China's Xi urges faster progress on Xiongan “new city” project

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has made a rare visit to the Xiongan New Area, urging officials to accelerate work on a flagship development project closely associated with the country’s long-term planning goals.

Located about 100 kilometres southwest of Beijing in Hebei Province, Xiongan is one of three zones designated as being of “national significance,” alongside Shenzhen and Pudong. The project is intended to support coordinated regional development and help ease population pressure and congestion in the capital.

During his visit on Monday, March 23, Xi called on local authorities to intensify efforts to advance construction and policy implementation. “The Xiongan New Area should take reform and innovation as the driving force to promote the deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation,” he said, according to state media, cited by Reuters.

The plan for Xiongan includes relocating a wide range of institutions from Beijing, including state-owned enterprises, universities, technology firms and financial organisations. The new area, roughly comparable in size to Greater London, is envisioned as a modern urban centre with a focus on innovation-led growth.

According to state media, at least eight major state-owned enterprises are in the process of moving their headquarters to Xiongan. These include Sinochem and China Satellite Network Group. Some facilities are already operational, while others remain under construction.

Although development began in 2017, when ground was first broken, the central areas of Xiongan are still in the process of being built and remain relatively lightly populated. The project is scheduled to reach basic completion by 2035.

Xi emphasised the importance of responsibility and execution in advancing the initiative. Officials should “be bold in taking responsibility, throw themselves into the work of implementation, and strive to deliver satisfactory results to the Party and the people,” he said during the inspection.

Senior Chinese leaders do not typically associate themselves so directly with individual development projects. However, Xiongan has been consistently highlighted in official documents and state media as a major long-term undertaking, with particular emphasis on Xi’s role in its planning and advancement.

This was Xi’s fourth visit to the site since 2023. His latest tour included newly built facilities such as the headquarters of China Huaneng Group and a local high school. He previously visited Xiongan in 2017, the year he began his second term as general secretary of the Communist Party of China, and again in 2019.

During the visit, Xi also called for the early implementation of policies aimed at supporting innovation in key sectors. “Officials should promote the early implementation of innovative policies in fields including sci-tech and finance,” he said, as China continues efforts to achieve progress in critical technologies.

By Tamilla Hasanova