Based on improving governance capacity, do a good job in urban planning and construction; with a vision of excellence, prepare for the Beijing Winter Olympics

 General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xi Jinping recently emphasized during an inspection in Beijing that the city's urban planning and construction and the preparation for the Beijing Winter Olympics are two important tasks for Beijing at present and in the future. We must earnestly implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee, adhere to the highest standards, emancipate the mind, broaden our thinking, seek truth and be pragmatic, overcome difficulties, coordinate production, life, and ecology, focus on improving governance capacity to do a good job in urban planning and construction, and with a vision of excellence, prepare for the Beijing Winter Olympics, striving to create a better tomorrow for the capital's development.

In early spring in the north, the cold is still biting, but the capital is sunny after the snow. From February 23 to 24, accompanied by Zhang Gaoli, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, Guo Jinlong, Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, and Cai Qi, Mayor of Beijing, Xi Jinping inspected the urban planning and construction and the preparation for the Beijing Winter Olympics in Beijing.

On the afternoon of the 23rd, Xi Jinping inspected the construction of the Beijing New Airport. Located in the southern part of Beijing, the new airport is planned to have an annual passenger throughput of 100 million person-times and 880,000 aircraft movements in the long term. Construction started in 2014 and it will be completed and put into operation in 2019.

Xi Jinping first inspected the construction of resettlement housing for the new airport. At the project department, he looked at the overall land acquisition and relocation plan and learned about the planning, construction progress, and building standards of the resettlement housing community. Inside a resettlement house, he inspected the layout and supporting facilities and asked in detail about the project quality and the move-in process for relocated residents. He was pleased to learn that the resettlement houses generally use new green and environmentally friendly materials. He emphasized that the construction of the new airport involves the relocation and resettlement of people from more than 10 villages, which is an important livelihood project, and we must ensure standards and quality. We must implement the principles of openness, fairness, and justice, protect the interests of the resettled people, and make every step of the relocation and resettlement reassuring to the people.

Afterwards, Xi Jinping went to the construction site of the new airport's main terminal building. At the project command center, he watched a video, looked at a model of the new airport, and, with the help of display boards, learned about the functional positioning and construction plan of the new airport. He listened to reports on the airport's comprehensive transportation system and the integration of transportation in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and then went to the terminal construction platform to inspect the site. The head of the contractor introduced that the main terminal building uses many new technologies in the assembly of the roof steel structure grid, significantly improving precision, and achieving zero errors and zero accidents in construction. Xi Jinping expressed approval and encouraged them to continue their efforts. He emphasized that the new airport is a major landmark project of the capital and a new source of power for national development, and we must strive to build a quality project, a model project, a safe project, and a clean project. Every project and every engineering task must implement the strictest construction management to ensure high standards and high quality. We must strive to integrate the world's most advanced management technologies and experience.

Seeing the General Secretary, the construction workers on site came over to greet him. Xi Jinping shook hands with them warmly and thanked them for their hard work. Xi Jinping pointed out that socialism is built through hard work. Everyone involved in the new airport construction is participating in and witnessing history. We must cultivate a sense of responsibility and dedication, grow our skills, and showcase our spirit in the construction.

On the morning of the 24th, Xi Jinping inspected the Wukesong Sports Center, the Capital Indoor Stadium, the administrative office area of the Beijing City Sub-center, and the Grand Canal Forest Park.

The Wukesong Sports Center is the ice hockey venue for the Beijing Winter Olympics. In the lobby, with the help of a sand table and multimedia, Xi Jinping listened to an introduction to the overall planning of the venues in the three competition zones of Beijing, Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou. He then went to the corridor platform to inspect the ice hockey rink and watch youth ice hockey training, and later entered the inner field to watch a youth synchronized skating performance. Xi Jinping pointed out that in venue planning, design, and construction, we should learn from advanced foreign experience, while also strengthening our own technological accumulation and innovation. Some venues should be used repeatedly, comprehensively, and sustainably. In China's ice and snow sports, 'ice' is generally stronger than 'snow'; we must not only strengthen our strengths but also urgently address our weaknesses. Xi Jinping warmly encouraged the youth ice hockey and synchronized skating enthusiasts who gathered around, praising their professional training and performance, and hoping they will study and train hard, produce talents and results, and contribute to improving China's competitive level in winter sports.

