Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei advance in step

Saturday marked the eighth anniversary of a key speech by President Xi Jinping on the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. On Feb 26, 2014, President Xi hosted a meeting in Beijing, at which the coordinated development of the two municipalities and Hebei province was first raised to the level of a national strategy.

Eight years have passed and their coordinated development has seen fruitful results. Their combined GDP has reached 9.6 trillion yuan ($1.5 trillion), 1.7 times that of 2013. The average personal disposable income of the three places has increased by 7.9 percent, 7.6 percent and 8.6 percent respectively, while the service sector accounts for over 60 percent of the total economy.

All these show that Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei have been deepening their coordinated development and are setting a good example. Their coordinated development is a major decision made by the central authorities, which features the development of all, not one, and the development of all aspects, not any single one. That's the basic principle for their coordinated development.

That's why Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei have deepened cooperation in all sectors such as transportation, environmental protection, industry, and public services. Especially, concerning the successful holding of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the whole region has accelerated the flow of people, goods, information and funds within it, and better coordinated resources.

The management of the capital is an essential part of a nation's modernization of its governance. In Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei coordinated development, Beijing's development is of the highest importance and most significance. For eight years, guided by the principle of relieving itself of its noncapital functions, Beijing has been constantly strengthening coordination with Tianjin and Hebei and taken the lead in their development.

According to the plan, the primary objective is to further optimize the functions of the capital and form an integrated sphere by 2030. More efforts are needed to propel the job forward so that they can flourish together.