Beijing's sub city-center shines as beacon after decade of growth

Integrated development

The planning and construction of the Beijing sub city-center along with the formation of the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei, was a significant decision made by the central government.

At the end of February, the State Council Information Office held a news conference to outline the progress made over the past decade on the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

"Breakthrough progress has been made in the relocation of noncapital functions from Beijing," Guo Lanfeng, a senior official of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at the news conference. "Focusing on addressing the 'big city malaise' of Beijing, a plan for relocation has been constructed."

The first batch of universities, hospitals, and central State-owned enterprises chosen for relocation have already begun settling in the Xiong'an New Area. Policies covering incentives, investment and household registration have also been implemented.

"The capital's functions have been continuously optimized, making Beijing the first major city in the country to realize sustainable development through reduced resources," Guo said. "At the same time, the Xiong'an New Area has entered a stage of large-scale construction and is undertaking the relocation of noncapital functions from Beijing," he said.

Meticulous planning is made for the use of "every inch of land" before construction begins, Guo added.

"Currently, the urban framework is taking shape, the main backbone of the road network has been completed, and the new area has its own administrative division codes and vehicle license plates," he said.

The level of coordinated development in key sectors has continued to improve, Guo said.

Transportation, ecology and industry are the major areas where breakthroughs have been made. Improvement of the integrated transportation network of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has been accelerated, and people can now travel between the major cities in 1 to 1.5 hours via high-speed trains and expressways.

"In the past decade, the growth of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region mainly focused on adjusting and optimizing economic and spatial structures," he said.

In the future, the region's growth will continue to be comprehensive and high-quality, Guo said, adding that the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is set to lead "the high-quality development of the entire country".

dujuan@chinadaily.com.cn