By the end of last year, construction had begun on 177 key projects in Xiong'an, with a total investment of 618.4 billion yuan ($97.2 billion). Sixty have been completed, according to Xinhua News Agency.

"At present, Xiong'an is at a key development stage with large-scale construction going on, as the area gradually becomes home to nonessential functions from Beijing," said Tian Jinchang, deputy secretary of the CPC Working Committee for Xiong'an New Area.

According to Ni, Xiong'an will house headquarters and subsidiaries of State-owned enterprises, which will be key to the development of the area.

Top officials in Hebei said both the city and the province serve as national models for high-quality development.

"Hebei has the foundation for thoroughly implementing national strategies, for enhancing overall economic strength, for improving ecological and environmental quality and for steadily improving living standards," the Hebei Daily wrote, quoting a plenary session attended by officials including Ni last month.

The remarks are solidly backed by provincial departments.

Remarkable headway has been made in three tasks of national significance: the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, preparations for and hosting of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, and the construction of the Xiong'an New Area, which have dominated the province's agenda for the past few years.

According to the Hebei Provincial Bureau of Statistics, 40,000 institutes and companies from Beijing and Tianjin have been relocated to Hebei, and a number of landmark projects have been completed and put into operation, including the Beijing-Zhangjiakou High-speed Line and the Taihang Mountain Expressway, since 2014.

Together with Beijing, Zhangjiakou city successfully hosted the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. In addition, the province has promoted the development of industries involving winter sports, big data and photovoltaics.