2023 Themed Field Visit to Changping District by Diplomats to China and BPAFFC Council Members Successfully Held in Changping

On May 10, the 2023 Themed Field Visit to Changping District by Diplomats to China and BPAFFC Council Members was successfully held in Changping District. The event was co-hosted by the Beijing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (BPAFFC) and the Changping District People’s Government. Present at the event were more than 30 diplomats to China and business representatives from 24 countries and international organizations, including Nepal, Singapore, Poland, Mexico, Ethiopia and the Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD), as well as representatives of BPAFFC Council Members in diplomatic and economic sectors.

2023 marks the first year for Beijing to pursue high-quality development in the new era. This event demonstrated the achievements the Capital city has made in technological innovation and rural revitalization, with the aim of promoting economic recovery and building a bridge for economic cooperation for Changping District through people-to-people exchanges. The event highlighted the signature projects of the Future Science City, Zhongguancun Life Science Park and Cuicun Town in Changping District, and showcased the Capital city’s unique advantages in digital technology, biomedicine, agritourism and other fields.

The Future Science City is one of the main platforms of “Three Science Cities and One Hi-tech Area” in Beijing’s endeavor to build a national sci-tech innovation center. In the exhibition hall for the Future Science City, the guests were briefed on the development history, status quo and cooperation needs of the Future Science City. They also paid a visit to Jingle Magic (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd., where they got hands-on with smart desk, smart blackboard, set-top box, smart desk lamp and other cutting-edge devices.

In Cuicun Town, briefings were given on the development status of agritourism in Changping and the specialty agricultural brands and ecotourism of Cuicun. Taking the apple-themed feast as an example, Beijing Changping Vocational School told the story on how vocational education empowers rural revitalization.

Mm. Zhang Qian, Executive Vice President of the BPAFFC, extended a warm welcome to the guests, hoping the event could open a window for diplomats to China to better understand Changping District and Beijing so as to strengthen the friendship between China and other countries and sow the seeds for future practical cooperation. She welcomed chambers of commerce, enterprises and research institutes from around the world to invest and operate in Beijing, and boost a higher-level open economy and promote the high-quality development of the Capital city.

Mr. Zhi Xianwei, Mayor of Changping District, said in his address that Changping is working to bolster the development of medicine and health, advanced energy and advanced manufacturing industries, foster financial services and IT service industries and promote the integrated development of culture, tourism and agriculture. “This event presents to the guests Changping’s achievements in building a high-tech-based, green and healthy Changping, and we look forward to deepening communications and cooperation with other countries with the help of the BPAFFC,” he said.

In the Zhongguancun Life Science Park, the guests visited the BIO² industry incubation platform, Wantai BioPharma and New Era Health Industry (Group) Co., Ltd., and experienced traditional Chinese medicine physiotherapy.

Through the one-day visits and communications, the guests learned about Beijing’s unique advantages in digital technology, agritourism, biomedicine and other fields. They were deeply impressed by Changping District’s sound ecosystems, convenient transportation network and dynamic sci-tech development.

Mr. Tamas Hajba, OECD Senior Advisor for China, commented that what impressed him the most was not only the innovation and R&D outcomes of the Future Science City, but also the close collaboration between educational institutions, R&D facilities and market entities. He noted the key role of vocational education in economic development, saying that the close relations between vocational school teachers and employers facilitate schools providing specialized human resources for enterprises and R&D facilities.

H.E. Mr. Bishnu Pukar Shrestha, Ambassador of Nepal to China, said, “The Future Science City lives up to its name. The products on display are future-oriented, while also refracting the development of China’s science and technology from the past into the future. What impresses me the most is the smart blackboard and other educational products empowered by artificial intelligence and virtual reality technologies, which significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of teaching. When a Nepalese delegation comes to China in the future, I’d like to show them around the Future Science City.”

Mr. Dong Bin, Chief Representative of the Sino-International Entrepreneurs Federation, described the event as lively and fruitful, saying such activities could help foreign enterprises and investment associations get a deeper understanding of Beijing. He pointed it out that the event was truly effective, as the chiefs of relevant chambers of commerce and associations could tell what they saw, heard and felt to their organizations, friends and even their home countries, thus attracting more foreign enterprises and investors to know and invest in Changping.

Mr. Zhao Hongsheng, Director of Committee for Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Overseas Chinese and  Foreign Affairs of Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Mm. Wang Yanxia, Vice President and Senior Councilor of the BPAFFC, Mr. Wu Bing, Vice President of the BPAFFC, and Mr. Liang Shiqiang, President of the Changping District Peoples’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries also attended the event.