Xiong'an: An emerging hub of innovation, livability

Editor's note: In April 2017, China's central authorities announced the establishment of Xiong'an New Area in Hebei province. Over the past eight years, Xiong'an has played an important role as an engine for regional development by absorbing Beijing's noncapital functions and promoting innovation.

Chen Hongsheng, a 42-year-old researcher, has spent the past year building a new life in Xiong'an New Area — a rising innovation hub in Hebei province, 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing.

Relocated from the capital under a national initiative to decentralize noncapital functions, Chen is part of a wave of professionals drawn by the area's opportunities, cutting-edge industries and high-quality urban living environment.

After working and living in the emerging city for over a year, Chen is trying to persuade his wife to join him in Xiong'an New Area. He enjoys a comfortable lifestyle there and is working hard to afford the couple's dream apartment.

Chen is typical of the new residents in Xiong'an, which was established eight years ago as a pilot project to help address the capital's big city issues.

Designated as a centralized relocation area for the non-capital functions of Beijing — mainly universities, research institutes, medical institutions, corporate headquarters, financial institutions, and public institutions — Xiong'an is promoting the smooth migration of these sectors and enhancing its ability to attract them through "internal driving forces".

Wonderful scenes

As an employee of China Datang Technology Innovation Co — a participant in the relocation process, Chen's experiences and feelings about the shift illustrate how these internal driving forces are becoming more robust.

"I came to Xiong'an for the first time in January 2024. Initially, it felt quite sparse and quiet here. But throughout the year, many work units gradually moved in, making the area livelier," Chen said, adding that amenities are close by, and shopping and entertainment facilities are well-equipped, making daily life very convenient.

The local government in Xiong'an has issued him a Talent Card B, which offers many public service conveniences. The card also provides a monthly housing subsidy for employees who have relocated to the new area.

"The conditions for entrepreneurship and living, as well as benefits for relocated personnel, are not lower than when they stayed in Beijing," Zhang Guohua, Party secretary of Xiong'an New Area, said in an interview with China Daily in early March.

According to the committee, the new area's housing provident fund standards, which provide funding support for individuals to buy houses, are aligned with Beijing's policies.

And a one-card pass for social security in Beijing and Xiong'an enables intercity mutual recognition for use of public transport, medical treatment, and medicine purchases.

"Working and living in Xiong'an also allows you to experience the wonderful scenes of no traffic congestion, mini football fields, tree-lined parking lots, and a paradise for migratory birds," Ni Yuefeng, secretary of the Hebei Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, said during the two sessions in March.

These efforts align with directives from China's central authorities, who have prioritized Xiong'an's development as a millennial plan of national significance.

Policies related to children's education, healthcare, housing, compensation, social security, medical insurance, and the housing provident fund for relocated personnel should be further refined and implemented, in order to ensure that both relocated work units and personnel enjoy tangible benefits.

Opportunities plentiful

Initial success in alleviating Beijing's noncapital functions can be seen already, with landmark resettlement projects happening one after another.

Central State-owned enterprises, including China Satellite Network Group Co, China Huaneng Group Co, Sinochem Holdings Co, and China Mineral Resources Group Co, have either fully moved to the new area or are speeding up construction and renovations of office buildings.

Beyond State-led relocations, market-driven projects are also gaining momentum, such as the China Telecom Smart City Industrial Park, a complex that integrates research and development offices, technology services, operational management, and lifestyle amenities.

In 2024, a total of 47 new central enterprises' secondary and tertiary subsidiaries and more than 300 various central enterprise branches based themselves in the new area, according to local government statistics, forming a favorable situation for the continuous advancement of resettlement.

These transferred subsidiaries and branches, whether listed for relocation or market-driven, are rapidly multiplying in Xiong'an. And their employees, far from being marginalized, have instead found new work and research opportunities.

As a researcher in new energy-storage technologies, Chen is pleased that the new area can facilitate research-centered companies, like his, development of large laboratories.

"Having a lab is crucial for us. While in Beijing, we had been expecting a lab, it seemed challenging," Chen said.

But in the first year in Xiong'an, his company has already started construction of a 2,000-square-meter lab in Zangang, a pilot base planned by the new area's government.

"We researchers are looking forward to it," he said.

Despite Xiong'an's appeal, Chen faces personal challenges.

"My wife has a stable career in Beijing, so it's not easy for her to decide changing her job. Meanwhile, her parents who have lived with us for years to help take care of the child, are used to life in Beijing, including the neighborhood and their friends," he said.

Chen, who has lived in the capital for almost 20 years and plans to gradually relocate his whole family to Xiong'an, said "I have to take it slowly".

"I'm working hard to buy an apartment, and it makes me anxious when properties are quickly snapped up by others," Chen said, adding that the new area's urban planning and modern design concepts make him feel comfortable and offer inspiration.

According to Chen, the housing in the new area is in high demand as more people are moving there because of the city's appeal. "It seems that everyone is very optimistic about the city's development," he said.