BEIJING — China is pressing ahead with the building of Xiongan New Area and Beijing’s sub-center following strict standards, officials said on Jan 11.

The top-level design for the Xiongan New Area has been generally completed, with the planning and policy systems both established, Lin Nianxiu, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, told a press conference.

In April 2017, China announced the establishment of Xiongan New Area, spanning three counties in Hebei province about 100 km southwest of downtown Beijing.

The development and construction have begun in Xiongan New Area, as work has been started on projects including intercity railway between Beijing and Xiongan and the afforestation project, and the public service center has been put into use.

However, other than some basic projects and temporary constructions, not a single brick has been laid to “avoid leaving historic regrets,” Lin said.

Earlier this month, China’s central authorities approved the 2018-2035 master plan for Xiongan. According to the plan that stresses high-quality development, Xiongan will become a modern city that is green, intelligent and livable, with “relatively strong competitiveness and harmonious human-environment interaction by 2035.”

In order to turn the plan into reality, the government should adopt a holistic approach and take environmental protection, resource use, space layout and construction management into consideration, experts suggest.

On Jan 11, four key municipal organs of Beijing moved their offices from the downtown area to the eastern suburb of Tongzhou district, the capital city’s sub-center.

Sui Zhenjiang, deputy mayor of Beijing, said that the municipality should steer the sub-center onto a path of sustainable development, building it into a district without “urban diseases.”

“Next, Beijing should further improve the planning and design of the sub-center, and build the framework of the area with focus on major projects,” Sui said.

The municipality will also seek active progress in the coordinated development of the sub-center with the adjacent counties in Hebei province, with a slew of measures on transport, industries and facilities to be rolled out in 2019.