The southern part of Beijing is located between Beijing's sub-center and the Xiong'an New Area of Hebei Province and adjacent to the city's core zone where Beijing functions as the capital of China. It serves as the hinterland for the "one core and two wings of Beijing and a strategic gateway to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region (BTH) of coordinated development. A new Action Plan for Faster Development in the Southern Part of Beijing (hereinafter referred to as the Action Plan) is hereby issued to tap into the strengths and features of the southern part of Beijing, and turn it into a provider of quality urban services, an area of high-quality development and a bridge for the movement of human and financial resources, technologies and information. The Action Plan aims to bring development in the southern part of Beijing in line with the strategic positioning of the city and ultimately serve Beijing's all-around, balanced and sustainable development.
I. General Requirements
1．Guidelines
The Action Plan is developed under the Beijing Municipal Master Plan (2016-2035), in accordance with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, decisions of the 19th CPC National Congress and General-Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions on Beijing. It aims to meet the requirements for high-quality development, by relieving Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as the nation's capital and harnessing the potential of southern Beijing as the hinterland of the “one core and two wings”. The Action Plan follows a reduction-based and intensive development strategy and focuses on functions and priority areas in a spirit of win-win cooperation. It aims at improving urban services and carrying capacity, strengthening the essential functions of the nation's capital, with a focus on “one axis, two corridors, two belts and multiple urban clusters"[1], cultivating functions and industries, and promoting integration of urban and rural development and coordination among regions. The southern part of Beijing will stand out in technology commercialization, reform, innovation and opening-up. Sustained efforts are required to position it as host of some of the city's transferred functions, and make it a pilot zone for high-quality development and a place for harmonious and comfortable life. ([1] One axis refers to the southern central axis of ecological and cultural progress in Beijing. Two corridors are the Beijing-Tianjin Development Corridor (connecting Beijing's central area, Tongzhou and Daxing with Tianjin and Hebei) and the Beijing-Xiong'an Development Corridor (connecting the central area and the southern part of Beijing with the Xiong'an New Area of Hebei). Two belts are the Southern Belt of Technology Innovation and Commercialization and the Western Hill-Yongding River Cultural Belt (southern section). Multiple clusters refer to new towns in Fangshan, Daxing and Yizhuang.）
2．Development Goals
The Action Plan aims to deliver, step by step, more equitable, sustainable and efficient growth to the southern part of Beijing that delivers better environment, public services, transportation infrastructure and ecological system. With key functional zones and industries moving further up the value chain, a new growth engine for Beijing will emerge. The following goals are to be reached by the end of 2020:
Greater carrying capacity. The special operation of upgrading the city through function transfer and remediation will continue, reducing land for construction in urban and rural areas by 59 square kilometers. Cross-regional transportation systems will be established step by step. More equal access to public services will be realized. Hence, the southern part of Beijing will feature better municipal governance, integrated urban-rural development and environmental improvement. The forest coverage will reach 32.1%, and 73.7% of the built-up areas will be within a 500-meter radius of parks and green spaces.
Higher-quality development. Quicker steps will be taken in planning and building the Southern Central Axis for Ecological and Cultural Progress. The Southern Belt of Technological Innovation and Commercialization and the Western Hill-Yongding River Cultural Belt (southern section) will take initial shape. Lize Financial Business District will attract more emerging financial industries. Faster progress will be made in the building of the Daxing International Airport economic zone and in institutional improvement of industry-university-research institute collaboration in Liangxiang University Town. The sub-parks of Zhongguancun Science Park will see initial success in cultivating high-end, precision and sophisticated industries, with an average of over 10% rise in the total annual revenue from technology, industry and trade.
Better reform and innovation mechanisms. Cooperation with central government agencies and between regions will be expanded with clearer responsibilities and greater efficiency. Reforms shall produce preliminary results in such pilot areas as land, human resources, administrative approvals, investment and financing. Faster pace will be made to expand opening-up and attract FDI, resulting in increased number of big joint ventures and cooperative projects and closer integration with the world.
II. Improving Urban Services
In line with the spatial layout of Beijing set in the Beijing Municipal Master Plan (2016-2035), the government will develop an organizational structure of urban services aligned with “one axis, two corridors, two belts and multiple clusters”, where resources will concentrate and spread more efficiently.
