Yesterday, the reporter learned from the Regional Economy Department of the National Development and Reform Commission that this year Hebei will add 200 million yuan in reward and subsidy funds to support the surrounding Beijing-Tianjin areas in undertaking the transfer of advantageous industrial projects. In addition, the reporter also learned from the National Development and Reform Commission that the relevant plans for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integration are being intensively formulated and will be announced to the public as soon as possible.

 

　　■ Integration Key Points 

 

　　☆ Beijing has produced a preliminary plan for the Capital Economic Circle, which is being repeatedly demonstrated. It requires full communication with relevant provinces and ministries, and ultimately a comprehensive plan will be produced and implemented year by year.

 

　　☆ Tianjin places more emphasis on the Binhai New Area in the integration of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei. In the integration process, the positioning of Binhai New Area is to become a spatial carrier and practical platform for the convergence of factors, industrial integration, and interactive innovation among the three places.

 

　　☆ By 2020, there will be three expressway routes connecting each of the three central cities of Beijing, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang. According to the plan, the counties (cities, districts) surrounding Beijing-Tianjin will have at least one first-class highway connecting them to Beijing and Tianjin. The number of expressway interfaces with Beijing and Tianjin will reach 14 and 15 respectively.

 

　　☆ Beijing's Outer Ring Expressway project, also known as the "7th Ring Road", has a total length of about 940 kilometers, of which about 90 kilometers are within Beijing, including the Beijing section of the Miyun-Zhuozhou Expressway and the Beijing section of the Chengde-Pinggu Expressway, and about 850 kilometers are within Hebei Province. The project is expected to be completed next year.

 

　　

　　□ Integration Consensus 

 

　　Break the "one-acre-three-fen-land" mindset 

 

　　Building the Capital Economic Circle is a major task proposed in the national "12th Five-Year Plan" outline, and researching and formulating the development plan for the Capital Economic Circle is a key link, led by the National Development and Reform Commission.

 

　　In fact, research on this plan began long ago. On December 20 last year, under the chairmanship of the relevant person in charge of the Regional Department of the National Development and Reform Commission, a special meeting was held. The relevant persons in charge of the Development and Reform Commissions of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei attended and exchanged information on the preparation of the Capital Economic Circle development plan and studied and deployed the next steps. At the meeting, the person in charge of the Regional Department said that this plan is not only of great significance to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region but also has important implications, guidance, and promotion significance for the whole country. At that time, it was required that the plan preparation should generally grasp important principles such as highlighting the capital's status, reflecting dual-city linkage, promoting integrated development, leveraging comparative advantages, solving key problems, and focusing on demonstration and driving.

 

　　The integration of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei capital circle has become an irresistible trend and is imminent.

 

　　On the eve of this year's Two Sessions, General Secretary Xi Jinping's remark that "we must break the mindset of one-acre-three-fen-land", especially his emphasis that the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei should rise to a major national strategy and that Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei should accelerate the pace of scientific and sustainable coordinated development, gave all parties confidence to initiate and advance reforms, and leaders from various places have made statements on this.

 

　　Beijing 

 

　　Guo Jinlong: Break fixed mindsets 

 

　　At the Fifth Plenary Session of the 11th Beijing Municipal Committee held this year, Guo Jinlong said: "We must have a new understanding of promoting the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei. We must consciously break our own 'one-acre-three-fen-land' mindset, look at Beijing from outside Beijing, and strive to push the economies of the three places to continue along the path of same goals, integrated measures, complementary roles, and interconnected interests."

 

　　Tianjin 

 

　　Vice Mayor: Superimposed advantages 

 

　　Zong Guoying, Vice Mayor of Tianjin, put the "large transportation system" of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei in the first place. He believes that superimposed advantages and coordinated development are the key to win-win cooperation in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei.

 

　　Hebei 

 

　　Provincial Party Secretary: Do our utmost to cooperate 

 

　　Zhou Benshun, Secretary of the Hebei Provincial Party Committee, said at this year's National Two Sessions that Hebei will implement the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integration strategy without compromise. First, it is necessary to do a good job in planning, and in accordance with the blueprint, do our utmost to cooperate with Beijing and Tianjin in the planning of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integration, and firmly act according to the plan. "Do not harm the great cause of the three benefits for the small private interest of one; be generous, not petty."

 

　　□ Integration Planning 

 

　　Beijing demonstrates the Capital Economic Circle plan 

 

　　In fact, Beijing has already begun formulating the Capital Economic Circle plan. At the Beijing Two Sessions early last year, the government work report clearly stated that "Beijing must better serve regional development, strengthen cooperation with neighboring provinces and cities, accelerate the construction of the Capital Economic Circle, and jointly promote the process of regional integration."

