China announced Saturday 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 another new area of national significance after the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and the Shanghai Pudong New Area, according to a circular 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 circular, which described the decision as "a strategy crucial for a millennium to come."
日前，中共中央、国务院印发通知，决定设立河北雄安新区。这是以习近平同志为核心的党中央作出的一项重大的历史性战略选择，是继深圳经济特区和上海浦东新区之后又一具有全国意义的新区，是千年大计、国家大事。
The new area, about 100 km 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.
雄安新区规划范围涉及河北省雄县、容城、安新3县及周边部分区域，地处北京、天津、保定腹地。
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 circular.
设立雄安新区，对于集中疏解北京非首都功能，探索人口经济密集地区优化开发新模式，调整优化京津冀城市布局和空间结构，培育创新驱动发展新引擎，具有重大现实意义和深远历史意义。
The new area will cover around 100 square km initially and will be expanded to 200 square km in the mid-term and about 2,000 square km in the long term.
雄安新区规划建设以特定区域为起步区先行开发，起步区面积约100平方公里，中期发展区面积约200平方公里，远期控制区面积约2000平方公里。
(Source: Xinhua)
