Capital-type international exchange center cities generally have embassies and consulates of countries with diplomatic relations, as well as offices of countries with special relations. The number of permanent diplomatic institutions varies from 100 to 180.
In addition to diplomatic institutions, many cities have established many sister cities, which play a unique role in implementing the national foreign policy and promoting friendly exchanges between cities. For example, Brussels, known as the "Capital of Europe", is located in the middle of Europe and has established twin cities with 44 foreign cities.
2. International organizations.
The number of international organizations and influential NGOs in a city is closely related to its international influence. Among the international exchange center cities, Paris has the largest number of international organizations, reaching more than 200. Generally speaking, international institutions are mainly concentrated in Europe and America.
3. International business institutions.
International commercial institutions usually refer to the headquarters, offices, representative offices and operating institutions of well-known multinational groups. For example, there are more than 700 foreign institutions and 480 foreign banks in London. There are more than 300 foreign banks in new york; There are nearly 300 foreign financial institutions in Tokyo, and these three cities are recognized as world financial centers. 1. Diplomatic visits and friendly exchanges.
Generally speaking, new york, Washington, Brussels, Geneva and other international exchange center cities always occupy a central and important position on the international exchange stage. An important feature of these cities is that diplomatic visits and friendly exchanges are very frequent and relatively stable.
2. Large-scale international conferences.
The number of large-scale international conferences is an important symbol of the frequency of city's foreign exchanges and an internationally recognized important channel and advanced form of modern international exchanges. Statistics show that Paris holds 200 ~ 300 large-scale international conferences every year, ranking first in the world. Among Asian countries, Singapore holds about 130 large-scale international conferences every year, ranking among the best in 10. According to the statistics of International Congress and Conference Association (ICCA) 1997, the proportion of international conferences held in all continents is: Europe 57%, Asia 19%, North America 9%, Oceania and Central America 6%, and Africa 3%. From the number of international conferences and world rankings, we can see that those important international conference cities are not necessarily the most modern cities in the world, but they are indeed the most important international exchange center cities. At the end of the 20th century, international exhibitions, as a special form of international conferences, attracted more and more attention. 1. Number of people received. The mobility of transnational personnel is the most basic feature of an international communication center. According to international practice, international exchange activities generally have tourism content, so the development of international tourism indirectly reflects the level of international exchange in cities. The number of overseas tourists in Paris, London and Bangkok reached 500-100000, and the number of overseas tourists exceeded half of the residents in this city. Beijing receives 2.5 million overseas tourists every year, which has reached the reception level of international developed cities in the 1980s.
2. Number of permanent foreigners.
The number of foreign population in a city and its proportion in the total population of the city are important indicators reflecting the international population composition and the openness of the city. Among these cities, new york in North America and Moscow in Europe have as many as 2 million foreign residents; The proportion of foreign residents is above 20%, with a maximum of 29%. There are still few foreign residents in Asian cities. The floating population in Tokyo has reached 260,000, and that in Seoul has exceeded 500,000, which has not yet reached the low level of European and American cities 10%. There are 50,000 migrants in Beijing, accounting for only 0.2%, and the gap is very obvious. 1. City image.
International exchange centers usually have a unique city image, and these iconic images can leave a deep impression on people. The external performance of a city can have a positive impact on the establishment and development of an international exchange center.
2. The influence of international attractions.
Many international exchange center cities are rich in tourism resources, and these world-famous scenic spots directly constitute the core elements of international exchange and have great attraction to people all over the world. (1) city history; ② The quality of major scenic spots such as cultural heritage, natural scenery, theme parks and special tourism projects.
3. Fixed festivals.
International exchange centers usually hold large-scale international exchange activities, and it is also very popular to hold large-scale international festivals regularly. For example, carnival, film festival, music festival and art festival. 1. Large communication facilities.
International exchange center cities usually have many large-scale international exchange facilities, especially large-scale conference and exhibition facilities, and their scale and level reflect the city's ability to hold international activities. Since 1980s, many cities have made great efforts to strengthen the construction of large-scale exhibition facilities and become the "aircraft carrier" of the exhibition industry.
2. International exchange center area.
The scale of communication facilities in the international exchange center is much larger than that in ordinary cities, and there is a trend of centralized development. On the one hand, the centralized layout of these facilities is convenient for planning and construction, on the other hand, it also makes international exchange activities easier to organize and more efficient. Therefore, many international exchange center cities plan to build relatively concentrated international exchange center areas. For example, Manhattan in new york, Shinjuku in Tokyo and Lok Fung in Paris have all formed relatively independent business centers (CBD). There are conference and exhibition centers in Washington, Moscow and Berlin.
3. Modern airport.
The annual passenger throughput of urban airports is the most important index of urban international traffic. Beijing Capital International Airport ranks 49th in the world, indicating that the airport's air transport capacity is still relatively low.
4. City identification system.
In order to facilitate foreigners' communication, international exchange center cities generally have standardized identification systems, and transportation systems, tourist service facilities systems, warning systems and public service systems all have bilingual (usually mother tongue and English) signs. 1. Specialized service organizations.
International exchange center cities generally have a perfect special reception service system, which is usually composed of government service system and social service system.
Government service agencies refer to departments specializing in foreign-related management. Many cities have set up special institutions to manage and promote international exchanges, and many city governments have set up information service centers for foreigners, which can provide weather, medical first aid, tourism shopping, accommodation, tourism, law and other inquiry and consulting services in several national languages.
Social service agencies. Some cities have perfect social service systems, which can provide foreigners with intermediary and direct services in work, life and communication.
2. Information service system.
Modern communication system is the most basic condition of an international communication city, and the international communication system composed of satellites and optical cables has become very popular. Many cities are vigorously building "information expressway", which will have a great impact on international communication.
3. Foreign-related hotels.
The scale and grade of foreign-related hotels are important indicators to reflect the reception capacity and level of cities. As shown in Table 9, hotels in the Asian city of Tokyo have reached world-class in scale and level. Beijing is an emerging hotel center in Asia, with more than 300 foreign-related hotels and more than 70,000 standard rooms. The hardware level of star-rated hotels has reached or exceeded the foreign standards of the same level.
4. Foreign language talents.
It is very important for an international exchange center city to have a large number of foreign language talents. Generally speaking, the international language penetration rate requires more than 25% of the urban population and more than 50% of the urban area. Due to the popularization of higher education in developed countries, the quality of citizens is generally high, and there are many English-speaking countries, so it is very convenient to participate in international exchange activities. There are relatively few people in Asian countries who can speak foreign languages. Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok and other cities have taken many measures to train foreign language talents.
5. Relevant laws and policies.
International exchange center cities require convenient entry and exit procedures. Many countries in the world implement a limited visa-free and visa-on-arrival system. For example, the European Declaration Agreement stipulates that the signatories of the agreement are exempt from visas, and Singapore, Japan, South Korea and China in Asia all have seven-day visa-free and visa-on-arrival regulations. Only Shanghai and Shenzhen Special Economic Zones in China have visa-free regulations within 48 hours of entry.