The big news today is that Beijing's thinking of becoming -- well, in essence -- the second Shanghai or Hong Kong. It's real: our capital's thinking of becoming an international financial center.

The docs mention the capital's financial core to be in the form of "one main, one sub, three news and four backs" -- as in one core area, one sub area, three new areas and four backbones. Here's a run-through:

• The core area, or the main area, will be in Finance Street near Fuchengmen. This part of Beijing is presently served by Lines 1 and 2 of the Beijing Subway, and Line 6 will be reality by 2012.

• The sub area will be at the CBD. It kind of makes sense: the Core Area of the CBD is still in the plans, so for the Guomao-ists, the best is yet to come. Transport wise, we've already got Subway Line 1, with Line 10 getting in on the act next month, and Line 14 planned before 2015.

• The three new areas will be Zhongguancun West, the communications center on the eastern 2nd Ring Road, and Fengtai Lize. They're well-served by the underground dragon, too: Zhongguancun West will be linked by Line 10 this summer and Line 4 by late 2009, while the eastern 2nd Ring Road already has Line 2 under it. Meanwhile, Fengtai Lize will get Lines 10 and 14 -- Line 10 by 2012, and Line 14 before 2015.

• Finally, the four new areas will be Daoxianghu, Haidian, Jinzhan, Chaoyang, Tongzhou New City and Deshengmen. Transport-wise, Daoxianghu is close to Beiqing Road and is also not far from the northern extension of Line 4. Meanwhile, Jinzhao is close to the Airport East Freeway (or the 2nd Airport Freeway in road sign lingo), and Tongzhou is already well-served by the Batong Line, with Line 6 and Line S6 to come (Line 6 by around 2015). Deshengmen's already in the subway world, with neighboring Jishuitan station on Line 2.

This whole thing looks interesting. Watch this space.