The Capital Indoor Stadium will host the short track speed skating and figure skating events for the Beijing Winter Olympics. Xi Jinping learned about the setup of ice and snow sports events and the renovation plan for the stadium, inspected the competition venue, watched the national short track speed skating team and figure skating team train, and went to the edge of the training rink to communicate with coaches and athletes. Zhao Hongbo, head coach of the national figure skating pairs team, introduced to the General Secretary the athletes who had just returned from the 8th Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan. Xi Jinping shook hands with them one by one and listened to their feelings about the competition. When shaking hands with Wu Dajing, the gold medalist in the 500m short track speed skating at the Asian Winter Games, Xi Jinping said, 'I watched your race on TV; it was wonderful.' Xi Jinping emphasized that a strong youth makes a strong China, and a strong sports sector makes a strong China. Promoting the continuous development of China's sports is an important part of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. He hoped that the athletes would train hard, continuously improve their technical and tactical levels, and win more honors for the motherland and add glory to their lives. When the General Secretary took a group photo with the coaches and athletes, everyone shouted in unison: 'Go China!'

Building the Beijing City Sub-center is an important decision of the Party Central Committee. In the east of Tongzhou, the construction of the sub-center administrative office area is bustling. At the on-site command center, Xi Jinping looked at the planning sand table, watched a video, and learned about the sub-center's construction concepts, target positioning, and cultural protection. At the construction site, Xi Jinping inspected the construction progress and learned about the application of new materials, new technologies, and new processes. Xi Jinping pointed out that building the Beijing City Sub-center at this point in time requires a 21st-century perspective. Planning, construction, and management must all adhere to high starting points, high standards, and high levels, and implement the requirements of world vision, international standards, Chinese characteristics, and high-point positioning. Not only should the overall plan be well done, but the design of major functional blocks, major landscapes, and major buildings should also be strengthened to reflect the city's spirit, showcase its characteristics, and enhance its charm.

At the engineering safety experience training center, some workers were undergoing safety experience training such as helmet impact, safety shoe impact, hole fall, safety belt use, and fire extinguisher demonstration. Xi Jinping watched each item and talked cordially with the workers. He emphasized that safety production must be implemented in every link and aspect of engineering construction, various safety hazards must be prevented, safe construction must be ensured, and safety must come first.

Near noon, Xi Jinping arrived at the Grand Canal Forest Park, listened to introductions about Tongzhou District's history and culture, water system management, and ecological environment protection, inspected the results of ecological environment management along the Grand Canal, and overlooked the overall construction of the Beijing City Sub-center. Xi Jinping emphasized that the construction of the Beijing City Sub-center must attach great importance to greening and beautification to enhance its attractiveness. Tongzhou has many historical and cultural heritages; we should make the past serve the present and deeply explore the historical and cultural resources centered on the Grand Canal. Protecting the Grand Canal is the common responsibility of all regions along the canal, and Beijing should actively play a exemplary role.

On the afternoon of the 24th, Xi Jinping presided over a symposium on Beijing's urban planning and construction and the preparation for the Beijing Winter Olympics at the Beijing Hall of the Great Hall of the People. Guo Jinlong, Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, and Gou Zhongwen, Director of the General Administration of Sport of China, reported on relevant work, and Xi Jinping delivered an important speech.

Xi Jinping pointed out that urban planning plays an important leading role in urban development. Beijing's urban planning must deeply consider the question of 'what kind of capital to build and how to build the capital,' grasp the strategic positioning, spatial pattern, and factor allocation, adhere to urban-rural coordination, implement the 'integration of multiple plans,' form one plan and one blueprint, and focus on enhancing the capital's core functions, so that service support capacity adapts to the city's strategic positioning, population, resources, and environment coordinate with the city's strategic positioning, and urban layout is consistent with the city's strategic positioning, continuously advancing toward the goal of building a world-class harmonious and livable capital. Once the overall plan is approved through legal procedures, it has legal effect, and we must resolutely uphold the seriousness and authority of the plan.

