Beijing plans to control the size of its population and to have no more than 23 million people by 2020, said a national legislator and senior Beijing official on Friday.

全国人大代表、北京市常务副市长李士祥本周五透露，北京市将控制人口规模，到2020年，北京市人口将控制在2300万。

Beijing municipal deputy mayor Li Shixiang, also a deputy to the nation's top legislature, revealed the figure during a group discussion at the ongoing¹ "two sessions". It is the first time that the Chinese capital put forward a new target after its population grew much faster than expected.

李士祥在参加两会北京代表团分组讨论时透露了这一数字。这是在北京市人口规模增速超出预期后，首次提出的控制人口新目标。

In 2005, the State Council, or China's cabinet, set the goal of having a total of 18 million people for Beijing in 2020.

2005年，国务院制定的目标为2020年将北京市人口规模控制在1800万人。

Currently, the city's population has surged to 21.54 million and the city will allow a small rise to no more than 21.8 million by the end of the year.

目前，北京市人口规模已上升至2154万，北京市今年的控制目标为2180万。

The targeted population of 23 million was calculated based on the capability² of the city's water resources to support its residents, according to the deputy mayor, as the South-to-North Water Diversion project has not brought a fundamental change to improve the water shortage situation.

李士祥表示，2300万是根据北京水资源承载能力算出来的。北京的缺水问题在南水北调后有所缓解，但不能根本解决问题，

Overcrowding has exacerbated³ the city's traffic and environmental problems.

人口过多也加剧了北京的交通和环境问题。

Premier⁴ Li Keqiang said in his report on the work of the government that the fight against "urban diseases", such as air pollution and traffic congestion⁵, must be stepped up to improve people's living standards.

李克强总理在《政府工作报告》中提出，要加紧治理空气污染和交通堵塞等“城市病”，改善人们的生活水平。

From 2014, the city began to relocate some of the businessmen in the wholesale⁶ markets near Dahongmen and Beijing Zoo to nearby cities in its neighboring Hebei province.

自2014年，北京市开始将大红门和动物园批发市场的一些商贸人员疏解到附近的河北城市。

In the future, Beijing will continue to relocate industries viewed as unhealthy to its development and focus on its role as the country's capital, the vice-mayor said.

李士祥表示，未来北京还将继续迁移一些不利于其发展的产业，聚焦于首都功能。

The city also plans to control its average level of PM2.5 at 60 micrograms in one cubic meter of air.

北京市还计划将PM2.5的年均浓度控制在60微克/立方米左右。

Li said further efforts are needed to advance the coordinated⁷ development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area.

李士祥表示，还需要做出进一步努力来推进京津冀协同发展。