'Jing-Jin-Ji' eyes further integration as it turns 11

Wednesday marks the 11th anniversary of the coordinated development initiative in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (Jing-Jin-Ji) region.

Since its inception as a national strategy in 2014, the region has achieved significant milestones, with its combined economic output successively surpassing 6 trillion yuan milestones and reaching 11.5 trillion yuan (roughly $1.6 trillion) in 2024, according to a press conference held by the joint working office on February 20.

The initiative was launched to address challenges such as traffic congestion, pollution, and uneven development among the three regions. By relocating non-capital functions from Beijing, the strategy aims to create a more balanced economic structure and improve public services across the region.

Enhanced public services

Over the past year, significant progress has been made in infrastructure and public services. For instance, the Beijing and Hebei sections of Changtong Road, connecting Tongzhou District in Beijing to Dachang Hui Autonomous County in Langfang City, Hebei Province, were completed and opened simultaneously.

This has reduced travel time between Dachang County and Tongzhou by approximately 30 minutes, with the road now handling an average daily traffic volume of over 11,000 vehicles, according to Zhao Tongan, an official from the Hebei Provincial Transportation Department.

Additionally, the customized express bus service for commuters around Beijing expanded its network, adding new routes to Xiong'an New Area and Wuqing. The network now comprises 11 main lines and 39 branch lines.

Taking the customized express bus network between Beijing and Hebei as an example, the network consisting of 34 round-trip routes operated a total of 71,000 trips in 2024, making more than 1.61 million passenger trips, Zhao said.

Efforts to improve healthcare access have also been noteworthy. Over the past 11 years, 115 regional medical consortia have been established across the three regions, covering 11 cities and Xiong'an New Area.

For example, Beijing Children's Hospital has dispatched over 420 experts to Baoding Children's Hospital, assisting in the treatment of complex conditions such as pediatric cancer and stem cell transplantation, said Wang Jianhui, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Health Commission.

Strengthened economic structure

The economic collaboration among the three regions has also seen remarkable growth. The turnover of technical contracts from Beijing to Tianjin and Hebei surged from 7 billion yuan in 2013 to over 84 billion yuan in 2024, reflecting an average annual growth rate of 25 percent.

The region has become a hub for innovation and advanced manufacturing. For instance, the research and development teams behind the Zhuque 1, Zhuque 2, and the upcoming Zhuque 3 rockets are primarily based in the Jing-Jin-Ji area.

Additionally, the number of branches established by Zhongguancun-based enterprises in Tianjin and Hebei has grown from 3,500 in 2013 to over 10,000 in 2024.

The region now boasts seven state-level advanced manufacturing clusters, five of which are jointly developed by the three areas. In 2024, the intelligently connected new energy vehicle (NEV) cluster emerged as a key driver of growth, with NEV production in the region increasing by 1.7 times year-on-year and output value exceeding 840 billion yuan, solidifying its position as the leading industry in the region's manufacturing sector.

Trade has also flourished. According to Beijing Customs, the import and export value of the Jing-Jin-Ji region reached a record high of 5.03 trillion yuan in 2024, marking a 0.1 percent year-on-year increase and maintaining growth for four consecutive years. Compared to 2014, foreign trade value has increased by 1.29 trillion yuan, a 34.5 percent rise, with an average annual growth rate of 3 percent.

Looking ahead: further integration

As the Jing-Jin-Ji region enters a new phase of comprehensive, high-quality development, the focus remains on deepening integration.

The three regions aim to strengthen collaboration in building a "commuter circle" and an "industrial collaboration circle," with several key transportation projects set to achieve landmark progress in 2025.

For example, the Beijing tunnel section of the Beijing-Tangshan Intercity Railway is expected to be completed in 2025, while the Chengde-Pinggu Expressway will also open to traffic the same year, according to Zhou Hao, an official at the joint working office.

Standing at this new starting point, the Jing-Jin-Ji region is poised to continue its journey toward greater integration, innovation, and sustainable growth.