Is Beijing international?

Is Beijing already an "international city"? There are, no doubt, hundreds of scientific and pseudo-scientific cultural factors that those who ponder this question will draw on to provide a reasoned answer. The short answer, at least statistically, is seemingly a resounding no.

There are about 110,000 non-Chinese nationals staying longer than six months, the largest proportion being workers and students, at 40,000 and 30,000, respectively. Many of the rest are diplomats and longer-staying tourists, those not on a work or study visa.

According to the most recent figures, the current population of Beijing is 22 million, suggesting non-Chinese make up about 0.5 percent of the population. Compared with the stereotypical international city of London, where more than 30 percent of its residents were born abroad, and New York, estimated at more than 20 percent foreign-born, you could say that Beijing has a long way to go.