Policies yield key results in Xiong'an

Key achievements have been made in implementing a package of measures rolled out by central policymakers last year to support the high-standard and high-quality construction of Xiong'an New Area in Hebei province, local authorities said.

"Currently, the package of targeted support measures has been fully implemented in Xiong'an, and important phased achievements have been made in various tasks," Ding Xiaolong, a member of Xiong'an's Communist Party of China Work Committee and deputy director-general of the area's administrative committee, said at a news conference about the measures on Wednesday.

According to Ding, the achievements include progress in the transfer of non-capital city functions from Beijing to the area, life and work guarantees for relocated personnel from Beijing, and scientific and technological innovation.

China announced the decision to establish Xiong'an New Area — located about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing — in April 2017 as a flagship project to advance the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and relieve Beijing of functions not essential to its role as the national capital.

A meeting on June 30 of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee — the Party's core leadership — reviewed policy measures to support the high-standard and high-quality construction of the area.

The meeting highlighted that the development of Xiong'an has shifted to high-quality construction, high-level management and the high-quality transfer of the non-capital city functions of Beijing to the area.

It also stressed the necessity of adopting targeted support measures while closely considering the interests and concerns of relocated personnel, according to a summary of the meeting.

Among the achievements Ding mentioned at the news conference, a mechanism has been established to ensure the worry-free high-quality education for the children of personnel relocated from Beijing.

"The area has high standards for the layout of high-quality educational resources," Gao Lichun, director of the area's public service bureau, said during the news conference.

Residents in the area can get to a kindergarten in five minutes, a primary school in 10 minutes and a middle school in 15 minutes, Gao said, adding that 41 schools have been established and opened in the area.

Gao added that the newly built schools have excellent facilities, high-quality teachers and good services.

Gong Ling, vice-general manager of Xiong'an Yunqi Technology Co — an IT company that transferred from Beijing to Xiong'an in 2022 — has deep feelings about the area's education.

"My son was admitted to a primary school last year when I moved to Xiong'an from Beijing," she said, adding that the 8-year-old is in second grade at Xiong'an Ronghe Rongde Primary School, one of the newly established schools.

"It's less than two streets away, and it's very convenient for my mother to drop him off and pick him up," she said.

In addition, it's about a 10-minute walk from Gong's home to her office, and there are also parks and shopping malls for leisure activities nearby.

"To be frank, our feeling of happiness has been enhanced after moving here from Beijing," Gong said, given her long commute in the capital, comparatively high rent for her apartment and high fees for her son's private school.

The dynamic of reform and innovation in Xiong'an has also been enhanced, Ding said, with scientific and technological innovation resources rapidly gathering.

A national key laboratory for aerospace flight technology has officially started operation, Ding said, adding that funds to support the transformation of scientific and technological achievements have been increased.

"Next, Xiong'an will further expand the effectiveness of its package of policies, and continuously improve the supporting policy system for relocation," Ding said.