Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integration essential: Xi   

習近平：確保中央重大經濟決策落地見效

習近平指出，疏解北京非首都功能、推進京津冀協同發展，是一個巨大的系統工程。目標要明確，通過疏解北京非首都功能，調整經濟結構和空間結構，走出一條內涵集約發展的新路子，探索出一種人口經濟密集地區優化開發的模式，促進區域協調發展，形成新增長極。[查看全文]

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday reiterated his view that it is essential to step up the integration of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region to devolve some of the capital's functions to the other regions and to further develop the heavily-populated region.

It will take a massive effort to promote the development of the region as a united bloc and to create new engines of economic growth, Xi said at the ninth meeting of the Central Leading Group on Financial and Economic Affairs.

Often besieged by smog and suffering from a shortage of resources, a coordinated development plan for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei bloc has been carried out in the past year, aiming to relieve pressure on the capital and to boost development in its surrounding regions.

While on an inspection tour of Beijing in February last year, Xi said that Beijing's core functions include being the center of the nation's politics, culture, international communications and technological innovation.

A series of regional cooperation projects have been initiated. As infrastructure links between Beijing and its surrounding cities improve through the construction of high-speed rail links and highways, it is planned that some of the capital's research, educational and medical functions will be moved to Hebei Province, as well as hundreds of businesses.

As Beijing needs such transfers to ease environmental pressure and to control its population, experts have argued that the bloc's integration will be effective only when possible conflicts of interests are well balanced as what Beijing needs to move out may not be what the surrounding cities want to take in. The devolved functions should fit in with Beijing's neighboring cities' urban plans, city demands and management abilities, said Zhang Gui, a professor of regional development at the Hebei University of Technology, the Beijing Youth Daily reported.

Zhang added that cities near Beijing should work hard to narrow their gaps in infrastructure and resources with Beijing to attract and accommodate the incoming facilities.