While the large diesel locomotives in China usually all have electric transmission, the BJ type was created as a diesel-hydraulic mainline locomotive. The choice of hydraulic transmission for one part of the rolling stock is probably due to the consideration of saving some of the raw materials used only for diesel-electric locomotives. Experience with the use of diesel-hydraulic locomotives had already been gained with the Henschel DH 4000, 30 of which had been ordered in the 1960s. The development of the hydraulic transmission was apparently based on the Voith transmission used in these locomotives. The first prototype from 1970 was a 100 km/h two-section freight locomotive, consisting of two halves, each with a 3,000 hp diesel engine. The engine was originally supposed to have 16 cylinders, but before the production of the first two-section locomotive, it was possible to bring the same engine with only twelve cylinders to the same power without sacrificing reliability. The class was called BJ, which stands for “Beijing” and indicates the location of the manufacturer's plant.

The series production of the freight locomotive was discarded, but the first passenger locomotive was made in 1971. It consisted of only one section with two driver's cabs and was designed for 120 km/h. After tests with a few prototypes, series production began in 1975 and ended in 1990 after 342 had been built. They were mainly used in the northern and central regions of China. For cross-border traffic to the Soviet Union, 16 more locomotives were built, four of which were designed in the Soviet broad gauge of 1,520 mm. Four one-section freight locomotives with a maximum speed of 90 km/h and twelve passenger two-section locomotives were created as further variants. Shortly after the turn of the millennium, usage was nearing its end and at least 33 examples of the passenger train variant were given to North Korea free of charge as development aid, where they are or were used in freight and shunting traffic around Pyongyang.