In Northern China, the building of the new city Xiongan New Area is in full swing, writes China expert Ashley Dudarenok on her weblog. “These developments signaled serious progress toward creating a liveable, diverse city rather than a sterile administrative zone,” she writes.
Ashley Dudarenok:
In northern China, a new urban district is transforming expectations of what a city can be. The Xiongan New Area is being developed roughly 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing as part of a deliberate policy to disperse some non‑capital functions and promote coordinated development across the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region.
Starting in 2025, the area entered a high‑quality construction phase, with operational headquarters, universities, hospitals, a smart urban network, and green spaces rapidly taking shape. Chinese authorities describe it as a “city of the future” that blends smart infrastructure, environmental restoration, innovation clusters, and human‑centered design…
In April 2025, Xiongan had reached a pivotal stage. Large‑scale infrastructure projects and relocation efforts were underway simultaneously. New sports and cultural facilities appeared; a 40,000‑seat stadium opened in March that year.
Crucially, centrally administered state‑owned enterprises (SOEs) began moving their headquarters into the new area. The China Satellite Network Group Co., Ltd. (CSCN), for example, started operations at the end of 2024, while other SOEs were constructing headquarters nearby.
This cluster effect attracted about sixty aerospace‑information enterprises and catalyzed an industrial ecosystem spanning satellite internet, spatiotemporal information, aerospace vehicles, and intelligent manufacturing.
Relocation efforts extended beyond corporate offices. In early 2025, over 4,000 enterprises originally based in Beijing had registered operations in Xiongan. Education and healthcare institutions followed. Four universities from Beijing began building campuses, and the Xiongan branch of Peking Union Medical College Hospital was scheduled to start construction soon.
The reform and development bureau reported that investments in the new area exceeded 860 billion yuan in February 2025. These developments signaled serious progress toward creating a liveable, diverse city rather than a sterile administrative zone.
More at Ashley’s weblog Chozan.
Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.
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