Basic features and trends of the economic base of Beijing

Abstract

In China, systematic studies on economic base of a single city are very weak. Based on the 1990 census and relevant statistics during 1990 – 1994, a comparative study is conducted on Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. The major conclusions are as follows: (1) Beijing is not only the national political and cultural center, but also the national economic center, viz the commercial service center and the low water-consuming, light polluting, external economy-typed and knowledge-intensive manufacturing industrial center, which is appropriate for Beijing’s comparative advantage. (2) The high water-consuming, heavy polluting and regional market-oriented industry is overdeveloped as far as Beijing’s scarce water and other natural resources are concerned. (3) Beijing’s industrial base is smaller, more regional market-based, and the service base is more diverse, larger and more national market-based than Shanghai’s and Tianjin’s. (4) With the development of socialist market economy and implement of sustainable development strategy, the external economy-typed and knowledge-intensive manufacturing industry with lower input of water and less environmental pollution, and information-intensive service industries will centralize further, and the industry with higher input of water and/or severe environmental pollution will decentralize.