In 2025, Beijing's digital economy grew by 8.7% year-on-year, with core industries expanding 10.4%, according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics. Strategic emerging services and high-tech service sectors performed strongly, led by information technology services, emerging software development, and new media services.

Investment in emerging sectors fueled growth. High-tech industrial investment surged 40.1%, while information, integration, and innovation-driven infrastructure projects advanced steadily. The city also registered 209 large AI models, with pilot bases for “AI+” applications in healthcare, manufacturing, and scientific research established to support industrial innovation and urban development.

Environmental performance is no longer a side condition for project financing in the Yangtze corridor; it has become a core screening criterion. According to CDB, future lending will continue to emphasize ecological protection and green growth, with capital flowing toward projects that combine environmental outcomes with economic resilience.

For foreign banks and institutional investors, this signals a financing environment where sustainability-linked assets, green infrastructure, and low-carbon industrial systems are increasingly central to deal origination.

Beijing's large and medium-sized key enterprises increased R&D spending by 7.1% in 2025. Industrial, scientific research, and technology service sectors each recorded double-digit growth, with a larger proportion of companies engaging in R&D activities, reflecting strengthened innovation capacity.

The Zhongguancun Demonstration Zone launched a new round of spatial adjustments to build future-oriented industrial parks covering 20 emerging sectors, including quantum information, brain science, 6G, and neuromorphic computing. Technical revenue of key enterprises in the zone rose 13.1%, accounting for 28.4% of total revenue, highlighting the tangible impact of innovation investment.

Mizuho Securities (China) Co., Ltd., with RMB 2.3 billion registered capital, officially opened in Chaoyang District, marking Beijing’s second wholly foreign-owned securities company. Local regulators provided fast-track services for registration, shareholder verification, and organizational setup, demonstrating “Beijing efficiency.”

Meanwhile, BNP Paribas Tianxing Property & Casualty Insurance Co., Ltd. commenced operations on January 22, 2026. The firm, jointly established by BNP Paribas, Sichuan Yinmi Technology, and Volkswagen Financial Services Overseas, focuses on insurance for new energy vehicles and related ecosystems. Innovative product offerings and streamlined claims processes are expected to rapidly strengthen its market presence.