China shares story of Xiong'an New Area with foreign guests

XIONG'AN, Hebei Province, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A conference on the practice of the Xiong'an New Area in north China's Hebei Province was held on Thursday, gathering more than 230 leaders and representatives of political parties from nearly 40 countries.

Themed "A Millennium Prospect for the Coordinated Development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region," the conference shared Xiong'an's achievements in practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

The event was co-hosted by the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee, and the Party Work Committee of the Xiong'an New Area.

The establishment of the Xiong'an New Area is a pioneering move of the CPC, aiming to solve the problems facing modern urban development, explore an optimal development model for densely populated and economically intensive areas, and promote the construction of high-level modern cities, said Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.

Ni Yuefeng, secretary of the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee, said that the province will prioritize planning, implement various tasks that would relieve Beijing of functions non-essential to its role as China's capital, strengthen capacity building for scientific and technological innovation, and make new progress in the construction of the Xiong'an New Area.

At the conference, grassroots representatives of various sectors in the Xiong'an New Area told stories of the development and changes in Xiong'an from aspects of urban planning, sci-tech innovation, ecological conservation and community governance.

Foreign participants said that the Xiong'an New Area is a successful practice of Chinese modernization, and they expressed the hope to strengthen exchanges with the CPC, deepen exchanges of experience on state governance and promote pragmatic cooperation in various fields.

In April 2017, China decided to establish the Xiong'an New Area as part of a strategy to promote the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Xiong'an was designed to be a smart, livable city that is innovative, green and free from "urban ills."