With the reconstruction of the Beijing metropolitan area, the
proportion of farmers in Chaoyang, Haidian, Fengtai and Shijingshan
districts has been gradually decreasing with numbers falling from
528,000 in 1995 to some 450,000 at present.
Over the next few years, Beijing will establish a structure of "big
city, little villages" by decreasing the population of farmers and
proportion of cultivated area, and promote the integration of towns
and rural areas. Chaoyang District, for example, has reduced its
number of farmers from 1 million in 1990 to about 200,000 at
present. It's reported that by the end of 2002, some 8,000 more
farmers will say goodbye to their rural life styles and join the
group of urban residents.
Relevant experts say that with Beijing becoming increasingly
modernized and internationalized, the city's economy no longer
depends on the traditional agricultural industry, with sectors such
as high-tech replacing rural activities as the economic mainstay.
Booming tertiary industries, such as real estate, business and
trade, the service sector and tourism, have become the leading
economic sectors. The successful bid for 2008 Olympics together
with the construction of the CBD (Central Business District) will
advance the course of rural urbanization and city modernization as
well as regional internationalization.
Chaoyang District, an economic source of power in eastern Beijing,
has attracted over 60 percent of Beijing's foreign chamber of
commerce as well as more than 3,000 foreign companies and 167
international news institutions. About 158 of world's top 500
enterprises have set up operations in Beijing, with two-thirds of
these located in the Chaoyang District. The district's GDP reached
45.1 billion yuan (US$5.46 billion) in 2001, ranking it first of
all districts and counties in Beijing with consumer turnover from
retail sales hitting 24 billion yuan (US$2.9 billion yuan).
According to future plans for Beijing, all areas making up the
Chaoyang District will be integrated as part of the city's downtown
area by 2010.
According to relevant departments, the proportion of high-tech
related businesses will increase from 29 percent to 40 percent,
while traditional industries will fall from 53 percent to 40
percent with city industries up from 18 percent to 20 percent.
(China.org.cn by Li Xiao, December 2, 2002)