Beijing in Brief 3/4: More Foreign Students, 100 Billion In Spending = 1.8% Traffic Improvement

Every time the sun sets on the Beijinger's editorial offices, we lament the fact that there's still so much we never got to that day. So we're testing out an evening column in which we summarize the news we didn't manage to write up before quittin' time. Enjoy.

China's International Student Body Growing
The number of international students in China grew to 440,000 in 2016, 11.4 percent more than the previous year, the Ministry of Education reports. The number of students from countries that are part of China's "belt and road" initiative – essentially all of continental Asia, the Middle East, eastern Europe and parts of Africa – is growing at an even faster rate: there are now 200,000 students from these countries, a 13.6 percent increase from last year. And they are not just language students: 47 percent are here for academic degrees, the most popular being medicine, engineering, economics and management. The top 10 sources of of foreign students in China in 2016 (and their ranking in 2012):

1. South Korea (1)
2. United States (2)
3. Thailand (4)
4. Pakistan (9)
5. India (8)
6. Russia (5)
7. Indonesia (6)
8. Kazakhstan (10)
9. Japan (3)
10. Vietnam (7)

Beijing's Traffic Index Drops From "I Wanna Kill Myself" to "Just Plain Miserable"
Last year, Beijing made it a point to address traffic congestion by investing RMB 98.8 billion (yes billion) into urban bypasses, ring roads, and secondary roads. The efforts have paid off, as the traffic congestion index for the previous year fell by ... wait for it ... 1.8 percent. This is the first time the measure has dropped since 2013. That's RMB 55 billion dollars for a 1 percent improvement in traffic. Sheesh!

Ride with Daughter on Subway Line 2 Inspires Dad to Bring City Gates Back to Life
Li Yingchao, a 34-year-old engineer at Baidu, has developed a mobile application which uses augmented reality (AR) technology to allow travelers on Beijing's subway Line 2 to see the city's ancient gates in their original splendor. Line 2 was built roughly along the path of the city walls that surrounded the center of Beijing for generations prior to the 20th Century. He got the inspiration from his daughter, who who once asked him, “Why do so many stations on Line 2 have the word men (gate) in their names?”

Spartan Race Returns to Beijing in May
After the massive success of its event last year in Beijing, the Spartan Race – in which participants run 13 kilometers and pass 22 obstacles along the way – is returning in May to Beijing as well as four other Chinese cities. The entrance fee is RMB 499.

Fowles, Shao Lead Beijing in Sweep to Retain WCBA Title
The invincible Beijing Great Wall (our women's professional basketball team, for those who don't know) swept rival Bayi in three games in the best-of-five final match with its victory Thursday evening. Sylvia Fowles and Shao Ting were the difference makers for Beijing. Fowles, who also plays pro ball in the US, was named the series MVP.

Silicon Valley Bank Opens in Beijing
California’s Silicon Valley Bank, which predominantly funds innovative startups, has established a branch in the heart of Beijing through SPD Bank. The bank is looking to do business with both Chinese and foreign companies, with a particular focus on tech, life science and clean-tech. The move is certainly a point of pride for Beijing, which likens its Zhongguancun area to Silicon Valley, and is beginning to show the kind of clout that makes people take that claim as plausible.

Air China Adds Five International Routes, Including Zurich, Jakarta and Astana
Beijingers have more places to fly now that China Airlines has announced five new international routes, three of which leave from the capital: Beijing-Zurich, Beijing-Astana and Beijing-Jakarta. The other two flights Air China are adding are Shanghai-Barcelona and, to Shenzhen-Los Angeles.