Benefits gained via regional coordination
Aiming to become a hub for the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and bolster high-quality development of Xiong’an New Area, Hebei province is focusing on creating a regional collaborative innovation community and striving to absorb the spillover effects of science, technology and industry from Beijing and Tianjin.
To that end, Hebei has achieved remarkable accomplishments at several levels, including economic development, transportation, tourism and people’s livelihood. For instance, Caofeidian district of Hebei’s Tangshan city has undertaken about 270 projects from Beijing and Tianjin since 2014; a onehour transportation circle in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is taking shape; the cultural tourism brand of the “So Close, So Beautiful, Spend Your Weekends in Hebei” has gained widespread influence; and the integration of social insurance cards in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has generated an increased sense of wellbeing and happiness among the people.
Several companies chose to base its research and development activities in Beijing and production in Hebei and Tianjin.
Beijing Guohua Technology Group integrates the R&D of new coal preparation processes and equipment, engineering design and contracting, coal preparation equipment manufacturing, and coal preparation plant operation.
In 2018, the group optimized its layout in the BeijingTianjin-Hebei region, keeping its headquarters and R&D center in Beijing while establishing production facilities in Tangshan, Hebei province.
It also founded a clean coal technology company in the Tangshan Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone that year.
“Taking the high-speed train from Tangshan to Beijing is very convenient and this is an important reason why the company’s headquarters set up a subsidiary here,” said Meng Lingyun, general manager of the Tangshan-based company. Meng added that the increasingly convenient rail transportation not only allows them to better communicate with the headquarters but helps them expand their business nationwide, injecting vitality into the high-quality development of the company.
Key initiatives
Since 2023, the Beijing-TianjinHebei region has focused on the coordinated development of key industry chains such as hydrogen energy, new energy, and intelligent connected vehicles, forming more than 200 technology-related tasks and a list of over 200 targeted enterprises for investment attraction.
Hebei aims to leverage the leading role of the new energy and intelligent connected vehicles and robotics industry chains, integrate into the industry chain cooperation in biopharmaceutical, hydrogen energy, network security and industrial internet, and promote the high-quality development of key industry chains.
The province has also prioritized ensuring the supply of agricultural products to Beijing and has actively undertaken agricultural relocation projects, working with Beijing and Tianjin to optimize the layout of the agricultural industry. The three regions are jointly launching projects in the modern seed industry and conducting scientific and technological research to consolidate a foundation for the production of grain and important agricultural products. Hebei is also developing major agricultural sectors, including grain and oil, vegetables, fruits, Chinese medicinal materials, dairy and animal husbandry.
By utilizing its proximity to Beijing, Hebei is focusing on targeted investment attraction, introducing central agricultural enterprises such as China Co-op Group and COFCO Group, and jointly creating a complete industry chain covering planting, feed, breeding, slaughtering, deep processing and logistics warehousing based on characteristic industrial parks.
Xiong’an New Area
Currently, Hebei’s Xiong’an New Area is at a key stage of realizing large-scale construction and undertaking the relocation of noncapital functions from Beijing. Centering on innovative thinking and new concepts, the province is carrying out the comprehensive support policies of the central government, ensuring that children’s education, salaries and housing provident funds in Xiong’an are not lower than in Beijing.
Construction of the headquarters for the first batch of four relocated central enterprises has been accelerated; three schools supported by Beijing have started classes; and construction of four relocated universities and the Xiong’an branch of Peking University People’s Hospital has commenced.