Hebei's development taking off

In terms of economic growth, the added value of all industries has increased by an average of 5.6 percent annually from 2012 to last year. Last year, the total industrial added value reached 1.4 trillion yuan, 10th in the country, according to the Industry and Information Technology Department of Hebei.

Regarding the environment, one of the province's major achievements has been to make its air much cleaner. Between 2013 and last year, the average concentration of PM2.5－fine particulate matter－fell from 104 to 38.8 micrograms per cubic meter, a fall of 62.7 percent, according to the province's Department of Ecology and Environment.

Last year, residents enjoyed 269 days of good air quality, up from just 149 days in 2013, it added.

Most importantly, living standards have improved.

The per capita disposable income of urban residents in Hebei increased from 22,227 yuan in 2013 to 39,791 yuan last year, while that of rural residents increased from 9,188 yuan to 18,179 yuan, according to the Hebei Provincial Bureau of Statistics.

"This is the foundation for us to move forward to a higher level," a speaker at the conference added.