Region aims for greater commercial integration in future
The Beijing Commission of Commerce will continue to accelerate the integration of the commercial sectors in the cities of Beijing and Tianjin, and Hebei province.
Zhao Weidong, spokesman for the commission, said on Feb 17 that the authority will establish innovative methods of supply, logistics and financing for agricultural items produced in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
“Logistics services in the area will be standardized,” Zhao said.
According to the central government’s plan for integrated development, Beijing has moved 302 markets and 51 logistics centers from the city during the past two years to focus more on the capital functions of Beijing.
Those markets and logistics centers will be settled in neighboring Hebei province.
This year, the commission will move another 120 markets and 38 logistics centers out of Beijing.
At the same time, the authority is encouraging local Beijing brands, such as supermarkets, convenience stores and traditional food companies, to set up branches or stores in Tianjin and Hebei.
These Beijing brands and companies have, to date, set up 110 new stores in Tianjin and Hebei, and the number is increasing, the commission said.
The commission hosted several meetings for companies in the three areas last year, aiming to create a platform for cooperation.
Hebei announced 180 cooperative projects with a total investment of about 400 billion yuan ($58 billion) involving modern services, emerging industries, high-end manufacturing and high-tech industries.
“We will go beyond all existing limitations to provide convenience and full services for companies looking to do business in the Beijing-TianjinHebei region,” Zhao said.
With government encouragement, about 40 Beijing companies have signed agreements to set up branches or factories in Hebei’s Cangzhou Biomedical Industrial Park.
In future, medical enterprises in Beijing will focus on product research and services, and the production base will move to nearby areas outside the capital.