China sees more innovative, greener development in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region

China's coordinated development plan for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has rendered innovation-driven and greener growth for the area, according to official data.

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regional development index hit 160.13 points in 2018, up 6.14 points from the previous year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Nov 5.

The figure represented an average 8.49-point growth annually from 2013 to 2018, faster than the annual growth between 2010 and 2013, NBS data showed.

Sub-readings of innovation and green development were main drivers of the overall index growth, up 4.71 and 3.61 points from 2017, respectively.

The region posted 3.36 percent in the ratio of research and development spending to gross domestic product, 0.37 percentage points higher than that in 2013.

In terms of air quality, the average density of PM2.5, fine particulate matter that causes smog, fell 48.1 percent during the five-year period.

China rolled out a plan in 2015 for the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. Progress has been made in many fields including environmental protection, public services and transport.