Photo: Courtesy of Air China

State-owned enterprises (SOEs) in China are stepping up their involvement in the construction of Xiong'an New Area, as Air China said on Thursday that it had established a business department in the new economic zone, located about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing.

The launch of the business department marks a key step in implementing the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development strategy and supporting the growth of the new area, Air China said in a release sent to the Global Times. 

The department will closely align with the area's development needs, offering convenient and comfortable air travel options for cross-border trade, international exchanges and cooperation, as well as business and leisure trips. 

The company said it will support one-stop booking of combined air and rail tickets, enabling seamless transfers between flights and trains. Through digital and intelligent technologies, Air China continues to refine its service processes, bringing its premium services directly to local residents.

Since its announcement in April 2017, the Xiong'an New Area, dubbed as China's "city of the future," has evolved from a blueprint into a vibrant city. The area is intended to ease Beijing's non-essential functions and drive integrated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Over the past nine years, more than 400 branches of SOEs have set up operations in Xiong'an, alongside over 200 companies in fields such as aerospace information, artificial intelligence, and digital technology, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

China's SOEs directly administered by the central government are urged to intensify relocation to and investment in Xiong'an, as part of broader efforts to support the area's high-quality development, according to the Xinhua. 

In October of 2025, China Huaneng Group Co and Sinochem Holdings Co, two centrally administered SOEs, officially relocated their headquarters to Xiong'an.

In September of 2024, China Satellite Network Group Co was relocated to Xiong'an, becoming the first centrally administered SOE to establish a presence in Xiong'an, Xinhua reported.

Global Times