On October 22, the third joint meeting of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Free Trade Zone took place in Beijing. During the meeting, participants signed the “Action Plan for Deepening Collaborative Development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Free Trade Zone (2025),” which highlights five key areas of focus: promoting high-level institutional openness, facilitating trade and investment, enhancing industrial development capabilities, improving integrated development levels, and maximizing the comprehensive effects of reforms. These efforts aim to enhance the performance of the free trade zones in these three regions and position Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei as a leading and exemplary region in China’s modernization efforts.
Additionally, a new batch of collaborative innovation achievements was announced, including guidelines for foreign investment in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Free Trade Zone and the 2024 Collaborative Development Report, along with 15 case studies on reform and innovation practices from the three regions. Following the meeting, attendees visited various locales, including the “Two Zones” exhibition hall, the Beijing Green Exchange, the Beijing City Library, and several representative enterprises to explore new developments in the “Two Zones” initiative and the progress of Beijing’s sub-center construction.
The joint meeting mechanism for the three regions was officially established after the first meeting in Tianjin on September 27, 2021. This year marks the first time the meeting has been held in Beijing. It also coincides with the tenth anniversary of the collaborative development strategy between Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, and the fourth year since the establishment of the Beijing Free Trade Zone, highlighting their significant achievements.
The three regions are working together to deepen institutional innovation. They have introduced a policy-sharing list titled “One Region Innovates, All Three Recognize,” which enhances collaborative innovation among the areas. They have developed a series of institutional innovations in customs supervision, intellectual property protection, and tax cooperation.
Furthermore, the three regions are promoting investment and trade facilitation. They launched the nation’s first “single window + blockchain” model, facilitating customs clearance and data sharing across borders. New shipping initiatives have significantly reduced the time for import and export container clearance, with times for importing goods dropping to as little as 1.5 hours, compared to 1-2 days previously.
In terms of open platform development, the Daxing International Airport is now home to the country’s first cross-province air economy zone, free trade zone, and comprehensive bonded area, combining policies and spatial development. Additionally, the nation’s first cross-regional offshore trade public service platform, “Jingmao Xing,” has been established, verifying trade settlements amounting to $3.2 billion.
Lastly, the regions are jointly enhancing the business environment. They introduced 203 initiatives across five batches which standardize administrative services in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Free Trade Zone, ensuring equitable processing and efficiency. They also published a list of 165 qualifications for mutual recognition across the regions, facilitating easier access for foreign talent and streamlining the processes for high-demand professions.
