Beijing Economic and Technological Development Area

	Beijing Economic and Technological Development Area Updated: 2006-04-19 15:29 The Beijing Economic and Technological Development Area (BDA) is the only State-level development zone in Beijing, part of which is the Yizhuang Science Park under Zhongguancun Scientific & Technological Park. Overview Situated in the southeast suburb of Beijing, the BDA sits to the west of the entrance to the Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu Expressway and south of the planned Fifth Ring Road. The BDA is 3.5 kilometers to the south of the Fourth Ring Road, 7 kilometers to the south of the Third Ring Road, and 16.5 kilometers away from the Tian'anmen Square in downtown Beijing. It is 20 minutes' drive to the Capital International Airport, 5 minutes' drive to the Cargo Railway Station nearby, and 90 minutes' drive to the Tianjin New Harbor. The eastern part of the BDA is the industrial area, the western part is the living quarters, and in between are the administration and service areas. On the outskirts of the zone is the Supporting Area covering 143 square kilometers. Climate The BDA is in the temperate continental monsoon climate zone. The average annual temperature is 11.5 centigrade, the highest average 26 centigrade and the lowest average -6 centigrade. The annual average rainfall is 580 millimeters. Human Resources As the country's largest scientific and technological research center and base, Beijing has 507 national and municipal research institutions, ranking the first in China. Beijing has 136 colleges and universities including Peking University, Tsinghua University and Renmin University of China. There are 45,000 registered post-graduates and 440,000 undergraduates and students on vocational training courses. In addition, there are 118 technical schools, 282 high schools, 94 vocational high schools, and 3,086 further education institutes. Industrial Structure About 80 percent of the total industrial output in the BDA is contributed by such high-tech pillar industries like pharmaceuticals, information technology, integrated mechanic-electronic products and new materials. Investment Priorities Aiming at becoming a high-tech industry base, the BDA focuses on attracting investment from high-tech companies, multinational companies, and other backbone industrial giants. Development Planning BDA set to become the core area of Yizhuang Satellite City that covers a planning area of 195 square kilometers, a construction area of 90 square kilometers with a population of 500 thousand and one of the priority development areas in the metropolis of Beijing. Administration Committee Tel: 86-10-67881105 Fax: 86-10-67881207 Email: yajuanz@bda.gov.cn Website: http://www.bda.gov.cn/english/index.htm (Source: Ministry of Commerce) (For more biz stories, please visit *Industry Updates*)