CRI听力:China Steps up Integration Plan of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei

Authorities say the plans are designed to try to solve the current problems facing Beijing, such as the massive population, environmental pollution and traffic congestion.

Fan Hengshan is the Deputy Secretary of the National Development and Reform Commission, or NDRC.

He says integrating Beijing, Tianjian and Hebei is going to come with a lot of challenges.

"For instance, Beijing is a multifunctional city with the population increasing at a rapid speed. And at the same time, there is still a significant development gap among the three regions. What's more, the entire area has too many individual cities, which is putting a lot of pressure on resources, such as water. The region also has a major problem with air pollution. Solving these issues is extremely urgent."

Fan Hengshan says the NDRC has already completed a research report as part of their plans.

He says the research is suggesting one of their key areas of focus is to ensure Beijing remains a functional capital.

"The focus is to ease pressure on areas that aren't critical to Beijing being the Chinese capital. We also want to ensure the region is better interconnected in both transportation and infrastructure. To do this, we need to be innovative when it comes to coordinating social functions and public services. We also have to think 'green' when it comes to construction and our use of environmental resources and energy."

Wang Kai, vice-president of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, suggests certian functions be transferred out of Beijing.

"For example, when it comes to the manufacturing industry, we can do research in Beijing while doing the physical manufacturing outside the capital city. There are a number of other functions, including education and medical services, that can also be transferred out of Beijing. This will be a win-win situation, as it will ease the burden on Beijing and increase economic development in Hebei and Tianjin."
Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, covering over 200-thousand square kilometers, has a total population of over 100 million.

The three areas are closely connected historically, geographically and economically.

The central government says it feels these advantages haven't been made full use of.

For CRI, this is Cao Yuwei.