China Launches Major Economic Zone

(Beijing) – China is creating a new zone south of Beijing for economic reform in a project heralded by state media as the most significant one of its kind in a quarter century.

The new economic zone – called Xiongan New Area – will facilitate the economic integration of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province, state-run Xinhua reported Saturday. The choice came as a surprise, but Xinhua said President Xi Jinping had personally visited one of the counties in February and hosted a meeting with local officials on plans to construct the new area.