A scenic view of Xiong'an. (PHOTO: VCG)

By Wang Xiaoxia

Within only six years, a new city broke ground, sprouted and grew in northern China. Xiong'an New Area has gone from blueprint to reality and is an example of what the modern urban future could look like.

In line with China's high-quality development path, Xiong'an has been committed to innovation-driven growth, and played an important role in coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region with growing connectivity and advanced infrastructure.

Over the past six years, Xiong'an has completed a total investment of over 540 billion RMB (about 78.1 billion USD), incorporating a developed area of approximate 120 square km and over 3,500 buildings constructed, including the headquarters of big SOEs like Sinochem Holdings, China Satellite Network Group and China Huaneng Group. Over 3,000 enterprises registered in Xiong'an have a background of investment from Beijing, signaling that Xiong'an is taking over Beijing's non-capital functions and providing a Chinese solution to "big city malaise," such as overcrowding, pollution and traffic congestion.

Apart from SOEs, research institutes and many innovative and vibrant high-tech enterprises have settled in Xiong'an, said Feng Jianping, director of comprehensive planning of Hebei Science and Technology Department. Focusing on intelligent equipment, new-generation information technology, aerospace, medical health and new materials, Xiong'an is promoting the forming of advanced industrial clusters.

To draw more high-level talent and startups, the area will continue to deepen the reform of the administrative approval system to provide service with simpler procedure, higher efficiency, lower cost and welcoming attitude, said Wang Yanwei, head of the reform and development bureau of the Xiong'an New Area Administrative Committee.

A sound ecological environment is an important embodiment of Xiong'an's high-quality development. In the past six years, Baiyangdian Lake, the largest wetland ecosystem in northern China, has carried out the largest systematic ecological management in its history. The water quality in Baiyangdian has been raised from poor Class V (the lowest of China's five-tier water assessment system) to Class III. The number of wild bird species in the wetland has reached 252, 46 more than before the establishment of the new area. In addition, over 31,000 hectares of land have been afforested since the launch of a massive afforestation project in 2017, and the forest coverage rate in Xiong'an has increased from 11 percent to 34 percent.

Local people have also benefitted from the construction of Xiong'an New Area. In the completed residential areas, about 120,000 people have moved into new homes. To assist the new residents with work and skills, training programs are being launched to help the relocated people catch up with rapid development and find new jobs.