Beijing building new consumption hub in northwestern suburb

Photo taken with a mobile phone shows a view of the Nanhuan bridge in Changping District of Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

BEIJING, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The construction of a new consumption hub is underway in Beijing's suburban district of Changping, the municipal government said on Monday, the latest development in the Chinese capital's drive to become an international consumption city.

Since last year, progress has been made on the construction of a "consumption landmark" in the eastern area of Changping New Town, Liu Xiaodong, deputy head of Changping District, told a press conference.

According to the plan, a sprawling commercial zone of nearly 1.2 million square meters will be built to integrate business streets and waterfront promenades, said Guo Wenjie, deputy director of the Beijing municipal bureau of commerce.

The officials expected the eastern area of Changping New Town to become a modern urban area by the end of 2030, which will also have high-quality residential communities and a high-tech innovation and research zone.