BEIJING (CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Building a sub-administrative centre for Beijing has milestone significance and provides a great opportunity for the city's development in the new era, President Xi Jinping said on Friday (Jan 18).
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark during a tour that focused on the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The region spans 216,000 sq km and has a population of over 100 million.
Last week, Beijing's municipal government moved its offices from downtown to the eastern suburb of Tongzhou district, the city's sub-centre, indicating government has formally begun work at the new location.
Quality must be the top priority in building the sub-administrative centre to make it a brilliant spotlight in Beijing, Xi said.
He stressed harmonious integration of work, living, entertainment, transport, education and healthcare in building the sub-centre.
At a meeting attended by senior officials of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province, Xi said Beijing must be relieved of functions unrelated to its status as the capital, in a steady and orderly way.
The building of Xiongan New Area, a key move to transfer Beijing's non-capital functions, must proceed with high standards, Xi said, urging the launch of a new round of infrastructure construction in Xiongan in Hebei province.
He also stressed the importance of protecting the environment and upholding a people-centred philosophy in the pursuit of coordinated development.
Xi told senior officials to make great effort in poverty reduction and to ensure that all poverty-stricken counties in the region are lifted out of poverty by next year.
During his visit to the planning exhibition centre of the new area on Wednesday, Xi was briefed on the zone's overall planning and shown projects to be launched.
He said all kinds of enterprises, including foreign-funded ones, are welcome to invest in Xiongan as long as they conform to the area's industrial development plan.
During Xi's visit to a national key laboratory at Tianjin-based Nankai University on Thursday, he encouraged efforts to strengthen fundamental research to achieve more progress in independent innovation.
When Xi visited a service centre for veterans in a Tianjin community, he instructed party committees and governments at all levels to earnestly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of veterans and guarantee their living standards and employment.
During a visit to Tianjin's port, Xi noted that to make the country stronger, transportation must become stronger first. He encouraged workers to build a top-class port and contribute to building the Belt and Road.
China has so far signed cooperation deals with more than 130 countries, regions and international organisations on jointly developing the Belt and Road Initiative, with 17 free trade agreements involving 25 countries and regions finalised.
Xi also visited a science park in Tianjin and viewed an exhibition of high-tech products, including a supercomputer and robots.
The government must be dedicated to encouraging innovation, as it is of great significance for high-quality growth, Xi said.
