Q1 GDP growth surges in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei

GDP growth surged in Beijing, Tianjin and the province of Hebei by 17.1 percent, 15.9 percent and 15.1 percent respectively in the first quarter from a year earlier, Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.

In Beijing, high-tech industries and emerging strategic industries saw respective growth of 23.8 percent and 25.3 percent year-on-year. And vaccine firms have given a big boost to industrial added value in Beijing.

Two vaccine firms based in Beijing, namely Sinovac Research & Development Co Ltd and the Beijing Branch of the National Vaccine & Serum Institute, pulled up the increase by 13.8 percentage points of industrial added value above the designated size of the capital.

The two firms will lift their rollout capacity of COVID-19 vaccine to 4 billion doses this year after their phase three workshops are put into use, said Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform.

Tianjin also enjoyed a year-on-year rise of 30.3 percent in industrial added value above designated size. And Hebei province saw production growth in 35 out of its 40 industries.