Construction begins on new projects in Xiong'an

More than 40 new projects have begun construction in Xiong'an New Area in Hebei province, and a ceremony was held on Saturday to mark the moment.

With investment totaling 41.6 billion yuan ($6.2 billion), the projects involve multiple fields, including infrastructure and public services in a smart city environment.

"A high-level socialist modern new city is rising," said Zhang Guohua, secretary of the Party Working Committee and director of the administrative committee of Xiong'an, adding that more than 200 billion yuan was invested into the area's development and construction last year.

China announced plans in 2017 for Xiong'an New Area, a new economic zone about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing. It will cover around 100 square kilometers initially and will be expanded to 200 sq km in the medium term and about 2,000 sq km in the long term. It will have a population of 2 to 2.5 million people, according to the area's official website.