In English-language news reports. When you read "relations between Beijing and Moscow", it actually means "relations between China and Russia". That's how important the capital is. We know that the central government of a country is always located in the capital. The leaders of a country usually work and live there as well.
Many of you may know that Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia. But this will change soon. Indonesia has decided that the country would move its capital from Jakarta to Kalimantan. This is big news for the country, even for the world.
Choosing a good place as the capital is significant for a country. In many countries, the capital is the richest city. This is because when a city becomes a major business center, it takes on a more important place in the world. London, for example, has been the economic(经济的) center of Britain for nearly 2,000 years, so people naturally chose it as the capital.
Sometimes, capitals are chosen for some other reasons. For example, Brazil's capital used to be Rio, which is a coastal(海岸的) city. Later the capital moved to the inland city of Brasilia, because coastal cities can be attacked(袭击) more easily during a war.
In the case of Indonesia, the new capital was chosen in order to balance the development in different areas. Kalimantan is an underdeveloped area. By becoming the new capital, it can expect faster economic growth.
