Beijing Review has two overseas branches: the North America Bureau in New York, U.S.A., and the CHINAFRICA Media and Publishing (Pty) Ltd in Johannesburg, South Africa.

[2] Founded in March 1958[3] as the weekly Peking Review, it was an important tool for the Chinese government to communicate to the rest of world.

The first issue included an editor's note explaining that the magazine was meant to "provide timely, accurate, first-hand information on economic, political and cultural developments in China, and her relations with the rest of the world.

Postal Service initially restricted distribution of the magazine but the U.S. Supreme Court overturned this policy in Lamont v. Postmaster General.

In 1967 the Chinese authorities sent several issues of the magazine, then titled Peking Review, to East Germany.