China announced it would limit Beijing's population to 23 million by 2020 and build a world-class city group around the capital.

我国于日前宣布，到2020年，首都北京的人口数量将控制在2300万，并打造一个以北京为核心的世界级城市群。

"The scale of the city should be controlled," the State Council said in response to The Beijing Urban Master Plan, urging the city to limit its permanent population to 23 million by 2020 and maintain it at that level.

国务院在《北京城市总体规划》的批复中指出：“应控制北京城市规模”，并呼吁到2020年将常住人口规模控制在2300万人，并稳定在这一水平。

Beijing's permanent population was 21.7 million at the end of 2016.

2016年年底，北京市常住人口规模为2170万人。、

"We should defend the three red lines of the population, ecology and urban exploitation," the reply said, noting that the strictest water management system should be enforced to ensure the capital's water security.

该批复指出：“我们要严守人口、生态、城市开发三条红线”，并称要落实最严格水资源管理制度，确保首都水安全。

The urban design should be better managed with more public space, while maintaining the keynote and diversity of urban architecture.

该城市的设计应该能够更好地管理更多公共空间，同时保持城市建筑的基调和多样性。

The reply also stressed the synergic development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, vowing¹ to build a world-class city group with the capital as the core.

此外，批复还强调了京津冀地区协同发展，承诺打造以首都为核心的世界级城市群。