Article 27

With the "urban disease（都市病）" becoming increasingly evident （明显）in Beijing, relocation（搬迁） of departments with non-capital functions （职能）outside the city has become a serious issue.

State capitals （首都）across the world have huge advantages over other cities. This is especially true for China, because Beijing has always been the most robust （强大）center of Chinese society. Because of its advantages in drawing （吸收）talents, and as a center of information, culture and technology, Beijing has been a magnet （磁场）for people.

It is this magnetism（吸引力）, along with Chinese people's traditional view of seeing the capital as an all-embracing （包罗万象）social core, that is largely responsible for （负责）Beijing's overpopulation（人口过剩）. It has also made it the hub （总部）of a huge number of companies, with deteriorating （恶化）environment and poor （低效）urban management.

The development of a capital embodies （代表）the gradual maturity（成熟） and expansion （扩展）of capital functions, as well as the accumulation （积累）of non-capital functions. But the capital and non-capital functions of such cities have become more complicated （复杂）in modern times, and made how to strike （达成）a balance between the two a key issue.

The question of modifying （调整）Beijing's functions is not only about a change in people's mindset（观念）, but also about innovative （创新）practices and deepening （深化）reform and opening-up. Capitals across the world have non-capital functions and their proportion （比例）could influence the urban management systems. So while relocating Beijing's non-capital function departments to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, special care should be taken to avoid （避免）confusing （混淆）between the capital's two exclusive （独特）functions of administration （行政）and providing security （治安）and services.

Since many of the urban ills are caused by overpopulation, the aim of the exercise should be to relocate departments and institutions with high numbers of employees. The authorities （官方）could start by relocating some departments to neighboring （临近）areas. Of course, we cannot reduce （减少）the cohesiveness （连贯）and appeal （诱惑力）of certain departments, but in this age of information and modernized （现代化）transportation, they need not be located in the heart of the capital to fully perform （履行）their functions.

The need is also to shift （转移）from Beijing's central business district business establishments （机构）that draw huge numbers of people, such as wholesale （批发）markets and labor-intensive （劳动密集型）industries.

But since very few couples work for the same company or organization, ensuring （确保）proper resettlement （安置）of families in which either the wife or the husband is affected （影响）by the relocation of enterprises （企业）will be a big challenge. Should the non-affected spouse （配偶）resign （离职）and move with the one affected, or should the family live apart（分开）?

Moreover, given the surfeit （过量）of opportunities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, it is very attractive （吸引）to potential （潜在）migrants. So if effective （有效）population control measures are not taken, the region will face the same problems that Beijing is encountering （遭遇）today. To tackle （对付）such future problems, and solve （解决）the existing ones, discreet （周全）planning and implementation （实施）are needed.

Effective relocation of departments and institutions with non-capital functions requires （要求）complete awareness （觉悟）of all the causes of Beijing's overpopulation followed by （紧随着）adoption （采用）and implementation （实施）of precautionary （预警）policies and measures to deal with them.

Another effective long-term （长期）plan is the promotion （推动）of balanced social development across the country, because the "urban disease" Beijing is suffering from （遭受）is the result of nationwide unbalanced resource allocation （资源配置）and social development. Only by breaking the existing rigid （僵化）system of administrative division （分化）can coordinated （协调）development in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region be genuinely （真正）realized（实现）.