Beijing

Background

Beijing, formerly romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China and a municipality directly under the administration of the State Council. It is located in Northern China and is mostly surrounded by Hebei Province, with Tianjin to the southeast, and together these areas form the Jing-Jin-Ji region. With more than 22 million residents, Beijing is the world’s most populous national capital and one of China’s largest urban centers.

The city is an important national and international hub for politics, diplomacy, finance, business, education, research, transportation, and media. It hosts 176 foreign embassies and the headquarters of many major Chinese state-owned companies, as well as numerous international and national organizations. Beijing also has major significance in global economic and scientific activity through areas such as Beijing CBD and Zhongguancun, and it is home to leading universities including Tsinghua University and Peking University.

Beijing has over three millennia of recorded history and has served as the political center of China for much of the past eight centuries. It is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China and contains major historical landmarks, including the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, and parts of the Great Wall and Grand Canal. In recent international affairs, Beijing was the signing location on 3 September 2025 for the Road Map for 2026–2028 cooperation among the CIS, CSTO, and SCO, including an anti-drug component, underscoring its continuing role as a venue for multilateral diplomacy.