Wei Binglin never thought about starting a company in Beijing, but a regional integration plan for the capital inspired him to try his luck as an entrepreneur outside the city.
Seizing the opportunities of Beijing's expansion and integration with neighboring Hebei Province and Tianjin Municipality, Wei resigned from his job at an advertising company in Beijing and started his own business in Qinhuangdao City, Hebei, about a three-hour drive to the east.
According to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integration plan, adopted last year, many organizations and businesses will be moved from the capital city to neighboring areas.
"In the next five years, several universities and schools will be moved from Beijing to Qinhuangdao, and for me, it means business," said Wei, who is in his early 30s.
Wei's Qinhuangdao Tianchen Technology Company makes digital lab equipment for schools. "I have secured one million yuan in contracts in the last two months. It is a good start," he said.
As Beijing proceeds with the integration plan, a growing number of technology companies have seized the opportunity to expand and change.
Zhongguancun Science Park, often called "China's Silicon Valley," has set up two affiliated business parks in Qinhuangdao and Baoding City in Hebei Province.
"The integration plan has offered incentives and opportunities for high-tech companies to expand into markets in other cities," said Meng Han, deputy director of Zhongguancun Haidian Park Management Committee.