The “one axis” is the Southern Central Axis for Ecological and Cultural Progress. Rigorous planning and control will be carried out. Policies on strategic land reservation for future use will be strengthened, so that the capital may take on new functions in the new era. Land vacated will be used to improve the ecological environment. The Southern Central Axis of Ecological and Cultural Progress, running through the central area, connecting the Nanyuan-Dahongmen area and Beijing Daxing International Airport, will play the role as a main carrier of urban service functions.
The “two corridors” are the Beijing-Tianjin Development Corridor which connects Beijing's central area, Tongzhou and Daxing, with Tianjin and Hebei, and the Beijing-Xiong'an Development Corridor that links the central area and the southern part of Beijing with the Xiong'an New Area. A more efficient and convenient transportation system will connect different functional sections. Efforts will be made to facilitate the transfer of relevant functions and industries and create a better ecological environment. Thus, the corridors will serve as an artery for the flow and pool of various resources for the coordinated development of BTH.
The “two belts” refer to the Southern Belt of Technology Innovation and Commercialization and the Western Hill-Yongding River Cultural Belt (south section). The first belt aims to create globally important clusters of innovative industries that include the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BETDA), the sub-parks of the Zhongguancun Science Park in Fengtai, Fangshan and Daxing, Zhongguancun Science City, Huairou Science City and Beijing Future Science Park. The second belt, focusing on cultural and heritage preservation, will increase Fanshan's appeal as a cultural and leisure resort for international tourists and improve, through preservation and display of cultural heritages, the Yongding River's ecological and cultural value. Southwestern Beijing will thus become a premium choice for cultural exhibitions and leisure activities, featuring lucid water, green spaces and places of cultural interests.
The “multiple clusters” mainly refer to the three new towns in Fangshan, Daxing and Yizhuang. High-quality development of the new towns shall be pursued with improved public services in such fields as education and healthcare, faster growth of the service sector and greater accommodation capacity. Great efforts will be made to advance high-quality development in key functional zones. As the number of key projects launched in Fangshan District grows, the southern part of Beijing will see a balanced layout of key functional zones, with BETDA in the east, the Daxing International Airport economic zone and Lize Financial Business District in the middle, and Liangxiang University Town in the west.
III. Advancing the Special Operation of Upgrading the City through Function Transfer and Remediation
Taking into consideration the resources available and the capacity of the environment, the government will advance function transfer, remediation and upgrading simultaneously. Population size and construction scale will be put under control to make room for new functions and resources. Fengtai District will focus on moving out regional specialty markets and logistics centers in an orderly way, accelerate the transformation and upgrading of the Xinfadi wholesale farm market, and improve planning of existing industrial land of loss-making SOEs. Urban functions will improve and more capital functions will be transferred to Fengtai.
Fangshan District will strictly control the production capacity of primary petrochemicals, strengthen rectification in land use for industrial and mining purposes, and replace scattered industrial land with industrial parks.
Daxing District will clear industrial compounds in the peri-urban areas and illegal constructions. Spatial control and environmental improvement will be reinforced in the southern part of Beijing. Proper layout will be made for new functions and industries in line with the strategic positioning of Beijing as the national capital, and land vacated through demolishing illegal constructions will become reserved land or green spaces. More mini green spaces, street parks and urban parks will be created, and together with more community fitness and shopping facilities, they will improve the quality of life and environment.
IV. Rising the Accommodation Capacity
1. Better Ecological Environment
Green Spaces. By the end of 2020, another 125 thousand mu (8333.33 hectares) of green areas will be added through a new afforestation project that will cover one million-mu (66,667 hectares). The envisioned ecological space will feature "two green belts, three park rings and multiple landscape corridors". The "two green belts" will go along the Southern Central Axis and the Yongding River. The environment along the Southern Central Axis will be rehabilitated and upgraded. Large-scale greening around Beijing Daxing International Airport will be carried out to impress travelers with an image of "airport in the forest". The plan of pollution control and ecological rehabilitation of the Yongding River will be implemented together with the project of environmental restoration in the southern section of the Yongding River Plain, which includes the building of a riverside forest park and waterfront tree-lined leisure walkways. 7,500 mu (500 hectares) of wetland will be created by the end of 2020. The "three park rings" refer to urban parks, country parks and capital-rim forests plus wetland parks. The first park ring includes Nanyuan Forest Wetland Park in Fengtai District and other urban leisure parks as well as tree-lined walkways. The second park ring is a suburban green belt featuring country parks and ecological farming with Huangcun Country Park in Daxing District as its main part. The capital-rim forest and wetland parks mainly include Gusang National Forest Park and Changgou National Wetland Park, both of which will be further upgraded. The "multiple landscape corridors" refer to the main traffic lines and river banks that, after wider and fuller landscaping, will form an eye-pleasing network of green ventilation corridors.
