[Photo/beijingetown.com.cn]

The Beijing Economic and Technological Development Area (BDA), also known as "Beijing E-Town", is the only national-level economic and technological development zone in Beijing.

Construction of the BDA commenced in April 1992. In August 1994, it was approved by the State Council as a national-level economic and technological development zone. On Jan 26, 2019, the Beijing Municipal Party Committee restructured the management system of the development zone, unifying the planning and development of Beijing E-Town under the BDA, with a planned area of 225 square kilometers.

Since its establishment, the BDA has rapidly attracted over 80,000 companies from more than 40 countries around the world. It is home to 100 Fortune Global 500 companies and hosts a total of 155 projects, with investments exceeding $100 billion. Among them are 1,857 national high-tech enterprises and 108 national-level specialized and sophisticated "little giant" enterprises, placing it at the forefront of national-level economic development zones. The zone also boasts 50 listed companies. The number of invention patents per 10,000 people is now 839, leading economic development zones across the country.

The BDA houses over 900 foreign-funded enterprises. Among them, 182 are above a designated size. The industrial output value of these enterprises accounts for more than 70 percent of the BDA's total.

In 2021, the import and export volume reached $31.5 billion, its cargo exports accounting for 9.4 percent of the city's total, and actual foreign investment utilization reached $360 million. The area hosts 97 Fortune Global 500 foreign-funded enterprises, attracting over 2,000 foreign nationals from 78 countries and regions around the world.

Remarkably, 63 out of the top 100 enterprises, based on output value, are foreign-funded. Prominent examples include the SMC Corporation, which has established its China headquarters in the area, and Daimler and GE Healthcare, which have set up their only research and development centers outside their respective home countries in the BDA.

Despite occupying only 0.35 percent of Beijing's land area, the BDA contributes nearly 30 percent of the city's industrial added value. There are 185 industrial enterprises with an output value exceeding 100 million yuan ($13.7 million), and 54 with an output value exceeding one billion yuan. Additionally, there are 421 service enterprises with operating incomes exceeding 100 million yuan, and 68 with operating incomes exceeding one billion yuan.

As the main base for developing high-end, precision and sophisticated industries in Beijing, the BDA accelerates the development of industrial clusters, with a focus on building a modern industrial system and creating industry clusters with global influence. Its regional influence is on a notable upswing, with the core functions of the city experiencing a substantial leap, further enhancing the overall soft power of the city. It synergistically propels the common development of the southern regions of Beijing and has evolved into a crucial industrial center in the world-class urban cluster of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

[Photo/beijingetown.com.cn]

[Photo/beijingetown.com.cn]