China’s new city Xiongan New Area to be nearly thrice the size of New York

China has announced plans to create a mega city, Xiongan New Area, in Hebei Province, which will be thrice the size of New York City, as it looks to grow upwards.

To be established in line with Shenzhen and Shanghai, the New Area is about 100 km southwest of downtown Beijing and will span three counties that sit at the center of the triangular area formed by Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei`s provincial capital Shijiazhuang.

Xiongan New Area ''will eventually cover an area nearly three times that of New York,'' The Guardian quoting official sources said.

This is another new area with national significance after the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and the Shanghai Pudong New Area, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council stated in a circular.

The move is a "major historic and strategic choice made by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core," said the circular.

The move will help phase out non-capital functions from Beijing, explore a new model of optimised development in densely-populated areas, and restructure the urban layout in the region, according to the circular.

The New Area will cover around 100 square km initially and will be expanded to 200 square km in mid-term and about 2,000 square km in the long-term.

It is the latest step in China`s efforts to reduce traffic, air pollution, and population growth in overcrowded, smoggy Beijing.

Xiongan New Area will be a new centre for growth in the world`s second-largest economy, and a key stroke in solving urban woes and creating new growth, said a commentary carried by the website of the People`s Daily, flagship newspaper of the CPC.

Xiongan and Tongzhou will form "two wings" for Beijing and create new room of development for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, according to the CPC.