Air Quality. A clean energy system will be developed to raise the share of non-fossil fuels and offer further support to rural areas that have made the switch from coal to clean energy. Beijing Daxing International Airport will be encouraged to use more clean energy. By the end of 2020, over 95% of energy used will be of high-quality, and more than 70% of buses will be powered by renewable and clean energy. Heavy diesel vehicles will be under stricter emission inspections. Industrial pollution will be curtailed through tougher measures against polluting businesses and tighter control over volatile organic compounds in the petrochemical industry. Dust pollution will be strictly controlled on roads and in construction sites, and the latter must meet the dust control standards.
Sewage Treatment. The “River Chief” system will be fully in place. With the implementation of the second Three-Year Action Plan on Sewage Treatment and Water Recycling, 93% of the sewage in the new towns and over 75% of the sewage in villages and townships in southern Beijing will be properly treated by the end of 2019. Sewage treatment facilities will fully cover important water sources, densely populated villages and tourist villages of local folk culture. Black and malodorous water bodies and surface water below Class V standard will be cleaned up at a faster pace. By the end of 2018, black and malodorous water bodies will be basically eliminated, and Dashi River will consistently meet water quality standard. By the end of 2019, Liangshui River and Longhe River will consistently meet water quality standard. Recycled water will be better utilized, replenishing urban rivers and lakes to help maintain their eco-systems.
Waste Disposal. Waste must be reduced at its source through, among others, the establishment of MSW sorting demonstration zones. The government will tighten regulation over disposal of kitchen waste, exercise precision management in the whole process of garbage collection and transportation in key areas, improve recycling of renewable resources, and make the work of waste disposal more specialized and market-driven. Construction will be completed for Phase II of Fengtai Circular Economy Industrial Park Leachate Treatment Plant, Fengtai District Building Waste Recycling Plant and Fangshan Circular Economy Industrial Park. Construction of An'ding Circular Economy Park is about to start. The “toilet revolution” will continue to increase the number of standard-meeting public toilets.
2. Well-established Infrastructure System
Expansive Cross-Regional Transportation Infrastructure Construction. The southern part of Beijing will be better connected with the central area, the sub-center and the Xiong'an New Area. The intercity railway and expressway between Beijing and Xiong'an will be built at a faster pace together with other key transportation corridors. Beijing Daxing International Airport will be connected with the national transportation trunk lines of “five North-South and two East-West express lines and one intercity link”[2]. Construction of State Road 105 and Phase Ⅲ (Fangshan section) of State Road 108, and renovation of State Road 104 will be accelerated. Transportation links between east and west will be improved with renovation of Fangshan-Yixian Road and construction of Inter-city Rail Link (S6). To strengthen transportation link with the central area, construction of the east and west sections of Jingliang Road, Tuanhe Road, Liuquan Road, and the southern extension of Yuanbo Avenue will pick up speed, and a new traffic link between Fangshan District and the central area of Beijing is in the pipeline. ( [2] They include Jingtai (Beijing to Taipei) Expressway, Beijing Daxing International Airport Expressway, the first phase of a subway line connecting downtown Beijing to Daxing International Airport, Beijing-Xiong'an Intercity Railway, Jingkai (Beijing to Kaifeng) Expressway, Daxing Airport North Line Expressway, the first phrase of inter-city rail link between Langfangdong Railway Station and Beijing Daxing International Airport.)
A Convenient and Efficient Multi-layer City Transportation System. Construction will accelerate on Phase III and Phase IV of Metro Line 8 and the middle section of Metro Line 14, and on Lianhuahe Road and South Maliandao Road which connect Fengtai District with the core zone. BETDA's outbound traffic links will improve. Boxing West Road, Luxi Road and other roads on the construction plan of Daxing District will be built. Road junctions with Beijing-Xiong'an Intercity Railway will be renovated. The road network of major functional zones in Fangshan District will improve with the completion of Guangyang Boulevard and other trunk roads, and the expansion of Kaixuan Boulevard. The Beijing-Yuanping Suburban Railway will be built to improve traffic in Shidu. Fengtai Railway Station and its supporting transportation hubs will be upgraded. Progress will be made to connect Huangcun Railway Station with Cigezhuang Station of Daxing Airport Express.
