China to Set up Xiongan New Area

China announced on April 1 it would establish the Xiongan New Area in Hebei province as part of measures to advance the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

This is a new area of national significance after the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and the Shanghai Pudong New Area， according to a statement issued by the Communist Party of China （CPC） Central Committee and the State Council.

The move is a \"major historic and strategic choice made by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core，\" said the statement， which described the decision as \"a strategy crucial for the next millennium.\"

The new area， about 100 kilometers southwest of downtown Beijing， will span three counties that sit at the center of the triangular area formed by Beijing， Tianjin and Hebei's provincial capital Shijiazhuang.

The move will help phase out some non-capital functions from Beijing， explore a new model of optimized development in densely-populated areas and restructure the urban layout in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region， according to the statement.

The new area will cover around 100 square kilometers initially and will be expanded to 200 square kilometers in the near future and about 2，000 square kilometers in the distant future.