Hebei chief presses Xiongan vision

The new Party chief of Hebei province, Wang Dongfeng, emphasized during a visit to Xiongan New Area on Tuesday that the planning and building of the area should be carried out according to high standards.

It was Wang's first local inspection visit after his appointment on Saturday - part of a reshuffle of Party officials that took place after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Accompanied by Xiongan's top official, Chen Gang, and several provincial officials, Wang visited two villages, the site of a planned service center, and Xiongan's freshwater Baiyangdian Lake.

He also presided over a meeting after the tour to learn about the progress of work in Xiongan, including overall planning, land requisition and demolition; protection of the environment; and the development of the tourism industry and local people's living and working conditions.

"We should steadily push forward all kinds of work in planning and building Xiongan New Area, and adhere to a world vision, international standards, Chinese characteristics and high goals," Wang said.

He stressed tight control over the land, population, planning, and property development in the area, as well as protecting the environment and controlling pollution.

The government should always put the people's interests first and make every effort to improve people's living and working conditions, Wang said.

"At present, we should pay high attention to ensuring residents have winter heating, while accelerating the replacement of coal with electricity or gas to protect the environment," he said.

The creation of Xiongan New Area, about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing, was announced on April 1 to help move some noncapital functions from Beijing's core. It covers large portions of three counties of Baoding - Xiongxian, Rongcheng and Anxin - in Hebei.

According to He Lifeng, minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, the central government is currently putting the finishing touches on the overall construction plan for Xiongan.