Press Release of Annual Report on China’s Urban Competitiveness No. 9

Publish Date：2014-04-29 15:11:17

Updated: 2011-05-17 15:01:52

Thanks to the leading of Doctor Ni Pengfei who is the director of Center for City and Competitiveness Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS CCC), and the cooperating of experts of urban competitiveness from famous high school, authorized statistical departments, and local research institutes all over China, 2011 Blue Book on Urban Competitiveness of China: Annual Report on China’s Urban Competitiveness (the Report) published by Social Sciences Academic Press was announced on 6th and 9th May, 2011 at Beijing and Hong Kong, respectively. At the same time, the Committee of Chinese Urban Competitiveness Project constructed the global “City and Competitiveness Indicators Database”.

“Press Conference of 2011 Blue Book of Chinese Urban Competitiveness (Beijing) & Seminar of Promoting Chinese Urbanization Healthily” is held by Center for City and Competitiveness Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS CCC), Institute of Finance and Trade Economics, CASS, and Social Science Academic Press together. The conference is hosted by the president of Social Science Academic Press Xie Shouguang, vice-president of CASS Academician Li Yang makes important speech, and director of Institute of Finance and Trade Economics, CASS, Academician Gao Peiyong addresses it. Niu Wenyuan who is the State Council counselor and researcher from CAS, Chen Wenling who is the department chief of Research Office of the State Council, Li Shantong who is the researcher of Development Research Center of the State Council, Pan Jiahua who is the director of Institute of Urban and Environmental Studies, CASS, Li Minrong who is the director of Development Research Centre of Fujian Provincial Government, Chen Dongshen who is the honorary academician of CASS, Xiao Jincheng who is the deputy director of Institute of Land Development and Regional Economics, State Development and Reformation Committee, Li Xuesong who is the deputy director of Institute of Quantitative & Technical Economics, CASS, Wang Limin who is the deputy chief editor of Periodical Office of CASS, and Sun Jiuwen who is the director of Institute of Regional and Urban Economics, Renmin University of China make wonderful speech. The chief editor of the Report Ni Pengfei, who is the director of Center for City and Competitiveness Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS CCC), introduces the research result and the deputy chief editor Hou Qinghu who is the professor from Center for Combinatorics of Nankai University introduces the indicators database about city and competitiveness. Many presses such as Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily, CCTV, Hong Kong Commercial Newspapers, 21st Century Business Herald, Social Science in China, Economic Research, and Finance & Trade Economics attend the press conference, and China Net broadcasts it in live.

The Report conducts annual reviews about urbanization in China. It points out that: global finance crisis brings Chinese cities unprecedented challenges but also unexpected opportunities. During 2009 to 2010, on the background that the Chinese economy runs well solely in the world, the urban development in China is very well. During 2009 to 2010, the Party Central Committee and State Council’s policies and measures made to cope with global finance crisis improve the urbanization which is the theme of economic growth. The urbanization in the whole country speeds up and the urban agglomeration has been enhanced further; although the finance crisis causes the growth rate of economy at east region slow, the urbanization still speeds up; gradient transfer of population is obvious, especially at the big cities; spatial agglomeration speeds up and the urban agglomeration leads the regional development; the model of urban development changes ceaselessly, low carbon and green economy turns from theory into practice.

The Report completes the indicators system about urban competitiveness and firstly brings happiness competitiveness into assessment; it tries to investigate the happiness in 294 cities and the results are used to analyze the general layout of Chinese urban competitiveness:

