BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Ahead of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, China's Xiong’an mega-project has emerged as a timely and relevant model, aligning with the forum's theme of promoting safe and sustainable housing globally.
Launched in 2017 under the personal directive of President Xi Jinping, the Xiong’an New Area is a national mega-project of strategic significance, akin to the roles of Shenzhen and Pudong in China’s urban development. Situated approximately 100 km southwest of Beijing in Hebei Province, the Xiong’an New Area is envisioned as a "city of the future," underpinned by four core principles: innovation, sustainability (green development), intelligence (smart technologies), and low carbon emissions. Its overarching objective is to drive regional development in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area while presenting a new paradigm for urbanization.
As of April 2026, Xiong’an has developed approximately 215 km² of land, with over 5,300 buildings constructed, and total investment surpassing 1 trillion yuan (roughly $140 billion). Alongside its urban expansion, a high-tech cluster is taking shape, with more than 200 advanced technology companies already operational in the area, covering fields such as artificial intelligence, satellite internet, and aerospace data. The area is projected to house over 5 million residents by 2035, with ambitions to evolve into a world-class modern city by 2050. The district has also demonstrated remarkable economic growth, with an average annual GDP growth rate of 17.1% from 2021 to 2025.
While previous major Chinese urban projects like Shenzhen and Pudong were emblematic of market-driven expansion and export-oriented growth, Xiong’an signals a departure from this model, focusing instead on a distinct approach to urbanization. Its primary objective is to alleviate congestion in Beijing by relocating the city's most overburdened sectors, including corporate headquarters, universities, and hospitals. To date, over 4,000 companies and branches of central state-owned enterprises have already been relocated from the capital.
The financing for Xiong’an is predominantly state-driven, with key financial support provided through budgets, loans from the China Development Bank, and investments from central state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The China Xiong’an Group serves as the principal operator of the project. The development has attracted a range of major entities, including China Satellite Network Group, Sinochem, China Huaneng, and at least eight other corporate headquarters. For the time being, the private sector's participation is largely restricted to high-tech industries.
Although the presence of foreign corporations in Xiong’an remains limited, the high-tech zone was granted national status in February 2026 to specifically attract foreign investment in sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, and green technologies. Officially, the area is now open to international companies, and business associations have already expressed interest in the development.
In this context, the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku emerges as a crucial platform for China. With an anticipated 13,000–15,000 delegates from over 166 countries, the forum provides Beijing with an opportunity to present Xiong’an as a viable alternative model for urbanization.
The forum offers China a multifaceted opportunity. It enables the promotion of the "city of the future" model within the global conversation on affordable and safe housing, while simultaneously enhancing China's "soft power" through the demonstration of effective urban governance. Furthermore, it facilitates the exchange of knowledge and practical solutions for sustainable development. It also presents a unique opportunity to establish partnerships with foreign entities that have yet to enter the Xiong’an project.
WUF13 may become an external accelerator for Xiong’an. It will act not as a source of traditional capital, but as a channel for legitimizing the project, generating ideas, and building future partnerships - allowing China to transform this domestic experiment into an international benchmark for a new kind of urban development.