High-Standard Utilities Infrastructure. Water supply in the southern part of Beijing will further improve with the completion of the Daxing branch of the South-North Water Diversion Project and the Fengtai Hexi No.3 Waterworks. To improve flood control and drainage capacity, a flood detention wetland at Beijing Daxing International Airport will be built, and ponding at such places as Xiaojingqiao will be treated. In order to provide safe and reliable energy, several main grid power transmission and transformation projects will be lunched, including the 500 kv power projects at Beijing New Aerotropolis, to improve the distribution of grids in the city's southern part. The government will build urban link-ups of heating supply, renovate all kinds of heating pipelines, expand regional heating supply cooperation, and build natural gas trunk pipeline along the Beijing-Taipei Expressway. Construction of utility pipeline corridors in the Daxing International Airport economic zone and other major functional zones will accelerate
3. Improving People's Wellbeing
Basic Education. Access to pre-school education will be expanded in various forms with the opening of the Experimental Kindergarten Affiliated to Fengtai Branch of Beijing Institute of Education and the Central Kindergarten of North Weishanzhuang Township in Daxing District. Prestigious schools will be invited to open local branches and more private schools will be set up. A number of high-quality schools will be built or expanded, including Fengtai Zhongtang Experimental School of Beijing National Day School, BETDA Experimental School of the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, Beijing Jianhua Experimental School at BETDA, and the nine-year through-train education School at No.2 Qibu lot, Changyang Township, Fangshan District. More educational administrators and teachers of high caliber will be encouraged to work in southern Beijing to pool human resource and raise the quality of basic education there.
Healthcare Service. For the purpose of building regional medical centers, each district in southern Beijing will have at least one Grade-III hospital which is either a branch of a municipal-level hospital, or operates at the district level but is supervised by the municipality or as a member of a hospital group. Efforts will be made to speed up relocation of the Beijing Stomatological Hospital, construction of the branch of Peking University First Hospital in southern Beijing and building of the First Hospital of Fangshan District. District hospitals will improve medical facilities, technology expertise and service capabilities.
Cultural and Sports Facilities and Elderly-Care Services. Public cultural and sports facilities at the community level will be improved by integrating cultural facilities at district, sub-district (township) and community (village) levels into a network. More brick-and-mortar bookstores, multi-hall cinemas and public sports facilities will be built. The facilities and system of elderly care will be improved. International residential communities will emerge in key areas, supported by service complexes.
Jobs-Housing Balance. A housing supply system will be created, first in southern Beijing, that includes commercial housing, shared ownership housing, resettlement housing for people in run-down areas and rental housing to support major functions and industrial layout of the local area. It will also promote coordination among Tiers I, II and III housing markets, so that basic housing need can be better met. The mix of housing supply will be improved with new policies that encourages developing rental housing on existing collectively-owned construction land. The government facilitates land developers to manage the rental housing that they have developed, and encourages housing rental companies to expand their business scales. New approaches will be explored to match jobs with housing needs and improve housing resource distribution, including reserving rental housing exclusively for people working in the industrial parks. A better housing rental system shall be in place to encourage people to live closer to place of work.
4. Improving City Management
Precision Governance. Greater importance will be placed on urban planning and detailed designing to create a distinctive city landscape. The urban planning for narrow roads, dense traffic networks and open street blocks will be implemented. It will include road channelization and the slow transit system. Landscaping along main streets will be improved to raise the appeal of the city. Digital and smart technologies will assume greater importance. City management will be more grid-based with the use of big data and the promotion of intelligent parking and smart communities.
Participatory Governance. The “respond to whistles” mechanism will be further implemented whereby governments at the sub-district (township) level can “whistle” for the high-level law enforcement authorities in case of a pressing issue, to cover the “last mile” of urban community-level governance. The government will further engage with the public and mobilize all sectors to explore more effective ways of participatory governance. An “Alley Chief” system will be in place, and the role of alley stewards will be put to full play to extend urban management further down to streets, alleys and hutongs. The southern part of Beijing will be the first to extend urban community services to rural areas through enhanced urban-rural governance coordination.
Rule of Law. City management will be improved in all areas and issues thereof shall be considered and addressed in the principle of rule of law, City management functions of district-level authorities will be strengthened. More emphasis will be placed on governance at primary levels, to whom more resources are allocated. A sound administration and law enforcement will be in place for both urban and rural areas. 90% of the law enforcement personnel will be working on the front line by the end of 2020. A sophisticated cross-agency and cross-regional law enforcement collaboration mechanism will be in place to create greater synergy in regulatory and law enforcement operations. More publicity campaigns on the rule of law will be carried out to raise citizens' legal awareness and civility.
