Since the start of this year, Beijing CBD has been deeply implementing the pilot free trade zone enhancement strategy and the implementation plan for building the Beijing International Legal-Business Integration Demonstration Zone, intensifying reform and innovation efforts. In the first half of the year, the Chaoyang Cluster of the International Business Service Area within the China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone saw the establishment of 26 new foreign-funded enterprises, with actual foreign investment utilization reaching US$576 million. The cumulative total value of goods imports and exports reached RMB 72.82 billion, and the number of multinational corporate regional headquarters reached 127, accounting for nearly half of the city's total. Behind these figures lies the determination and resolve to support the region's high-level opening-up and high-quality development. Let's take a closer look at the key initiatives.

Accelerating the Development of a Legal-Business Integration Ecosystem to Facilitate Outbound and Inbound Business

To further assist enterprises in "going global" and attracting global resources "coming in," Beijing CBD has been continuously accelerating the construction of a legal-business integration ecosystem, regularly holding circuit trials and legal interpretation activities. Following the Beijing Representative Office of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, the Beijing Representative Office of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre has successfully settled in the CBD. At the same time, a "commercial mediation + judicial confirmation" operating model has been established, with the first batch of 103 member units forming a legal-business integration service matrix. This covers eight major professional service industries, including legal, accounting and auditing, consulting, intellectual property, advertising, human resources, quality inspection technology, and finance, enabling comprehensive alignment with the diverse commercial needs of domestic and international market entities. Leveraging the Beijing Co-building "Belt and Road" Express Integrated Service Platform's CBD offline reception hall, services such as outbound investment consulting are provided to enterprises, and a "bi-weekly clinic day" activity for enterprises going overseas has been launched. The first batch of legal-business integration landmark buildings has been released, with six benchmark buildings selected: CP Center, China World Trade Center, Fortune Financial Center, Beijing Kerry Centre, Fortune Financial Center, and China Mall Center. The Beijing Intellectual Property Public Service CBD Workstation, the Overseas Intellectual Property Protection Service CBD Liaison Station, and the Legal-Business Integration Demonstration Zone Intellectual Property Empowerment Station have all been established on site.

Amplifying Advantages and Seizing Opportunities with Continued Leadership in Cross-Border Data Facilitation Reform

This year, Merck, Cochlear, and Nonghyup Bank have successfully implemented negative list filings in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and commercial banking sectors respectively, landing in the CBD and achieving compliant cross-border data outbound flow. This makes the region the one with the most cases of data outbound flow using the negative list in the city. The CBD gathers a large number of multinational corporate regional headquarters, with concentrated cross-border business needs in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, finance, and artificial intelligence, providing a solid industrial foundation for the implementation of institutional innovation achievements. In terms of cross-border data flow, the CBD will focus on three key areas: continuing to amplify the institutional dividends of the negative list by systematically summarizing the practical experience of landed projects in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and banking, increasing policy promotion and preliminary guidance for key industries such as automotive and AI, exploring more industry scenarios, and promoting more enterprises to benefit from the conveniences brought by the negative list, thereby transforming institutional advantages into enterprise development efficiency; persisting in deepening whole-chain enterprise services by leveraging the integrated service capabilities of the Beijing Cross-Border Data Service Center CBD Service Station, refining policy consulting, filing guidance, and thematic training to help enterprises better align with various reform measures and continuously reduce compliance costs; and strengthening scenario demonstration and deepening summarization by leveraging platforms such as the China International Fair for Trade in Services to systematically sort out, summarize, and refine a batch of replicable cross-border data practice cases, transforming real enterprise business scenarios into demonstration samples to provide practical support for deepening cross-border data facilitation reform.

To build an international central consumption vitality zone, the CBD has been continuously enhancing the vitality of the business district's consumer market, introducing and landing 11 typical first stores such as Kolon Sport and Norway Old Man, hosting nearly 20 special events including the "Belt and Road" International Food Festival and the Central Green Space Molly Exhibition, and making the CBD time-limited pedestrian street a popular destination for citizens. The renovation of The Place has been accelerated, with a full-scale upgrade of the public plaza, canopy system, and commercial spaces covering a total construction area of approximately 230,000 square meters. In the first half of 2026, the CBD business district saw 1.1 billion visitor trips and card consumption reaching RMB 64.6 billion. Today's Beijing CBD not only possesses an international vision but also international ambition. From the robust legal-business integration ecosystem to the cross-border data flow facilitation reforms and the vibrant pulse of international consumption, the region is accumulating powerful momentum to transition from "following" to "leading," moving with confident and steady steps toward the next stage of high-quality development. Embracing the world and connecting China, Beijing CBD is providing answers for the future.