The top 50 cities with most competitiveness in 2010 are: 1. Hong Kong, 2. Shanghai, 3. Beijing, 4. Shenzhen, 5. Taipei, 6. Guangzhou, 7. Tianjin, 8. Dalian, 9. Changsha, 10.Hangzhou, 11. Qingdao, 12. Foshan, 13. Macao, 14. Dongguan, 15. Suzhou, 16. Shenyang, 17. Wuxi, 18. Kaohsiung, 19. Nanjing, 20. Wuhan, 21. Ningbo, 22. Xiamen, 23. Jinan, 24. Chengdu, 25, Hefei, 26. Dongying, 27. Baotou, 28. Ordos, 29. Changzhou, 30. Taichung, 31. Keelung, 32. Hohhot, 33. Tainan, 34. Yantai, 35. Zhongshan, 36. Fuzhou, 37. Chongqing, 38. Xi’an, 39. Changchun, 40. Zhuhai, 41. Harbin, 42. Daqing, 43. Zhengzhou, 44. Yangzhou, 45. Nantong, 46. Shijiazhuang, 47. Wenzhou, 48. Xuzhou, 49. Nanning, and 50. Zibo.

The general strength of them increases rapidly, and the gap between them becomes less. The average index of 294 Chinese cities about urban competitiveness in 2010 (0.551) is higher than in 2009 (0.497), and the standard deviation of competitiveness in 2010 (0.116) is lower than in 2009 (0.125).

6 areas occupy the top 10 cities in China. The distribution of top ten cities is: 3 in Pearl River Delta, 2 in Bohai Area, 2 in Yangtze River Delta, 1 in Northeast China, 1 in Middle China, and 1 in Taiwan.

Cities in Jiangsu perform the best. In general, Jiangsu Province performs very well, Guangdong performs steadily as before, Taiwan and Shandong still occupy advantages, and the comprehensive urban competitiveness in middle and western China is comparatively weak. The distribution of top 50 cities is: 7 in Jiangsu, 6 in Guangdong, 5 in Taiwan and Shandong respectively, and 3 in Zhejiang and Mongolia respectively.

Changsha performs the best. Comparing to 2009, the layout of the top 10 cities changes that Changsha and Hangzhou rank the top ten cities. Changsha makes great progress and it rises from 17 in 2009 to 8 this year; Tianjin, Dalian and Hangzhou also make progress.

Cities in Mainland China surpass Hong Kong and Taiwan fast. Comparing to 2009, although Hong Kong still leads the country in 2010, the urban competitiveness in Mainland China such as Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, and Chongqing increase sharply, and the gap between Hong Kong and them becomes less, and the urban competitiveness of Taipei descends.

The situation that cities in southeast are powerful has changed. In 2010, urban competitiveness in southeast areas occupies absolute advantage, and 26 of the top 50 cities are from these two regions, and the proportion of them is 52%. However, comparing to 2009, the cities increase in northeast and southwest areas but decrease in southeast area.

The Report compares 7 detailed indexes about urban competitiveness of 294 cities and finds that:

Comprehensive growth competitiveness: the growth rate of northeast areas keeps taking the lead, and cities in southeast area recovers rapidly. The top ten cities are: Ordos, Tieling, Baishan, Liaoyuan, Yingkou, Baotou, Fangchenggang, Baicheng, and Qingyuan.

Economic scale competitiveness: the general level of the whole cities increases, but the gap between cities increases. The top ten cities are: Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Chongqing, Foshan, Taipei, and Hangzhou.

Economic efficiency competitiveness: output per capita in Mainland China increases rapidly, and output per land area should be improved. The top ten cities are: Taipei, Hong Kong, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Hsinchu, Macao, Dongying, Dongguan, Foshan, and Keelung.

Developmental cost competitiveness: the index increases overall, but index in coastal cities decrease partly. The top ten cities are: Haikou, Sanya, Bozhou, Hong Kong, Xianyang, Taipei, Keelung, Tainan, Changde, and Changsha.

Industrial level competitiveness: the general industrial level is low, but it increases rapidly in Mainland China. The top ten cities are: Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taipei, Keelung, Shenzhen, Kaohsiung, Hsinchu, Taichung, and Tainan.

Income level competitiveness: the top ten cities are: Hong Kong, Taipei, Macao, Hsinchu, Kaohsiung, Keelung, Tainan, Taichung, Shanghai, and Beijing.

