China has announced the establishment of the Xiong'an New Area (XNA) in Hebei Province. XNA is another New Area of national significance after the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) and the Shanghai Pudong New Area (SPNA), according to the State Council.

Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (1980)

Established in 1980, SSEZ was the first special economic zone in China. It has six administrative regions and covers an area of nearly 2,000 square km, with a population of over 11 million.

Shenzhen Special Economic Zone was the first special economic zone in China. [Photo: sznews.com]

SSEZ's establishment was part of Deng Xiaoping's drive to open up China to the rest of the world and consolidate China's place as a major economic player on the global stage.

Deng Xiaoping visited Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in 1984. [Photo: china.com]

SSEZ has been oriented to develop as the National Reform Testing District, a national center for the economic development and innovation.

This photo of Shennan Avenue in Shenzhen was taken in 1983. [Photo: sznews.com]

As of 2016, the GDP of SSEZ reached nearly 1.95 trillion yuan(USD 283 billion). The total exports from SSEZ, for 24 consecutive years, have topped those of cities on the Chinese mainland.

　　This is a current photo of Shennan Avenue in Shenzhen. [Photo: leju.com]

Shanghai Pudong New Area (1993)

Established in 1993, SPNA is now the second biggest administrative region of Shanghai. It has jurisdiction over 12 sub-districts and 24 townships and covers an area of over 1,200 square km, with a population of over five million as of 2014.

Shanghai Pudong New Area is now the second biggest administrative region of Shanghai. [Photo: VCG]

As a part of the national strategy, SPNA has seen significant improvements in the past 24 years, becoming the engine of economic and social development for Shanghai. It's now home to the Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone and the Shanghai Stock Exchange and many of Shanghai's well-known buildings.

The Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone is located in Shanghai Pudong New Area. [Photo: pudong.gov.cn]

SPNA is the core area of Shanghai's four international centers of economy, finance, trade and shipping. It's the pioneer district of scientific development, the test zone of China's comprehensive reform and an open and harmonious ecological zone.

This is a night view of Shanghai Pudong International Airport. [Photo: people.com.cn]

In 2016, the GDP of SPNA reached 873.2 billion yuan (USD 126.9 billion). It made use of USD 7 billion in foreign investment in 2016.

This is a night view of the Oriental Art Center in Shanghai Pudong New Area. [Photo: Xinhua]

Xiong'an New Area (2017)

Established on April 1st, 2017, XNA's purpose is to explore a new model of optimized development in densely-populated areas. It will span the counties of Xiongxian, Rongcheng and Anxin, which are at the center of the triangular area formed by Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei's provincial capital Shijiazhuang. It will cover around 100 square km initially, 200 square km after expansion in the mid-term and about 2,000 square km in the long-term.

An aerial photo shows Xiongxian county in Hebei Province. [Photo: Xinhua]

XNA's establishment is part of the measures to advance the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. It will help phase out some economic management and service functions from Beijing. It also marks China's efforts to solve problems facing big cities, like traffic jams and heavy smog.

An aerial photo shows Rongcheng county in Hebei Province. [Photo: Xinhua]

XNA aims to develop into a green, ecological and livable area, a leading innovation-driven development area, and a demonstration zone for coordinated and innovative development.

　　An aerial photo shows Anxin county in Hebei Province. [Photo: Xinhua]

In 2016, the GDP of Xiongxian county was over 10 billion yuan (USD 14.7 million), while that of Rongcheng county reached nearly 6 billion yuan (USD 863 million). As of November of 2016, the GDP of Anxin county totaled more than 4 billion yuan (USD 581 million), as cctv.com reported.

An aerial photo shows Baiyang Lake in Anxin county, Hebei Province. [Photo: Xinhua]