 

　　Zhang Gong, Vice Mayor of Beijing, revealed at that time that a preliminary plan for the Capital Economic Circle had been produced and was being repeatedly demonstrated. It required full communication with relevant provinces and ministries, and ultimately a comprehensive plan would be produced and implemented year by year.

 

　　It is reported that the preliminary plan includes several aspects. First, priority will be given to promoting infrastructure connectivity and accelerating the construction of a modern three-dimensional transportation system to provide better support for strengthening regional cooperation. Second, give full play to the capital's advantages such as pilot implementation of innovative policies, highly concentrated intellectual resources, and profound cultural heritage, leverage the demonstration, guidance, and radiation-driven role of innovation, drive the overall improvement of regional innovation levels, and serve regional industrial transformation and upgrading. There are also mentions of leveraging the capital's advantages in high-quality public service resources such as education, medical care, and culture, encouraging the city's resources to strengthen services for surrounding areas in various ways, and improving the quality of public services in surrounding areas.

 

　　□ Integration Actions 

 

　　Hebei arranges special funds to undertake projects 

 

　　This year, according to the new requirements of coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Hebei Province adjusted the allocation of fiscal funds, including adding 200 million yuan in reward and subsidy funds to support the surrounding Beijing-Tianjin areas in undertaking the transfer of advantageous industrial projects.

 

　　Regarding the integration of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Hebei Province currently appears to be very enthusiastic. It has just issued the "Opinions of Hebei Province on Promoting New Urbanization", which clearly proposes that Baoding should undertake the relocation of some administrative institutions, higher education institutions, research institutes, and medical and elderly care functions from the capital. Langfang will take the construction of the new capital airport and the airport economic zone as an opportunity to increase efforts to attract functional resources such as science and technology, education, medical care, and exhibition from Beijing. In addition, corresponding positioning has been made for cities such as Shijiazhuang, Tangshan, Chengde, and Zhangjiakou.

 

　　Tianjin seems to place more emphasis on Binhai New Area in the integration of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei. Zong Guoying, Vice Mayor of Tianjin, said at this year's National Two Sessions that in the integration process, Binhai New Area should play the role of spatial carrier and practical platform. Regarding the focus of the new area in the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, he said that the positioning of the new area is to become a spatial carrier and practical platform for the convergence of factors, industrial integration, and interactive innovation among the three places.

 

　　□ Integration Transportation 

 

　　Expressways 

 

　　Beijing, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang will each have 3 expressway connections 

 

　　The integration of transportation among Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei has actually been accelerating in recent years, and the speed of construction is remarkable.

 

　　The reporter learned that by 2020, there will be three expressway routes connecting each of the three central cities of Beijing, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang. According to the plan, the counties (cities, districts) surrounding Beijing-Tianjin will have at least one first-class highway connecting them to Beijing and Tianjin. The number of expressway interfaces with Beijing and Tianjin will reach 14 and 15 respectively. The Tianjin-Shijiazhuang Expressway starts from the northeast ring of the Shijiazhuang Ring Expressway, passes through Wuji, Shenze, Hejian, and Dacheng to Tianjin. The Shijiazhuang section is about 50 kilometers, and the Tianjin section has a total length of 38.8 kilometers.

 

　　Railways 

 

　　A one-hour economic circle around Beijing will be formed 

 

　　In terms of railways, in addition to the already completed and opened Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway and the Tianjin-Qinhuangdao Passenger Dedicated Line (Tianjin to Qinhuangdao) to be opened by the end of this year, the Beijing-Shenyang Passenger Dedicated Line (Beijing to Shenyang), Beijing-Chengde Passenger Dedicated Line (Beijing to Chengde), Beijing-Zhangjiakou Intercity Railway (Beijing to Zhangjiakou), and Beijing-Kowloon Passenger Dedicated Line (Beijing to Hengshui) are either in the planning, exploration, or environmental assessment stages.

 

　　After these railways are built, the one-hour economic circle centered on Beijing will be expanded to a larger scope, not only Baoding and Tangshan but also Shijiazhuang and Hengshui, which are more than 200 kilometers away from Beijing, will be covered. For freight, a 12-hour access circle will be formed, closely connecting with surrounding provinces and cities in all aspects.

 

　　Ring Road 

 

　　The 7th Ring Road to be completed next year 

 

　　In addition, there is Beijing's Outer Ring Expressway project, also known as the "7th Ring Road", with a total length of about 940 kilometers, of which about 90 kilometers are within Beijing, including the Beijing section of the Miyun-Zhuozhou Expressway and the Beijing section of the Chengde-Pinggu Expressway, and about 850 kilometers are within Hebei Province. The project is expected to be completed next year. After completion, Hebei will have 11 expressways, including Beijing-Chengde, Miyun-Zhuozhou, and Chengde-Pinggu, converging directly to Beijing. The existing transit traffic in the southeastern part of Beijing, especially freight transit traffic, will gradually be transferred to the peripheral areas of Beijing.