V. Cultivating and Upgrading Functions and Industries
1. Creating the Southern Central Axis to showcase historical, cultural and ecological characteristics of the capital.
The Southern Central Axis and its extension will become landmarks of the capital in the new era. A high-quality detailed control plan for the Southern Central Axis and its extension will be worked out with greater urgency. The ecological axis will be mostly located on vacated space. Construction of Nanyuan Forest Wetland Park will continue. A forest park along the Southern Central Axis is in the pipeline, which will be an expansive and high-quality eco-friendly landscape featuring forests and pastoral sceneries. The value of the Central Axis of Beijing as capital of a major country will be further celebrated, highlighting its cultural features. In building a high-quality cultural axis, collaboration between the municipal government and the central government agencies will be enhanced, and exchange and cooperation platforms of all types and at all levels will be set up. Such key links as Dahongmen, Nanyuan, Xihongmen and Cigezhuang will be upgraded for displaying cultural and other high-end features and hosting major cultural events.
2. Upgrading the functions and industries of the “two belts”
(1) The Southern Belt of Technology Innovation and Commercialization.
Moving BETDA up the value chain. Priority is given to such strategic and emerging industries and high-end manufacturing industries as next-generation information technology, automobile, smart and new-energy vehicles, biomedicine, health services, robotics and intelligent manufacturing. The government will foster clusters of innovative industries with global influence and innovation-led demonstration zones of "Made in China 2025". BETDA will collaborate with the three science cities on technology commercialization and forge greater synergy among industry, universities and research institutes. Businesses will be encouraged to raise their capabilities to innovate and become industrial leaders. The government will attract more foreign investment and pursue greater opening-up. Several important projects will be launched to form high-end, precision and sophisticated industry clusters.
Overall planning will be carried out for the distribution of functions in Daxing District and Taihu and Majuqiao of Tongzhou District. Land development models will be updated to meet the need for faster function transfer. Utilities infrastructure and public services such as education and health will be improved. High-standard international residential communities will be built. A green urban area will be created with industries that support urban functions and accordable living and working environment.
Improved performance of science parks. Fengtai sub-park of Zhongguancun Science Park will host such industries as rail transit, aerospace and emergency rescue. It will be turned into a manufacturing cluster for the rail transit intelligent control industry and a national testing site for standardized manufacturing of high-end equipment. China Space Military-Civilian Integration Innovation Centre and several other incubation platforms and commercialization centers for the aerospace military industry will be established. The western section of the sub-park will be designed and constructed with high standards, with a view to developing the west bank of the Yongding River into a demonstration zone where industries match urban functions.
Fangshan sub-park of Zhongguancun Science Park will focus on modern transportation, new materials, intelligent equipment, healthcare and financial technologies. It will be turned into a new highland for technology innovation among the sub-parks of Zhongguancun Science Park in southern Beijing. With the launch of such major projects as BOE medical science park and the graphene seed enterprise incubation accelerator, faster innovation and growth will take place in intelligent manufacturing and strategic and frontier materials. The capability of finance to serve the real economy will be strengthened with the establishment of Changgou Fund Town and the Beijing Internet Banking Security Demonstration Park. Construction of Changyang Aerocity Electronic Park will be accelerated. Liangxiang Private Jet Hub project will be launched. The military-civilian integration industries will develop in clusters.
Daxing sub-park of Zhongguancun Science Park will focus on pharmaceuticals, healthcare and cultural creativity, where a biomedical industrial park will be created, characterized by high-end manufacturing, research and development, platform building and health services. A new media industrial center will be opened there to promote cultural creativity, film and television industries. The new energy vehicle industrial park and the military-civilian integration industrial park will be upgraded. Planning and construction of the “Zhongguancun Daxing" modern service industry park will gather pace.
2. Western Hills-Yongding River Cultural Belt (southern section).
Better protection and promotion of cultural heritage. The Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site, the heritage site of the Yan State Capital of the West Zhou Dynasty by the Liuli River, Ruins of the Jin Tombs and Yunju Temple will be better protected to display their historical and cultural value. The government will bid for hosting the session of the World Heritage Committee through which the cultural tourism industry will be given a further push. Application for UNESCO recognition of the Yan State Capital of the West Zhou Dynasty by the Liuli River as a World Cultural Heritage Site will be advanced. Relocation of residents and organizations in its surrounding areas has begun. Tangshang Village in Xiayunling, Fangshan, the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression at Wanping and the site of the Beijing-Hankou railway workers' strike of 1923, Fengtai will be celebrated as revolutionary memorial sites. The National Cultural Park of Macopolo Bridge will be built and environment will be improved in its surrounding areas. Protection and display of industrial heritage sites such as the coal mines in west Beijing will be strengthened.