Xi Jinping emphasized that relieving Beijing of non-capital functions is the 'key' to Beijing's urban planning and construction. On this issue, we must further unify our thinking, focus on being able to relocate and settle, study and formulate supporting policies, and form an effective incentive and guidance mechanism. We must take a long-term view, plan from a long-term perspective, and advance steadily. Beijing's development must focus on sustainability, work hard on transforming drivers, innovating models, and improving levels, leverage the advantages of science and technology and talent, and strive to create new highlands for development. We must take resource and environmental carrying capacity as a hard constraint, determine the upper limit of the total population, and define ecological red lines and urban development boundaries. For prominent problems such as air pollution and traffic congestion, we must conduct systematic analysis and adopt comprehensive measures. Beijing's history and culture are a great testimony to the long history of Chinese civilization; we must protect them more carefully, highlight the overall value of Beijing's history and culture, and strengthen the urban characteristics of 'capital style, ancient capital charm, and contemporary features.'

Xi Jinping pointed out that whether urban planning and construction are done well should ultimately be measured by the satisfaction of the people. We must adhere to the principle that people's cities are for the people, be guided by the issues that Beijing citizens care about most, and take solving problems such as excessive population, traffic congestion, high housing prices, and air pollution as breakthroughs, and propose comprehensive strategies to solve them. We must improve systems, perfect policies, continuously improve the level of livelihood security and public service supply, and enhance the people's sense of gain.

Xi Jinping emphasized that the Beijing Winter Olympics is a major landmark event at an important historical node for China, an important opportunity to showcase the national image, promote national development, and inspire the national spirit, and has a strong traction effect on the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. We must do every preparation task with all our strength.

Xi Jinping pointed out that the concept of hosting the Olympics in a green, inclusive, open, and clean manner is the embodiment of the new development philosophy in the preparation for the Beijing Winter Olympics and must run through the entire preparation process. Green Olympics means adhering to ecological priority, resource conservation, and environmental friendliness, laying a beautiful China backdrop for the Winter Olympics. Inclusive Olympics means adhering to common participation, common efforts, and common enjoyment, so that the Winter Olympics will produce good social effects. Open Olympics means adhering to facing the world, the future, and modernization, making the Winter Olympics a booster for opening up. Clean Olympics means being diligent and thrifty, eliminating corruption, improving efficiency, maintaining zero tolerance for doping, and making the Winter Olympics as pure and flawless as ice and snow. We must make good use of the political advantage of the socialist system to concentrate resources for major tasks, and also fully leverage the role of market mechanisms and social forces. The competition zones of the Beijing Winter Olympics should, in accordance with the overall preparation plan, deepen and refine the venue and infrastructure construction plans, respect laws, and emphasize science. All construction and renovation projects must strive to become quality projects, while fully considering subsequent use and not being greedy for large scale or excessive quantity.

Xi Jinping emphasized that to improve China's competitive level in winter sports, we must plan early and advance continuously. In terms of time, we must combine long and short terms: not only take a long-term perspective, expand the coverage of winter sports, and consolidate the mass base of winter sports, but also focus on competitions, concentrate forces to improve technical and tactical levels. In terms of events, we must leverage strengths and compensate for weaknesses: not only give priority and focus on developing advantageous and potential events, but also actively develop general events and newly launched events, promptly carry out missing events, and promote the comprehensive development of China's ice and snow sports. In terms of talent teams, we must focus on both athletes and coaches, both urgent needs and reserve teams, both bringing in and going out, and both improving technical and tactical levels and tempering ideology and willpower.

Xi Jinping pointed out that event organization, logistics support, external liaison, publicity and promotion, market development, social mobilization, and other operational support and service work for the Games must be systematically designed and solidly advanced. We must actively use modern technologies, especially information technology and big data, to improve the efficiency of operational support and services for the Games. The leading group for the Beijing Winter Olympics and the organizing committee of the Beijing Winter Olympics must earnestly perform their duties and do a good job in organization and coordination. Relevant central departments must provide support. Beijing and Hebei Province must take responsibility at different levels, take the initiative, strengthen connection, and work in coordination.

Wang Huning, Liu Yandong, Li Zhanshu, and responsible persons from relevant central departments accompanied the inspection, and Xu Kuangdi attended the symposium.