Members of China's top advisory have suggested that central and local government offices be relocated out of downtown Beijing to ease the pressure on urban transportation and the city's living environment.
"A new central administrative district should be established in the northern or northwestern suburbs of the capital city," said Zhu Ming, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which is now in annual session in Beijing.
The government relocation will help "ease the pressure on Beijing's urban transportation" and also "divert some population from the already overcrowded old city proper," explained Zhu, a delegate from east China's coastal province of Shandong.
He said that the relocation would make government operations more convenient and efficient, because central government authorities are now located in many office buildings scattered in almost every corner of the city.
The widespread nature of the building locations result in "poor communications between each other," Zhu said.
"The move would also help to further tap the tourist potential of Beijing's imperial cultural heritage sites such as the Forbidden City and other royal palaces and gardens," he added.
Echoing zhu's proposal, CPPCC member Cai Guoxiong suggested that the Beijing's municipal government should also transfer its operations out of the Wangfujing area, which is one of the city's busiest areas.
"Moving its seat to the suburban areas will not only help slow down the soaring price of land and alleviate the traffic congestion and environmental deterioration in the Wangfujing area, but also enable the city government to upgrade office facilities and improve working conditions," said Cai.
According to media reports earlier this year, however, officials of the Ministry of Construction clarified that neither the central authorities nor the Beijing city government has any plan for relocation in the years to come.