Happiness competitiveness: the urban citizens in China feel happy in general, and the average value of happiness keeps rising; the citizens’ happiness has the indication of convergence in gradual; the development of economy and the happiness indicate the trend of inverted U-shape significantly. The top ten cities with happiness competitiveness are: Shijiazhuang, Linyi, Yangzhou, Chengde, Binzhou, Laiwu, Hebi, Baotou, Beijing, and Hsinchu.

According to the theoretical framework of urban competitiveness, the Report compares the 12 causative items about competitiveness for 56 key cities, and finds that:

Human capital competitiveness: the quality of talent resource needs to be enhanced, and the greatest gap between cities is education competitiveness. The top ten cities are: Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shenzhen, and Xiamen.

Financial capital competitiveness: the quality of capital is comparatively high, but the financing system needs to be completed. The top then cities are: Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Chengdu, Tianjin, and Nanjing.

Science and technology competitiveness: the investments are very different between cities, and the regional development is comparatively unbalanced. The top ten cities are: Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Chengdu, Xi’an, Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Wuhan.

Economic structure competitiveness: the degree of industrial updating is low, but it moves forward fast during reform. The top ten cities are: Hong Kong, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Shaoxing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Taizhou, and Yangzhou.

Infrastructure competitiveness: it is improved rapidly in general, but the regional development is unbalanced. The top ten cities are: Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Tianjin, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Zhongshan, Qingdao, Foshan, and Zhengzhou.

Comprehensive location competitiveness: China’s economic core moves forward east and the development of central cities make things better. The top ten cities are: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Harbin, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Wuhan, and Changchun.

Ecological environment competitiveness: the existed advantages of coastal cities are obvious, and megacities need to be improved in general. The top ten cities are: Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Suzhou, Weihai, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Yangzhou, Shaoxing, and Yantai.

Business culture competitiveness: it is performed well in general, and the gap between cities become less and less. The top ten cities are: Zhongshan, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Yantai, Qingdao, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Hefei, and Changzhou.

Economic system competitiveness: the market development is the best in general but the differentiation of economic degree of freedom is significant obviously. The top ten cities are: Quanzhou, Yantai, Changzhou, Hong Kong, Zhongshan, Wuxi, Yangzhou, Weihai, Shaoxing, and Suzhou.

Governmental administrative ability competitiveness: the governmental service ability performs the best, but government’s innovative ability needs to be enhanced. The top ten cities are: Hong Kong, Macao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Xiamen, Hangzhou, Beijing, Changsha, and Ningbo.

Business administrative ability competitiveness: private enterprise needs much support and the quality of its product and service is not good. The top ten cities are: Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Macao, Xiamen, Suzhou, Qingdao, Zhongshan, Shanghai, Weihai, and Foshan.

Opening-up competitiveness: the regional degree of opening-up is not balanced enough, and the opening-up in and out is not harmonious enough. The top ten cities are: Hong Kong, Dongguan, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Beijing, Macao, Zhuhai, and Qingdao.

The Report finds that: the promotion of urbanization, globalization, informatization, and marketization, makes the whole world inclined and flat, which means: on one hand, the global resources, factors, commodities, and service flows more and more smoothly, and on the other hand, the global recourses, factors, and human activities tend to concentrate towards advantaged location. Proper incline and flat are the perfect situation for the world, but over incline in reality and its negative effect brought should be concerned. Therefore, this Report takes “city, makes the world inclined and flat” as the annual theme to discuss in many ways.

In order to construct a proper inclined and flat urban China, this Report suggests to:

1. Plan properly inclined space structure; 2. Reform the urban-rural and region segmentation system and policy; 3. Construct completed infrastructure network; 4. Promote public service integration and equalization in the whole country; 5. Pay attention to edge areas and support them; and 6. Improve the urban facility and infrastructure and the administrative service.