The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region saw its total imports and exports increase 25.7 percent during the past 12 years from 3.74 trillion yuan (around 546 billion U.S. dollars) in 2014 to 4.7 trillion yuan in 2025, according to customs data.
The region marked the 12th anniversary of the beginning of its coordinated development on Thursday. In early 2014, China initiated a key strategy to coordinate the development of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei to move non-capital functions out of Beijing and bridge the development gap between Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.
The data show that the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region's total trade has remained above 4 trillion yuan throughout the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). So far, the region has maintained close trade ties with more than 240 countries and regions worldwide. The European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are the region's two largest trading partners, according to the data.
The data also show that from 2014 to 2025, the trade between the region and countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative grew by 29 percent.
Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region sees total trade up 25.7 percent in 12 years
BMW AG Chairman Oliver Zipse said the automaker will debut its first Neue Klasse model designed specifically for China at the Beijing Auto Show, showcasing a new fusion of German engineering and Chinese digital innovation.
Ties between the two sides are in the spotlight this week as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in China on Wednesday for a two-day official visit, his first since taking office last May. Zipse is among senior executives from around 30 leading German companies accompanying the chancellor on the trip.
"It is the most Chinese car we've ever built, tailored specifically to the needs and wishes of our Chinese customers," said Zipse in an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) on Tuesday.
Zipse stressed that the car's innovations stem directly from BMW's deep partnerships with Chinese tech leaders.
"It features many innovations from our partnerships with leading Chinese players as, for example, battery cells come from CATL, autonomous driving stack is jointly developed with Momenta, and the large language model for the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant is the result of our longstanding partnership with Alibaba," he said.
He presented these partnerships as a blueprint for the future of the global auto industry.
"These features are a perfect example of cross-border collaboration, joint pioneering spirit and mutual openness," Zipse said.
The 2026 Beijing Auto Show is scheduled to be held in Beijing from April 24 to May 3.
BMW to unveil China-tailored Neue Klasse at Beijing Auto Show
