2017-04-07

Recently, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have made a decision to establish Xiongan New Area in Hebei Province. Journalists from Xinhua News Agency recently had an interview with Mr. Zhang Junkuo, member of the Expert Consultative Committee of the Coordinated Development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region and Vice-President of the Development Research Center of the State Council. Mr. Zhang Junkuo’s explanations are as follows.

First, the establishment of Xiongan New Area boasts a great significance in propelling the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and the target of its establishment is to build a world-class city cluster with Beijing as the center in line with the general arrangement for the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Second, the core of the coordinated development strategy of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region lies in relocating the non-essential functions away from Beijing as the capital in an orderly manner, which will play a major role in fostering the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Toward this goal, we need to take the following measures. One, we need to make joint efforts to address urban maladies like Beijing and other big cities and push forward the development of Hebei Province. Two, we need to take into account both the relocation of Beijing’s non-capital functions and the enhancement of the development of related enterprises and public institutions. Three, in relocating Beijing’s non-capital functions, we need to take both diversified and centralized measures through both administrative means and market entities.

Third, one of the major targets for the development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is to foster new drivers for innovation-driven development. The government needs to cultivate a relatively favorable environment to attract innovative resources and venture investment by establishing relative platforms and giving full play to the role of the government and the market so as to push forward the industrial upgrading and innovative development of Hebei Province.

Fourth, in building a green, ecological and livable urban area, the government needs to give first priority to ecological and green development and coordinately propel the construction of demonstration areas with improved ecological environment.