Nurturing high-end cultural tourism. Geological and cultural tourism will be promoted in Fangshan UNESCO Global Geopark. The Shidu and Qinglong Lake region, famous for their beautiful landscape, will be developed into an international leisure and vacation resort with more private funding, resource integration and improved management.. Eco-tourism such as forest explorations and rehabilitation will be carried out in the forests of the Western Hills. An ecological and cultural zone along the Yongding River will be created to further display and protect its culture and improve its landscaping and leisure functions.
3. Improving industrial performance by focusing on key functional zones.
High-standard construction of the Daxing International Airport economic zone. The economic zone will be built into a functional zone to perform Beijing's role as an international exchange center, a national aviation technology innovation pioneering zone and a demonstration zone for BTH coordinated development. It will become a new growth engine for Beijing and a new highland for coordinated development of BTH. The economic zone will push for the setup of a comprehensive bonded zone to nurture R&D capabilities and high-end service industries such as cross-border e-commerce and financial service.
As an international, high-end and service-oriented airport economic zone focusing in aviation logistics, technology innovation and support services, it will expand the city's external connectivity and urban function integration, and host conferences and exhibitions as appropriate to promote international visits and cultural exchanges. Efforts will be made to advance the construction of multi-functional facilities for international exchanges and build international residential communities. A state-of-the-art general hospital will be built to serve international patients. Specialized medical services will also be provided. The Zhongguancun-Daxing International Airport Innovation Park will be built to attract world-class institutions, projects and talents, promote innovation and entrepreneurship and develop frontier technology industries. The policy to further promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation shall be implemented in conjunction with the pilot program of opening up the city's service industry. The noise of Beijing Daxing International Airport will be put under control.
High-quality development of Lize Financial Business District. Lize Financial Business District will grow into a cluster of emerging financial industries and a pilot zone of the capital financial reform. A municipal-level coordination mechanism and a joint meeting system will be in place to match development of Lize Financial Business District with that of the Financial Street by developing amenities services for the need of the Financial Street and the CBD. The Lize City Terminal of Beijing Daxing International Airport will be built at a faster pace. Its underground space will be fully connected and the municipal infrastructure around it will be further improved. A new land supply model will be created to ensure jobs housing balance where high-end facilities will be available to serve business, commercial, educational, medical and other needs. Lize Financial Business District will project an image of a quality and modern international financial business district. Construction of the heritage park of the Jin capital city wall ruins will be advanced.
Integrating strengths of industry, universities and research institutes in Liangxiang University Town. Liangxiang University Town will be expanded to host educational and research organizations, technology firms and other premium resources from the city's central area, gradually forming a full chain of service functions encompassing R&D, incubation and commercialization. Overall planning and construction of the university town and its surrounding areas will be carried out. Roads and greening facilities will be improved. Construction shall be aligned with the town's function, and supporting facilities will be developed as needed, such as teachers' housing, healthcare and commercial services. The government will allocate more funding to support universities in recruiting overseas talent and assembling top-notch teams. Universities are encouraged to develop competitive disciplines and programs, and form industry university research collaboration centers. Cooperation with Zhongguancun Science Park will be strengthened to attract a number of competitive and influential high-tech firms so as to elevate the University Town's capacity of supporting high-end, precision and sophisticated industries.
VI. Promoting urban-rural integration and coordinated regional development
1. Promoting integration of urban and rural development.
Reduction-based high-quality growth and greening for peri-urban areas. Environment in peri-urban areas shall be further improved with, among other things, progress in removal of illegal constructions. Pilot programs on urbanization will accelerate in such areas as Nanyuan Township of Fengtai District located in the first green-belt area. Relocation of residents of the entire administrative unit, greening and collectively-owned industries will be promoted in a prudent manner. Further steps will be taken in urban-rural integrated development and greening of the second green-belt area. Infrastructure construction standards will be raised in the peri-urban area. The standards for the first green-belt area shall be the same as in the city's central area. The second green-belt area will be planned, developed and managed in tandem with the main construction area. Studies will be carried out to develop the western section of the Daxing New Town and improve its spatial layout.
