China's Xiong'an New Area speeds up facility construction to further improve services

A series of large-scale livelihood facilities have begun trial operations in the Xiongan New Area, in north China's Hebei province, as this year marks the 11th anniversary of the implementation of the major national strategy for Coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regio.

The Xiong'an New Area has continued to accelerate the construction of infrastructure and public service facilities these years, aimed to provide residents with more accessible medical services and recreational sports venues.

A community health service center in the Rongdong area of the Xiong'an New Area commenced trial operations on Feb. 18. Capable of serving 25 communities and 142 residential complexes and benefiting over 100,000 residents, the center features multifunctional departments, including general practice, traditional Chinese medicine, and internal medicine, with the first group of medical personnel recruited from across the country already on duty.

"Using the concept of 'preventive treatment' from traditional Chinese medicine and its simple, quick, and effective advantages, we aim to build a strong health defense line for residents of the Xiong'an New Area," said Tian Jiawen, a physician of the health service center.

On the same day, the Xiong'an sports center also began trial operations. With its top-notch hardware facilities and intelligent design, it aims to offer a better experience for sports enthusiasts.

Along with the stadium and swimming pool, the center is expected to serve as a new landmark in the Xiong'an New Area, integrating sports, culture, and tourism.

"The Xiong'an sports center can host a large number of events and performances, which will significantly enhance the city's attractiveness and improve people's sense of happiness and belonging," said Liu Zhiyuan, an official with the public service management company of Xiong'an Group, under Hebei's provincial government.

In addition to building infrastructure, the Xiong'an New Area has implemented a series of policies focusing on the actual needs of businesses and personnel, making life and work more convenient for the public.

In the government service center of Xiong'an, a special service counter has opened to help employees of Beijing enterprises address issues that previously could only be completed in Beijing.

"We hired a large number of employees during this recruitment season. Some of our employees' social security was registered in Beijing, and we helped them transfer it to here in Xiong'an. Now these employees no longer need to travel to Beijing. They can complete everything conveniently in Xiong'an with just one click," said Gong Wentong, an official with a tech company.

China's Xiong'an New Area speeds up facility construction to further improve services

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's official visit to China signals a policy shift towards building a more pragmatic relationship between the two countries, according to a Canadian researcher.

Carney arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to begin an official visit to China through Saturday, which marks the first trip by a Canadian Prime Minister to the country in eight years.

Robert Hanlon, director and principal investigator of Canada and the Asia Pacific Policy Project (CAPPP) at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, told the China Global Television Network (CGTN) that Carney's visit indicates Canada is recalibrating its strategic perception of China, which could cement the foundation for the country's economic diversification efforts and boost the development of bilateral cooperation.

"I think it's a clear message that he has moved Canada's strategy to a much more pragmatic, interest-based, -focused relationship with our trading partners, moving away from values-based narratives that we might have heard on previous governments. Canada has spoken about moving from what the Prime Minister's Office is calling "from reliance to resilience", and that means diversifying our economies and our trade everywhere in the world. And so China being our second largest trading partner, it makes perfect sense for our PM to head to Beijing," he said.

The scholar also noted the huge cooperation potential between the two sides in economic and trade fields, citing Canada's efforts to step up shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the planned construction of an oil pipeline in Alberta which aims to increase export access to Asian markets. "Canada and China both share tremendous economic opportunities together and so finding ways to enhance our exports. Canada specifically looking to build out its LNG and oil, kind of export market. We know Canada is a major producer of critical minerals and China is a buyer. And so there's a lot of synergy between that kind of those kind of markets," he said.

Canadian PM's visit to China paves way for more pragmatic trade ties: scholar