BASIC FEATURES AND TRENDS OF THE ECONOMIC BASE OF BEIJING

Key words: 
• Beijing /
• Economic base /
• Economic center /
• World city

Abstract: In China, systematic studies on economic base of a single city are very weak. Based on the 1990 census andrelevant statistics during 1990 - 1994, a comparative study is conducted on Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. The majorconclusions are as follows: (1) Beijing is not only the national political and cultural center, but also the national economiccenter, viz the commercial service center and the low water-consuming, light polluting, external economy-typed andknowledge-intensive manufacturing industrial center, which is appropriate for Beijing's comparative advantage. (2) Thehigh water-consuming, heavy polluting and regional market-oriented industry is overdeveloped as far as Beijing's scarcewater and other natural resources are concerned. (3) Beijing's industrial base is smaller, more regional market-based, andthe 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 implemenl of sustainable development strategy, the external economy-typedand 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.