New satellite towns and small towns with distinctive features. The overall carrying capacity of towns will be raised so that they can better perform their pivotal functions in integrated urban-rural development. The capability to plan, develop and manage the towns shall be improved with greater efforts in promotion and regulation of their development and tighter control on their functions. Satellite towns of considerable size and with relatively independent functions and strong service capacities will be developed along key urban corridors and transportation lines. A number of small towns with distinctive features and industries that fit into their urban functions will be fostered to the benefit of the people.
Promoting agriculture and rural development. The strategy for rural revitalization will be implemented. Measures will be taken to help low-income rural households and eliminate low-income villages for achieving all-round improvement of the living environment in rural areas. A sound mechanism for planning, development and management will be in place under the initiative of building a beautiful countryside. The government will upgrade rural infrastructure, set up an effective long-term mechanism for its use and maintenance, and expand coverage of basic public services and social security in rural areas. The resettlement program for people living in the mountainous areas in northern Fangshan will be advanced and efforts will be made to ensure that farmers are happy with their new homes and can find new jobs. Integrated development of rural industries and the growth of modern urban agriculture will be promoted to support Beijing as a national model supplier of quality and hazard-free farm products. A number of modern agro-industrial parks will be built in Doudian, Fangshan District, and Panggezhuang and Changziying, Daxing District. New forms of rural tourism, such as boutique B&Bs and international hostels, and multi-functional leisure farms will be nurtured. Tourist villages with distinctive features will emerge, such as Nangong Village of Wangzuo Township, Huangshan Village of Zhoukoudian Township, and Banbidian Village of Weishanzhuang Township. The history and culture of well-known townships and villages and villages keeping to their traditional way of farming and life will be explored and protected. Intangible cultural heritage and village cultures will be preserved.
2. Promoting coordinated regional development.
Cooperation with districts in northern Beijing. The government will promote cooperation among all districts and establish an exchange mechanism for party and government officials and officials with special expertise to take up positions permanently or for a fixed term between northern and southern parts of the city. Education, healthcare and elderly-care institutions in southern districts are encouraged to strengthen cooperation and exchanges with those in the north. Support will be given to the southern districts for improving public services.
Coordinated development with Tianjin and Hebei. Overall planning for the industrial structure and layout of the areas bordering Tianjin and Hebei will be conducted. A community of collaborative innovation will emerge with the creation of Beijing Yizhuang-Yongqing County high-tech industrial development zone and other platforms of collaborative innovation and specialization. An ecological tourism area along the southwest rim of the capital will be built on the basis of the Fangshan UNESCO Global Geopark, Yongding River and other landscapes. Support will be given to Fangshan District of Beijing and Laishui County of Baoding, Hebei Province in jointly building a new demonstration zone of coordinated urbanization. Beijing and Hebei will work together in building and managing the Daxing International Airport economic zone, with a sound mechanism of shared benefits and responsibilities. A communication, consultation and emergency response mechanism with bordering prefectures and cities will be available to address transboundary air and water pollution issues. Cooperation on poverty alleviation and collaborative assistance will make new headway.
VII. Advancing Reform and Innovation
1. Strengthening planning control and promoting intensive and high-performing development.
Integration of planning. District plans, special plans and detailed control plans shall all comply with both the red line for the size of land for construction and the control on purpose of land use. Quicker steps shall be taken to draft township plans to bring down collectively owned construction land and achieve intensive and efficient use of construction land for urban and rural areas. Scattered land for industrial purposes shall be replaced with industrial parks. Land of loss-making industries outside industrial parks shall be vacated through a reduction-based approach. Land in industrial parks will be transformed and upgraded. By the end of 2020, the land used for urban and rural construction will be reduced from 849 square kilometers to 790 square kilometers. Population distribution and structure will be improved to ensure that the size of permanent residents in Fengtai District is within the target range. People moving out of the central area will be resettled in Fangshan District and Daxing District in a well-organized manner. Institutional arrangements will be in place to match the accommodation capacity with the size of population transfer. Infrastructure and public service facilities will improve in the resettlement areas.
The "standard land" system. Criteria will be set for businesses to move into the industrial parks, including requirements on industry types, investment intensity, output efficiency (such as average land output), innovation capacity, and energy conservation and environmental standards. The criteria will serve as preconditions for land supply and basis for evaluation of businesses in the industrial parks. Efforts will be made to implement the business investment project commitment system. At the same time, supervision of land use and a sound exit mechanism will be enforced to ensure higher returns on land use. Priority will be given to southern Beijing in land supply for new projects approved by the central or municipal authorities.
