innovation system. We enforced the regulations for building Beijing into an international center for sci-tech innovation, and promoted the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent. We supported Beijing-based national laboratories in undertaking major national science and technology programs. Twenty-nine scientific facilities in Beijing Huairou Comprehensive National Science Center were activated, and the first phase of the Nankou National Key Laboratory Base in Changping District was completed. We advanced action plans to sustain the city’s leadership in basic research, and to achieve breakthroughs in key and core technologies. The blockchain platform ChainMaker has gained greater significance in national strategies. The NeuCyber Array BMI System filled the gap in China’s high-performance brain-machine interface technology. Tongtong, the world’s first virtual figure based on artificial general intelligence technology, was unveiled. The city saw 105 large language models registered and launched, maintaining its position as the top performer nationwide. With the implementation of a new round of reform measures, the total technology-related revenues of large-scale businesses based in the Zhongguancun National Innovation Demonstration Zone surged by over 10%. We attracted global talent through more open policies, pioneered a physician-scientist training program, and improved recruitment policies for top university graduates from home and abroad.

We intensified efforts to promote modern services. We advanced the high-quality development of the financial sector. The number of companies listed on Beijing Stock Exchange reached 262. Beijing was granted approval to join the equity investment pilot program for financial asset investment companies. The development of the pilot zone for basic data regulation gained momentum. We launched China’s first training base for large language models. Six hundred square kilometers within the High-Level Autonomous Driving Demonstration Zone has been equipped with smart roadside infrastructure. Revenue in the core sectors of the digital economy sustained double-digit growth.

We strengthened the advanced manufacturing industry. We implemented targeted policies to support 40 niche sectors, including medical devices and new materials. For the first time, the output value of the pharmaceutical and health industry exceeded one trillion yuan. Key automobile projects by BAIC Group, Xiaomi and Li Auto were all put into operation. A total of 300,000 new energy vehicles rolled off the production lines in Beijing last year, an increase of almost threefold. The core AI industries surpassed 300 billion yuan in output value. Major integrated circuits projects were successfully implemented. Future industries saw robust growth. We launched the Beijing Rocket Street project, and unveiled the world’s first full-size, fully electric humanoid robot capable of human-like running. 

We continued to improve the performance of the agricultural sector. We accelerated the development of the High-Tech Farming Z-Park, and initiated the construction of the National Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Platform. Beijing’s self-developed corn gene editing technology made the city a global leader in this field. A total of 135,000 mu (9,000 hectares) of high-standard cropland was created, and the per unit yield increased by 14.5%. The per capita disposable income of rural residents grew by approximately 6.7%, outpacing that of urban residents by 2.4 percentage points.