The goal of coordinated development in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, known as the Jingjinji area, is expected to be reached by about 2030, the Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday, citing an official from a working team dealing with the initiative.

The working team has set two interim targets for the initiative. By 2017, "obvious progress" is expected in relocating Beijing's noncore functions, including some manufacturing facilities, healthcare and education entities, the report said.

By 2020, Beijing's permanent population is expected to be controlled at around 23 million and the pressure of congestion and air pollution would be eased.

Under the plan, Beijing is positioned as a national political and cultural center, while Tianjin is expected to develop into a manufacturing base and a financial and shipping center, according to the report.

Hebei Province, which is less developed than either Beijing or Tianjin, is expected to become a pilot zone for industrial upgrading and urbanization, the report said.

Zhu Erjuan, a professor at the Capital University of Economics and Business, noted that this arrangement would reflect the competitive advantages of each area and greatly benefit regional cooperation.

Progress has been made under the initiative to boost coordinated development in the entire region. So far, 36 wholesale markets in Beijing have been relocated and the headquarters of some State-owned enterprises have moved to Hebei Province, according to the official.

The regional transportation network is also being improved under the initiative. Xinhua reported in July that 27 inter-city high-speed railways will be built in the next few years.

"Development gaps among the three places, such as in public services, should be further reduced in a bid to guarantee the flow of talent," Zhu told the Global Times Sunday.

Although progress has been made, difficulties persist. Some places in Hebei still lack talent, capital and land resources even if they want to accept industries moving from Beijing, said Zhang Gui, deputy director of the Center for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Development Research at the Hebei University of Technology.