General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspected the Xiong'an New Area in north China's Hebei Province on March 23, where he also chaired a symposium on further advancing the high-quality construction and development of the new area and delivered an important speech. Xi emphasized the need to firmly uphold the Xiong'an New Area's primary functional positioning as the major recipient of functions relieved from Beijing that are nonessential to its role as the nation's capital. He called for efforts to maintain strategic resolve and historic patience, further emancipate the mind, explore new ways, strengthen coordination, and form synergy. He said the new area should strengthen endogenous development momentum through reform and innovation, unlock vitality via reasonable concentration of production factors and resources, and work hard to build itself into an innovation hub in the new era and a model of promoting high-quality development.

Li Qiang, premier of the State Council, Cai Qi, director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Ding Xuexiang, vice premier of the State Council, accompanied Xi on the inspection tour and attended the symposium. They are all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Xi arrived in the Xiong'an New Area in the morning and traveled by vehicle to inspect construction progress in the start-up zone. He was accompanied by Ni Yuefeng, secretary of the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee, and Wang Zhengpu, governor of Hebei Province. Seeing that the construction of the new area is progressing in an orderly manner with full vitality, Xi expressed his appreciation.

Afterward, Xi visited China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd., which had more than 1,000 employees relocated from its headquarters and affiliated subsidiaries to the Xiong'an New Area in October 2025. Xi stepped into the operations monitoring and emergency command center, where he listened to briefings on the relocation, industrial configuration, and innovation-driven development, and observed real-time operational data and remote imaging. He emphasized that the relocation to Xiong'an should serve as an opportunity to stimulate the initiative and creativity of the company's officials and other employees, and to make new contributions to accelerating the development of a new-type energy system and building China into an energy power.

In the lobby on the first floor, Xi had a cordial exchange with representatives of officials and other employees from relocated organizations already operating in the new area and those currently under construction. He asked about their work and daily lives, commended their efforts in building and developing the new area, and encouraged them to take root there and actively contribute their talents and skills. He urged them, as proud residents of Xiong'an, to take the lead, work with both speed and steady progress, and jointly create a bright future for the area.

The Xiong'an campus of Beijing No. 4 High School, built with support from Beijing Municipality and put into use in August 2023, currently has more than 380 students. In the teaching building, where students were attending classes, Xi walked into the Seventh-Grade (Class 2) classroom, chatted with teachers and students, and learned about teaching conditions. He expressed hope that the school would bring over the successful experience and practices of Beijing No. 4 High School, care for students' physical and mental well-being with heartfelt dedication, and promote their all-round development.

At the school cafeteria, Xi inspected the dining environment and the variety of dishes on offer, and stressed the need to ensure the safety and nutritional quality of students' meals. As he was leaving the school, the faculty and students greeted the general secretary together. Xi encouraged the children to cherish what they have, strive to make progress, and stay positive and upward-looking, so that they grow together with the Xiong'an New Area and advance in step with Chinese modernization.

On the afternoon of the 23rd, Xi chaired a symposium on further promoting the high-quality construction and development of the Xiong'an New Area. Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, Ni Yuefeng, secretary of the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee, and Zhang Guohua, secretary of the Party Working Committee of the Xiong'an New Area, addressed the symposium in turn. Officials from Beijing, Tianjin, and relevant central Party and government departments submitted written remarks.

After listening to their remarks, Xi delivered an important speech. He emphasized that, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and through the joint efforts of all sides, major phased achievements have been made in the construction and development of the Xiong'an New Area. Practice has fully proved that the CPC Central Committee's decision to construct the Xiong'an New Area is entirely correct, and that all related work has been solid and effective.

