Xiongan project latest step in battle to cure ‘urban ills’
Print Edition
CHINA is to establish a Xiongan New Area in Hebei Province as part of measures to advance the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
A circular issued by the Party and the State Council said it would be another new area of national significance after the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and the Pudong New Area in Shanghai. It described the decision as “a strategy crucial for a millennium to come.”
The area, about 100 kilometers southwest of downtown Beijing, will span three counties that sit at the center of the triangular area formed by Beijing, Tianjin and Shijiazhuang, Hebei’s capital.
The move will help phase out some non-capital functions from Beijing, explore a new model of optimized development in densely populated areas, and restructure the urban layout in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, according to the circular.
The new area will cover around 100 square kilometers initially but will be expanded to around 2,000 in the long term.
President Xi Jinping has said priority should be given to developing an area to pool non-capital functions that will be shifted from Beijing and has ordered a modern urban district to be built at a suitable location in Hebei.
During a visit to Hebei in February, he called for “world vision, international standards, Chinese characteristics and high goals” in the planning and construction of the area. He urged efforts to build Xiongan into “a demonstration area for innovative development.”
The area should prioritize ecological protection, improve people’s well-being as well as protect and carry forward Chinese traditional culture, he said.
The Xiongan New Area covers the counties of Xiongxian, Rongcheng and Anxin, and is home to Baiyangdian, one of the largest freshwater wetlands in north China. The area features geological advantages, convenient transport, an excellent environment, ample resources and lots of room for development, according to the circular.
Specifying key tasks for the development of Xiongan, Xi said it should be built into a green, modern and smart area with a beautiful environment, high-end industries and efficient transport.
High-quality public services and facilities should be provided to create a new model for urban management, while reforms must be advanced to let the market play a decisive role in resource allocation, he said.
The area should also be open to the outside world and become a new platform for further opening up and international cooperation, Xi said.
Meanwhile, the circular said local authorities should avoid excessive urban expansion in the development of Xiongan.
The announcement was the latest step in China’s efforts to cure severe “urban ills,” such as congestion and air pollution, in Beijing by curbing its population growth and moving non-essential facilities to nearby regions.
A number of wholesale markets in the city have been shut or relocated, and some city administration will be moved out of the city center to the eastern suburbs in Tongzhou.
The removal of non-capital functions from Beijing is part of a greater strategy to integrate the development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei for a better economic structure, cleaner environment and improved public services.
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