On November 20, Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, went on a survey trip to the construction site of Beijing Daxing International Airport. The picture shows Han Zheng being debriefed the construction of supporting projects for the airport. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, went on a survey trip to the construction site of Beijing Daxing International Airport on the 20 of November. He underscored that Beijing Daxing International Airport is a major landmark project advocated and overseen by President Xi Jinping. According to the requirements of building the airport into a quality, model, safe and clean project, Han required that efforts should be made in its construction and preparation to ensure the project be completed and put into operation as scheduled, and to better serve the national strategy and showcase the national image.

Han first came to the exhibition hall and watched a short video about the project to learn the overall situation and the progress. Then, he came into the construction site in the terminal building from the 4th departure floor. The countdown board for the completion of the terminal was eye-catching, and the terminal construction has entered the stage of fine decoration and equipment installation. Han studied the steel grid structure, daylighting, decorative design, and the selection of decoration materials. According to the person in charge of the project, the roofing of the airport was finished at the end of 2017 and the terminal is expected to be completed by April next year. Vice Premier Han indicated that the construction of the airport has entered a key phase, and quality control of the project should be held under tight control on the premise of work safety. The spirit of craftsmanship should be practiced to strive for excellence, so that the project can withstand the test of time.

Han walked to the international departure hall of the terminal building, and with the help of model and exhibition boards, he studied the planning and construction of airport supporting projects. Currently, air traffic management, oil supply, airline bases as well as the comprehensive trunk road network featuring main arteries of five vertical and two horizontal trunk roads are being constructed rapidly in an all-round way. Han underlined that Beijing Daxing International Airport should play an important role in serving the national strategy and actively integrating into the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Efforts should be made to the rational planning and the rapid construction of rail transit and connection to facilitate the convenient transport between Beijing Daxing International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport, and to realize the connectivity with Xiong'an New District and Beijing sub-center. It is also necessary to actively plan the construction of the airport economic zone and the comprehensive bonded zone, and give full play to the radiation role of the airport.

Vice Premier Han then came to the border control area of international departure hall and greeted the staff representatives of the construction companies. He told people on the site that as construction workers, the fact that you have the opportunity to be devoted into such a major project is something you should take pride in. Han hoped that everyone can prioritize quality on the premise of work safety. He wanted everyone to make unremitting efforts and ensure that the project be completed and put into operation as scheduled, so as to not let down both the Party and the people. Han also came to the construction site of the runway to learn about the process of movement area planning and construction. He checked the quality of the runway and looked far into the distance at the air traffic control tower and airline hangars under intense construction.

Vice Premier Han is very interested about the operational preparation of the airport. He pointed out that the core of airport operation is safety and convenience. Therefore, we must be people centered and benchmarked against world class to improve operational efficiency and service quality. And efforts should also be made in rail transit connectivity to realize same site transfer and connection and reduce the walking distance in the terminal building. Also, we need to pay attention to details, such as the design and installation of airport guidance signs, so as to provide a more comfortable and convenient boarding environment. It is also necessary to launch more routes and increase the number of flights to realize connectivity with more countries to promote the Belt and Road Initiative.

Cai Qi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Communist Party Secretary of Beijing attended the above activities (Xinhua).