Xi Jinping's 2026 Major Exam: Urging Relocation to Xiong'an with Three Standing Committee Members

Xiong'an New Area has become China’s largest unfinished construction project. (Internet photo)

[People News] In the two days following the conclusion of the Two Sessions, Xi Jinping made a surprise visit to the Xiong'an New Area, accompanied by three key members of the Standing Committee: Li Qiang, Cai Qi, and Ding Xuexiang. Some may wonder, 'What's unusual about this? Doesn't he visit every year?' However, this time is different; he personally went to push for the relocation, stating, 'The houses are all built, when are you moving?' Yet, after nearly ten years and an expenditure of hundreds of billions, can this millennium plan truly enable people to move to Xiong'an by 2026? Is it that administrative orders cannot sway people's hearts, or that even top-tier universities cannot bring a sense of community?

The Top Leadership's Surprise Visit to Xiong'an: Who Are They Urging to Move? (Video)

With the Two Sessions just wrapped up, attention is now on the new economic indicators for the year. Why did Xi Jinping prioritise a visit to this 'City of the Future'? Because this 'millennium plan' has consumed nearly a decade's worth of investment, it is now time to present the 'occupancy rate' report card.

The news highlights two significant locations: the headquarters of China Huaneng Group and the Xiong'an campus of Beijing Fourth Middle School. The choice of these two sites is quite telling; they serve as the so-called 'reassurance pills' offered by the authorities.

Huaneng is the first central enterprise to genuinely 'uproot' its headquarters and relocate to Xiong'an. The government aims to use Huaneng's move to signal to other central enterprises: 'The big boss has moved; how long do you little brothers intend to stay in Beijing?' This reflects an administrative 'demonstration effect.'

Beijing No. 4 High School is crucial. Everyone knows that what residents of Beijing are most reluctant to give up is their 'education license.' Xi Jinping's visit to the school was intended to reassure those employees who were ordered to relocate: 'I have moved the best school in Beijing for your children, so you can settle down without worry.'

However, to be frank, while an administrative order can relocate a computer on a desk, can it truly change a person's lifestyle?

What people are really concerned about is whether this city, which has cost hundreds of billions, even trillions to construct, actually has anyone living in it. The streets here are wider than Chang'an Avenue, and the greenery resembles that of a five-star forest. Yet, if you spend just one night there, you'll notice an interesting phenomenon: 'Although the streetlights are bright, most windows remain dark.'

What does 'smoky atmosphere' mean? A genuine city emerges from life, not merely from construction. It includes the Lanzhou noodles you can casually find on the roadside, the small stalls where you can grab skewers late at night, and the shops that repair shoes and make keys.

In Xiong'an, everything is uniformly planned and promoted, looking as neat as a model. However, this 'high-end' environment often stifles the survival of grassroots business ecosystems.

As a result, many people working in Xiong'an are living a 'migrant bird lifestyle': taking the high-speed train to Xiong'an for work on Monday and squeezing back to Beijing on Friday night. How long can this city sustain itself relying solely on central government funding in this 'one-way blood transfusion' model? This raises concerns that the 'huge resource investment' might simply become a grand administrative facade.

Following the conclusion of the Two Sessions, the top leadership typically selects a 'symbolic location' to launch the so-called new five-year plan. Xiong'an, regarded as a 'millennium plan' personally overseen by Xi Jinping, serves as the prime example to showcase his 'correct view of achievements' and 'strategic resolve.' This time, he personally applied pressure alongside three key officials, delivering a very clear message: 'This is not a discussion; this is an order.' 

However, we reiterate: 'A forcibly twisted melon is not sweet.' The miracles created by administrative power can only present a temporary illusion; it is the market's rules that provide a sustainable solution. If this city cannot convince ordinary people that living there is more comfortable and profitable than in Beijing, then regardless of how many prestigious schools or superior office buildings it boasts, it will merely be an expensive facade. 

The year 2026 will mark the true test of Xiong'an in the market. The success or failure of Xiong'an will not be determined by the number of buildings constructed, but by how many people it can attract and retain. 

(First published in People News) 
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