Preemptive measures required so that Xiongan does not become a megacity

AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT on April 1 of the planned development of Xiongan New Area, a special zone about 100 kilometers south of Beijing which will span Xiongxian, Rongcheng and Anxin counties in North China's Hebei province, concerns were raised that the new area might eventually grow to be a megacity like Shanghai and Shenzhen. Beijing News commented on Saturday:

A recent report by Xinhua News Agency, which for the first time elaborated on the "millennial plan", should come as a relief to many, as it said the new area will not accommodate more than 2.5 million people.

Cities with this many people, according to the latest standards issued by the State Council, China's cabinet, are in the league of medium-sized cities. The permanent population of Beijing is over 21 million.