China Core Cities & Metropolitan Area Development Index 2019 released

5. Opening and communications

The top 10 core cities in opening and communications are Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Tianjin, Chengdu, Ningbo, and Hangzhou. Among them, compared with 2018, Shanghai has maintained its top position, while the rankings of Shenzhen, Chongqing, Chengdu, and Ningbo have increased.

Opening and communications is a major item that measures the degree of exchanges and transaction involving people, finance, and goods in cities in the context of globalization. It includes three sub-items, international trade, international investment, and communications performance. They are gauged by 11 sets of indexes and data, including exports of goods, imports of goods, actual use of foreign capital, foreign direct investment, inbound tourists, domestic tourists, foreign exchange earnings from international tourism, revenue of domestic tourism, world tourism cities, international conferences, and exhibition industry development.

(1) International trade

Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing are the top three in this sub-item. The top 10 core cities also include Guangzhou, Ningbo, Tianjin and Xiamen. Compared with 2018, the rankings of Ningbo, Chengdu, Hefei, Changsha, Jinan, Kunming, Nanning, and Haikou have increased.

(2) International investment

Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing are the top three in this sub-item. The cities ranking fourth to 10th are Tianjin, Chongqing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Chengdu, Dalian, and Wuhan. Compared with 2018, among the top 10 core cities, the rankings of Shanghai, Shenzhen, Ningbo, Chengdu, Dalian, and Wuhan have increased.

(3) Communications performance

Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou are the top three in this sub-item. Their deviation values score much higher than those of other cities. The cities ranking fourth to 10th are Shenzhen, Chongqing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Xi'an, and Xiamen. Compared with 2018, among the top 10 core cities, the rankings of Hangzhou, Wuhan, Xi'an, and Xiamen have increased.