Xi pointed out that, to further advance the high-quality construction and development of the Xiong'an New Area, it is essential to stay committed to the area's functional positioning and push forward, with greater strength and in a more orderly manner, the relocation from Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as the nation's capital and the area's capacity to receive and accommodate them. Efforts should be made to advance the construction of relocation projects involving centrally administered state-owned enterprises, universities and hospitals in an active, prudent and phased manner, while moving forward in an orderly way the relocation of financial institutions, research institutes and public institutions, and supporting the relocated entities in achieving better development. Policy support and services for relocation projects and personnel should be strengthened, so as to guide and support relocated projects in radiating and driving the development of the Xiong'an New Area and surrounding areas.

To continuously enhance the comprehensive carrying capacity of the Xiong'an New Area, it is important to take a systematic approach and ensure both high-quality development and efficient governance in an integrated manner, Xi stressed. The proper pace and sequence of work must be scientifically managed, with efforts concentrated on advancing construction in the initial development zone and start-up zone to strive for "Xiong'an Quality." It is imperative to uphold Party leadership in the new area's governance, improve public service systems, and ensure people's well-being. Future-oriented models of smart city management should be actively explored, and efforts should be made to build a beautiful Xiong'an with blue skies, green fields, and clean water.

The Xiong'an New Area should take reform and innovation as the driving force, promote the deep integration between technological and industrial innovation, develop new quality productive forces tailored to local conditions, and cultivate a modernized industrial system suited to the new area's realities, Xi pointed out. The Xiong'an sub-park of Zhongguancun Science Park should be developed with a high standard to translate more sci-tech achievements into practical applications. Efforts should be made to promote the clustered development of emerging industries and industries of the future, actively develop producer services, and support the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. It is equally important to engage in bold exploration and pilot trials, ensure the early implementation of innovation policies in areas such as science and technology and finance, and strive to create a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment.

Xi stressed the need to strengthen Party leadership and Party building, firmly establish and practice a correct view on governance performance, and cultivate a clean and upright political ecosystem. All relevant sides must enhance their consciousness of thinking in big-picture terms and taking on responsibility, earnestly implement the decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee with concrete actions, and support the high-quality construction and development of the Xiong'an New Area. Officials in Xiong'an should demonstrate a strong sense of duty, and go to the front line to ensure implementation, striving to deliver satisfactory answers to the Party and the people.

Li Qiang stated in his speech that the spirit of the important speech delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping must be earnestly studied and implemented. While it is imperative to maintain this "national project of millennial significance" as an immutable strategy, every moment must be seized to deeply advance the high-quality construction and development of the Xiong'an New Area. Efforts must be made to strive for new progress in relieving Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as the nation's capital, boosting the impetus for relocation and the attractiveness of Xiong'an as a recipient. It is a must to seek new breakthroughs in enriching urban connotations and enhancing urban functions, accelerate the improvement of public services, foster a first-class industrial ecosystem, and build Xiong'an into an innovation hub in the new era. It is also a must to strive for new achievements in promoting the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, integrate the strengths of all parties, strengthen reform exploration, and make Xiong'an play a leading and driving role in the region.

In his speech, Ding Xuexiang also urged earnest study and implementation of the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech. It is imperative to seize opportunities and ride on the momentum to push the Xiong'an New Area to fully implement the innovation-driven development strategy and deeply integrate into regional collaborative innovation networks, and actively build Xiong'an into an important fulcrum of the Beijing (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei) international scientific and technological innovation center. Efforts must be made to leverage the advantage in clusters of universities and research institutes, promote collaborated innovation among industries, universities and research institutes, and advance the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent at a high level. A first-class innovation ecosystem must be carefully fostered so as to accelerate the development of emerging industries and industries of the future and elevate the high-quality construction and development of the Xiong'an New Area to a new level.

He Lifeng and others accompanied Xi during the inspection and attended the symposium. Also present at the symposium were Yin Li, Chen Min'er, Wu Zhenglong, and leading officials from relevant central Party and state departments, relevant units of the military, Beijing Municipality, Tianjin Municipality, Hebei Province, the Xiong'an New Area, and relevant enterprises.