Vice Premier Han Zheng has called for solid progress in the high-quality development of the Xiongan New Area in north China's Hebei Province.

Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a research trip to Xiongan Wednesday.

Hailing the smooth progress in the development of the new area, Han said authorities should provide more incentives to guide high-quality resources including education and healthcare into the area, while efforts should be made to make Xiongan more intelligent.

Calling the building of the area "a strategy that will have lasting importance for a millennium to come and a significant national event," Han stressed high standards and solid progress in the area's development.

Environmental protection and treatment should be a priority while particular attention should be given to improving the ecology of the Baiyangdian Lake in Xiongan, he said.

Reforms and innovation should be carried out in the new area, which will gradually be granted provincial-level authority for economic and social management, Han added.

China announced plans in 2017 to establish the Xiongan New Area, located about 100 km southwest of Beijing. It is a key move in pushing the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.