Local job market

To prevent speculation on property in the new area, all real estate sales there have been suspended. The preparatory committee for the Xiongan New Area said it will continue to address inconsistencies in the trade and construction of houses and will work toward achieving a stable real estate market.

A 23-year-old Anxin local surnamed Lu still couldn’t believe the news when he talked to Chinafrica on April 4. “It is like a dream,” Lu said. “I came back to work in this county last year after I graduated from college, and I always complained how boring life is in this town. But now, it is like a big surprise, and I’m looking forward to the huge changes that will come in the following years.”

Some locals, though, are keeping a cool head amidst the excitement. A 43-year-old Xiongxian local surnamed Liu expressed concern about his job at a plastics manufacturer.

“I’m almost 100 percent sure that the plastics business will not be allowed in the future due to the pollution problem,” Liu said. “I have to find a new job. I’m considering opening a small restaurant.”

This is the concern shared by many people in Xiongxian.

“I can say that every household has a connection to the plastics business,” said Li Xiaodou, Director of Hebei Packaging Association, during an interview with online media The Economic Observer. “Even though the new area plan will no doubt bring new opportunities for local development, the pollution caused by plastics enterprises cannot be solved within a short period.”

“I think the government will definitely call a stop to plastics production,” Li Gensheng, the owner of Huatao Plastic Factory in Xiongxian, said.

Li said these days, the government has been demanding that they stop production on smoggy days, and business is getting harder to do. “By then, I will sell the machines and switch to other business,” Li said.