While much of the world focuses on macroeconomic headwinds, parts of Beijing are quietly accelerating a high-impact agenda in trade facilitation and digital infrastructure. From an industrial surge in Shunyi District to a breakthrough cross-border digital trade pilot spanning China, Singapore, and the Middle East, these developments reflect China's evolving strategy to deepen services-sector reform and drive next-generation connectivity.

For global investors, multinational logistics operators, and compliance professionals, both initiatives offer practical insights—and in some cases, immediate application potential.

Shunyi's “Two Zones” Initiative: Turning Policy into Projects

Since the start of 2025, Shunyi has emerged as one of Beijing's most active districts under the “Two Zones” framework, which combines the city's Free Trade Zone policies with those of its National Demonstration Zone for services-sector opening. With 190 new projects launched this year, Shunyi ranks second citywide, and leads in implementation with 102 projects already operational.

One key driver of this performance is regulatory responsiveness. The district recently hosted its first Policy Direct Expressseminar of the year, held at HICOOL Industrial Park Phase II. Officials from the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, Customs, and the Medical Products Administration gathered to offer real-time interpretationof the latest enterprise-focused reforms. These sessions are designed to bridge the “last mile” of policy delivery—critical for foreign firms navigating a complex regulatory environment.

Industrial momentum is also visible on the ground. At the Capital International Airport Economic Zone, 53 new enterprises registered in January alone, with total capital exceeding CNY 391 million. The area has become a magnet for logistics, high-end manufacturing, and services businesses, benefiting from proximity to the airport and seamless customs coordination.

Meanwhile, the opening of the Capital International Exhibition and Convention Center—and its coordinated operations with the China International Exhibition Center (Shunyi Hall)—is reinforcing Shunyi's positioning as a gateway for global events and trade promotion.

From Beijing to Dubai: A Real-Transaction Digital Trade Pilot Unfolds

In parallel with Shunyi's on-the-ground acceleration, a digital milestone was quietly achieved in March 2025: the completion of the first real-transaction cross-border trade digitalization pilotinvolving China, Singapore, and the Middle East.

Jointly launched by Beijing's “Two Zones” Office and Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the pilot introduced an end-to-end interoperable trade system designed around electronic transferable documents (eBLs). Two innovations were central:

Blockchain-based certification and dual-platform verification, which recorded cryptographic hash values at 11 key process nodes for issuing, transferring, and clearing eBLs.

A trilateral collaboration model, integrating China-Singapore digital standards with Middle Eastern application scenarios, allowing for the cross-border sharing of 28 structured trade data points.

Results from pilot enterprises suggest transformative outcomes:

·80% improvementin cargo rights transfer efficiency

·65% boostin logistics traceability

·40% reductionin compliance costs

·A cut in eBL processing time from 7 days to just 8 hours

·100% real-time visibilityover goods in transit

·60% increasein customs clearance efficiency

For financial institutions, this also implies faster financing cycles, better risk tracking, and alignment with emerging global norms such as the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR)and the ICC Digital Standards Initiative.