With its gross domestic product (GDP) per capita breaching the threshold of $10,000 (approximately 68,280 yuan) last year, the capital city of Beijing is well positioned to embrace bigger dreams.

After successfully hosting the Olympic Games in 2008 and celebrating the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China last October, it has become hard to come up with new goals that are just as inspiring.

But the blueprint that Mayor Guo Jinlong has presented to the 13th Beijing Municipal People's Congress to remake Beijing into a "world city" by 2050 provides us with a worthy aim.

A per-capita GDP of more than $15,000 a year is said to be one of the criterions that a global city must meet. Riding on the robust growth of the Chinese economy that has defied the global recession to expand 8.7 percent last year, it looks more than likely that Beijing will achieve even more in advancing its economy in the future.

However, to meet the growth target is just one step, maybe the easiest one - given the strong long-term momentum of the Chinese economy - that Beijing must maintain to elevate itself into a global city.

The other characteristics of the distinction usually include possessing global influence of politics and culture, as well as the strong appeal as possible headquarters for influential international organizations.

Undoubtedly, the increasing importance of China as a key global player will add much to Beijing's chances to surpass other candidates in competing for the endorsement as a global city.

But it is not the admiration from without that will define the city's prestige. Ultimately, it is the feeling of the local people about their city as a place for living and making a living that determines if it is a dream city.

Over recent years, the Beijing municipal government has done well in boosting economic growth to help raise the average income level for local residents. It has also splashed on urban infrastructure to make the city a better place to live.

Nevertheless, as living standards rise gradually, so does the demand from people for better public services.

After Beijingers have grown rich enough, for instance, to buy 4 million cars by the end of last year, they are eagerly looking for a smart traffic plan that can guarantee their joy of driving without frequently turning the city's main streets into open-air parking lots.

Cleaner air, better education and healthcare, more decent jobs as well as affordable housing are all on the long list of wishes that local people will expect from a world city.

Local officials should have understood, from the very beginning, that Beijing's new dream is mainly no longer about economic growth.

Go to Forum >>0 Comments