Beijing, the political and economic center of China, is also the hub of China’s IT industry. The development of several IT parks — Zhongguancun Software Park, Changping Software Park and Beijing Industry University Software Park — is evidence of the government’s active support to the industry.

The Temple of Heaven;

Chinese Lion, made of Brass

Service Providers in BEIJING

Achievo Appeon Augmentum BearingPoint DarwinSuzsoft Infosys ISoftStone I.T. United Objectiva Software

Education

• There are several universities in Beijing offering engineering courses, with ten offering courses on programming
• Students are required to have CET (College English Test) certification to make them eligible for diplomas. China’s IT colleges have over 100,000 English teachers.

Employment

• Wages are high in the city. The average annual basic salary of a software developer in China is $13,500
• The wage differential between Chinese and U.S.-based service providers is 88%.

Industry

• Beijing has the best telecom and power infrastructure among China’s cities
• There are several domestic IT companies such as Augmentum, I.T. United and DarwinSuszoft in the city.
• Some global IT-services companies in Beijing include BearingPoint, Capgemini, Infosys, Satyam and Wipro. BEA, IBM, Oracle and Microsoft have set up research centers in the city
• The city is planning to invest $2.9 billion in infrastructure before the 2008 Olympics.

Economy

• Foreign investment has been a significant factor in the growth of urban jobs.

Transport

• Public transport comprises the subway, buses and taxis
• Beijing Railway Station and the Beijing West Railway Station are prominent
• The city is serviced by the Beijing Capital International Airport.