President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for efforts to firm up confidence and maintain resolve while taking solid steps to continuously achieve new progress in developing the Xiong'an New Area.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks as he inspected Xiong'an in north China's Hebei Province and presided over a meeting on promoting its development.
Xi was accompanied by Premier Li Qiang, Cai Qi, who is director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang. Li, Cai and Ding are all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
During the inspection, Xi said Xiong'an has entered a phase of advancing large-scale construction and at the same time taking on functions nonessential to Beijing's role as China's capital.
On Wednesday morning, Xi took a high-speed train to Xiong'an where he first inspected the Xiong'an Railway Station, a key infrastructure project of the area with great symbolic importance.
The railway station is designed as a transportation hub, Xi said, emphasizing the need to improve the connectivity of the station with various places.
He stressed developing the zone of Zan'gang, where the railway station is located, into a high-end and high-tech industry cluster area.
In addition to the railway station, Xi also visited a residential community that is home to 5,000-plus relocated residents. There, Xi chatted with community workers and residents, expressing his satisfaction with the good living conditions of the residents.
He also highlighted the importance of ensuring the relocated residents live well and have satisfactory jobs.
Promoting equal access to basic public services is crucial in building a people's city that is both livable and conducive to doing business, Xi noted.
He visited the home of resident Li Jinghe. Xi said building the Xiong'an New Area is a major strategic decision made by the Party's central authorities and the relocated residents had made their contributions.
"MIRACULOUS" TRANSFORMATION
The development of the Xiong'an New Area is a national project of millennial significance and should be pushed forward with concrete actions and sustained efforts, Xi said.
At the construction sites of an inter-city railway station and an international trade center, he learned about the development of key infrastructure projects and major projects launched for the purpose of relieving Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as the capital.
Xi said more efforts should be made to develop a multifaceted and integrated transportation network and make full use of underground space so as to build a "city of the future" free of urban maladies.
At a convention center, Xi was briefed about the progress of the overall design and development of the Xiong'an New Area and efforts to restore and conserve the eco-environment of Baiyangdian Lake.
At the convention center, Xi convened a meeting on advancing the high-quality construction of the Xiong'an New Area to a high standard.
Xi remarked that the transformation of the Xiong'an New Area from ground zero to an emerging sophisticated modern city within a mere six years is miraculous.
