Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presides over a symposium on the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and makes an important speech on it. Xi made an inspection tour in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region from Jan. 16 to Jan. 18. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged more efforts to achieve new, greater progress in the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection tour of the region from Wednesday to Friday.

During the tour, Xi chaired a symposium on the region's coordinated development and made an important speech.

Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Xi on the tour of the Xiongan New Area in Hebei Province and Beijing and attended the symposium.

THREE-DAY TOUR

On Wednesday morning, Xi visited the exhibition center for the planning of the Xiongan New Area and stressed that the creation of Xiongan is "a strategy that will have lasting importance for the millennium to come."

China should remain committed to the new development concept and stick to the high-quality growth when building the new area, Xi said.

While visiting a government service center, Xi stressed that development of the Xiongan New Area requires concerted efforts from a large number of enterprises.

"We welcome all companies, whether they are state-owned enterprises or private companies, local firms or companies from Beijing, Chinese enterprises or overseas-funded companies, as long as they conform to the industrial development plan of the new area," he said.

A good ecological environment represents the important value of the Xiongan New Area, he said while visiting a forestry zone in the region Wednesday afternoon.

Visiting the campus of Nankai University in Tianjin Thursday morning, Xi said it is a priority to nurture patriotism among students for them to become a new generation of capable young people well-prepared to join the socialist cause.

In a square on campus, enthusiastic students welcomed Xi, shouting greetings such as "Welcome, General Secretary" and singing a patriotic song. Xi shook hands with students and waved to others in the crowd.

At a community in Heping District in Tianjin, Xi pointed out that community work should be people-centered with an accurate grasp of people's needs and provide targeted and elaborate services for the residents in a timely manner.

He then visited a service and administration station for veterans in the community and stressed that setting up institutions for veteran affairs is to enhance the management of veterans and better protect their welfare in order to make military service a publicly respected occupation.

Talking about the large number of unique buildings and streets of historical and cultural significance in Tianjin, Xi asked for more care for the historical and cultural heritage in cities and better coordination of development and protection.

During his visit to the Tianjin port Thursday afternoon, Xi called for efforts to develop it into a world-class smart and green port, which can better serve the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei as well as joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Xi then visited the Binhai-Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park, where he highlighted the pressing task to rely on self-dependent innovation for advancing high-quality development and replacing old growth drivers with new ones.

On Friday morning, while visiting the sub-center of Beijing, Xi stressed that planning should take precedence over the construction of the sub-center while quality should be the top priority.

He said the sub-center should be made another "shining name card" of Beijing.

SIX DEMANDS

Xi made six demands to promote the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Efforts should be made to relocate the non-capital functions of Beijing in an active, proper and orderly manner, he said.

He stressed high-quality and high-standard planning and development of the Xiongan New Area and called for building a number of major infrastructure projects in transportation, water conservancy and public services in the new area.

The relocation of Beijing's municipal organs should be taken as an opportunity to pursue high-quality planning and construction of the sub-center, Xi said, adding that the spatial layout and economic structure of Beijing should be optimized.

He stressed the need to take reform and innovation as impetus to inspire high-quality development and establish independent innovation bases.

Joint efforts must be made in the improvement and protection of ecology and environment, while more clean energy should be supplied, Xi said.

He called for a people-centered approach and joint work in developing the basic public services with shared benefits, adding that all poverty-stricken counties in the region should be lifted out of poverty by 2020.