Ten years after its inception, China's Jing-Jin-Ji industrial cluster has achieved remarkable growth, boasting a total economic output exceeding 10.4 trillion yuan (about $1.5 trillion) in 2023—a 68 percent increase since 2013.
A standout example of this success is a photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing factory in Hebei Province, part of the Jing-Jin-Ji region. In under a minute, this factory produces a 1.92-square-meter piece of glass capable of generating electricity. This breakthrough was made possible by overcoming technical challenges related to cadmium telluride (CdTe)-based PV technology, which efficiently absorbs visible light to convert it into electric current and voltage.
The collaboration between Beijing's talent-rich research centers and Hebei's robust manufacturing base exemplifies the complementary strengths within the region. In 2023 alone, Beijing transferred over 74.87 billion yuan (about $10.5 billion) in technology to Tianjin and Hebei, a tenfold increase from 2013.
Over the past decade, more than 10,000 branches of enterprises from Beijing's Zhongguancun technology hub have been established in Tianjin and Hebei. Additionally, Beijing-based companies have invested approximately 2.3 trillion yuan (about $324 billion) in these regions, accelerating the \"R&D in Beijing, manufacturing in Tianjin-Hebei\" model.
The Jing-Jin-Ji regional coordinated development strategy, launched in February 2014, aims to balance regional growth, reduce pollution, and promote innovation. Significant achievements include relocating over 3,000 manufacturing enterprises from Beijing to Hebei and Tianjin, upgrading nearly 1,000 markets and logistics centers, and afforesting over 9,200 hectares of land freed from illegal buildings.
Looking ahead, the Jing-Jin-Ji cluster plans to deepen cooperation in technology and innovation. Recent initiatives include the release of six trans-regional industrial chain maps, targeting areas such as new energy, smart vehicles, robots, hydrogen energy, bio-medicine, high-end machinery, cybersecurity, and the industrial internet. By addressing over 400 bottlenecks in these sectors, the region aims to cultivate advanced industrial clusters and further integrate its supply chains.
Li Wei, deputy director of the Railway Engineering Research Institute of the China Academy of Railway Sciences, highlighted the role of Beijing in research and Tianjin and Hebei in manufacturing, particularly in high-speed railway products. This synergy underscores the cluster's focus on leveraging regional strengths to drive national progress.
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Ten years on, how does China's Jing-Jin-Ji industrial cluster perform?
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