Region seen as model for growth

Economically dynamic Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster can lead China’s modernization efforts

As China advances its path to modernization, the Beijing-TianjinHebei region, one of the country’s most economically dynamic areas with a high degree of openness and innovation, is expected to make further progress and become an example of Chinese modernization.

Speaking at a symposium in Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province, on Friday, President Xi Jinping said it has been proved that the central Party leadership’s major strategy for the region’s development is suited to the needs of China’s highquality development in the new era.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, called for efforts to reach new heights in the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and he urged Hebei to fully take on its responsibilities during this process.

In early 2014, China initiated a key strategy to coordinate the development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei to create a model with a better economic structure, cleaner environment and improved public services.

The region in northern China covers a total area of about 218,000 square kilometers.

Last year, the total regional GDP of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei surpassed 10 trillion yuan ($1.44 trillion), according to the Beijing Bureau of Statistics.

Since the 19th National Congress of the CPC in 2017, the region has witnessed remarkable progress in its coordinated development, Xi said. He called for further progress in developing the two new “wings” — the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center in Tongzhou district and Xiong’an New Area in Hebei — to effectively rid Beijing of “big city malaise”.

According to the Hebei government, China’s centrally administered State-owned enterprises had set up more than 140 subsidiaries and branches in Xiong’an as of January.

This year, the new area plans to speed up the construction of the headquarters of four centrally administered State-owned enterprises, four universities and two hospitals.

During his visit on Friday, Xi called for further planning to relocate more centrally administered State-owned enterprises based in Beijing, including their headquarters, subsidiary companies and innovation units, to Xiong’an.

They are looking for a just, fair and balanced financial system that must protect the rights of every country, regardless of its economic might. At the forefront of finding a better solution, China has started to pitch internationalization of the yuan in trade and economic transactions.

Other SCO members are using their own currencies more internationally. Russia, Brazil and India are joined by other developing economies in diversifying currency trading instead of depending on the US dollar, which for the past year has been used against Russia and related businesspeople.

Third, the Afghanistan situation is complicated, with food insecurity being prominent. The United Nations World Food Programme has indicated that 19.9 million Afghans face challenges in trying to secure healthy food. The situation will be further aggravated, as millions of people do not have secure jobs.

Failure to tackle these issues could give impetus to new terrorism. It is feared that terrorists could use the situation to create problems for the people of Afghanistan as well as for other countries in the region and beyond.

Still, the Western powers that created the problems are hardly giving due attention to Afghanistan. Western countries have chosen to focus on fulfilling their agenda at any cost, rather than solving the problem or properly caring for human life. The US is also hurting the Afghan people by freezing assets of Afghanistan.

Against this backdrop, the cooperation of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan is important for the region, as demonstrated by the foreign ministers of the three countries in Islamabad, Pakistan, on May 6. Afghanistan peace has direct relevance for Pakistan.

In the context of these developments, China’s position paper on Afghanistan and its plan for resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict can help start a meaningful consultation process and find durable solutions.

Both proposals address the required actions to solve these problems in line with international laws and human rights.

The major characteristics of both proposals can be summarized in five key points.

First, both proposals highlight the importance of noninterference in the internal matters of Afghanistan, Russia and Ukraine. All parties are urged to respect the sovereignty and independent choices of countries according to international norms.

Second, the two proposals do not waste time on the blame game, but rather focus on finding solutions.

Third, the positions keep human life at the center of all proposed actions.

Fourth, both proposals emphasize the simultaneous deployment of dialogue and development actions, a cornerstone of China’s philosophy of achieving peace.

Fifth, they reiterate the importance of coordination to tackle issues including development.

The foreign ministers of other SCO members and even those in the developed world can build on these proposals and join efforts to find a sustainable solution for all.

Moreover, the efforts will consolidate the SCO as a major global player that aims to solve complicated issues through cooperation by adhering to the principles of dialogue and development. Consensus among members will also give a message to the world community that the developing Global South has the will and the wisdom to solve hot problems peacefully.