2. Controlling development cost and improving returns on land use.
Creating a land development model for cost control. Large-scale demolition and construction and high-cost compensation will be put under strict control. Benefits of collective land reform will be fully delivered. Village land use shall be administered by township authorities with scrutiny from the district government. For balance in capital investment across projects and regions, the model of creating one or more township-wide units with well-considered planning on their respective functions, industries and supporting facilities will be encouraged. Village collective economic organizations will explore ways to pool together idle housing resources of farmers in the village by means of buyback, leasing, and joint stock-holding for developing tourism, leisure, health, elderly-care and other business forms of unique features. New business forms in rural areas such as pastoral complexes will be promoted through spot-based land supply whereby allocation of an appropriate size of construction land is made.
Putting in place a land use exit mechanism. Under this mechanism, state-owned land with poor returns can be retrieved by land reserve institutions or bought back by state-owned platform companies, to be allocated to high-end, precision and sophisticated industries in the first place. The State policy of a five-year transitional period for new industries and new forms of business developed on existing industrial land shall be implemented during which benefits will be given according to the original purposes and types of land use. District governments are encouraged to conduct overall planning, transformation and upgrading of contiguous industrial land of low returns, improve municipal service facilities and take costs and benefits into consideration.
3. Creating new development mechanisms to gather strengths for reform and opening-up.
A better selection and service mechanism based on market rules and professional strengths. The southern part of the city will be encouraged to be among the first to take trials in opening up the financial services and other selected sectors, further relax market access, and expand cooperation with foreign financial institutions. The government will attract foreign investment institutions and innovation centers and expand access for foreign investment in the fields of technology trading and intellectual property rights. To foster a fair, transparent and predictable business environment, new institutional arrangements shall be in place to facilitate cross-border trade, obtaining building permits and access to credit. New mechanisms will be created to attract funding resources and investment from various sources on the market. Non-government capital is encouraged to participate in the investment and management of transportation, environment protection, healthcare, and elderly-care services in the southern part of the city.
Enhancing government guidance and service for investment. The southern part of Beijing will receive more government funding in the fields of ecological environment, infrastructure, public services and leading industries, etc. The proportion of annual fixed assets investment projects launched by the municipal government in southern Beijing shall not be less than 30% of the total municipal investment. Land transfer proceeds of Lize Financial Business District can be used for primary land development, construction of urban infrastructure (including utility pipelines) and greening in this district. The number will increase on sectors and items where the power of review and approval can be delegated downward from the municipal government. Key eligible projects can be included in the pilot reform scheme on review and approval for municipal public service development projects. Industrial selection and decision-making capacity shall be improved by better coordinating functional and project layout at the municipal level, investment attraction at the district level as well as industrial promotion in key functional zones.
4. Improving policies on officials and high-caliber personnel to provide intellectual support for the development of the southern part of Beijing.
Promoting official exchanges at division-director level between municipal institutions and the southern part of the city. The Measures on Improving Service to Skilled Professionals for Promotion of Technological Innovation and High-end, Precision and Sophisticated Industries shall be implemented to build a better recruitment and residence service system for attracting skilled professionals around the world. An open environment for innovation and entrepreneurship will be created together with a market-based and quality innovation and entrepreneurship service platform of international standard. Efforts will be made to deliver better housing, children's education, and medical services for people with advanced skills. Support will be given to BETDA and other key functional zones in the building of pilot international resident communities.
VIII. Safeguard Measures
Strong organization and leadership shall be in place. A sound working mechanism will be established whereby the municipal government oversees general progress and district governments take primary responsibilities. Competent municipal departments shall strengthen coordination in planning, policy making and major projects and events. They shall take the initiative help solve main difficulties. All districts in the southern part of the city and BETDA shall take full responsibilities in implementing the Action Plan. Districts, departments and organizations concerned shall report their respective work progress to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform on a quarterly basis. They shall investigate the causes for problems in implementing the Action Plan, put forward measures, work for solution through coordinated efforts, and make reports to the municipal CPC committee and the municipal government in a timely manner. Publicity shall be stepped up through regular release of information on the progress of implementing the Action Plan to the public. Efforts will be made to seek collaboration of relevant international institutions, businesses and individuals to continuously inject impetus to faster development of the southern part of Beijing.
翻译：北京第二外国语学院 张颖
