In 1997, second year of the ninth five-year-plan, Beijing showed a good economy trend of "high growth and low inflation". The GDP of Beijing count up to RMB180 billion , 9.5% higher than that of 1996, calculated according to comparable price. The number of average GDP per resident is RMB166,89 , up 8.5% from the same period of last year, and is 2.82 times larger than that of 1980. The financial revenue and expenditure rise 25.5% and 24.1% respectively. Tertiary Industries played an important role in the development of Beijing. Figure shows ,the service sector continued to contribute the most to the city's economic development. 53.8% of the GDP is contributed by the tertiary industries, and this number is 8.3% higher than Shanghai and 11.7% higher than Tianjin. Beijing is experiencing a period of rapid developing and structure transforming.

The city is a major hub for shopping, retailing, and trade. Beijing has built up a well-developed commerce system based on diversified operation and multiple circulation.

Well-known, new and special products from all over China are available in Beijing, and international products and brands are now commonplace. Since the 1980s joint ventures with foreign companies have become common, and the local economy not only includes enterprises owned by the state and collective units, but also many privately owned companies and self-employed individuals.

As the national capital, Beijing is the focal point of communications and transportation in China.

Railroads radiate to all major provincial capitals and industrial cities. The same pattern exists for air services. An underground rapid transit system completed in 1988 moves people within the city limits.

Due to its bright development outlook and a good tendency of "high growth and low inflation" , Beijing is becoming more attractive to overseas investment with the establishment and function of the state-approved Beijing economy and technology development zone, the Beijing new technology development and experiment zone and the city-approved 21 industrial parks . Beijing is leading China in attracting representative offices of overseas financial organizations as well.

Beijing has made prominent achievement in using foreign investment. By the end of 1997, 13384 foreign investors have been approved to initiate enterprises in Beijing, the total value of agreements account to US$35.7 billion (US$20.5 billion attributed to direct investment) .All these foreign enterprises can be classified into three classes: foreign funded enterprises, sino-foreign joint venture enterprises and sino-foreign joint cooperation enterprises, the number of each kind of the enterprises is 2815, 9604 and 965 respectively.
In recent years, 146 of 500 biggest multinational groups have invested in Beijing. All the enterprises are in good condition and have a steadily increasing profit, in the meanwhile, these enterprises have made significant contribution to the economic development of Beijing.Statistics figure shows that 406,500 employment opportunities, a gross output of RMB50.4 billion (14.5% higher than the last year) and a sale income of RMB66.8 billion have been implemented by 4979 established foreign enterprises by the end of 1997.