More than two dozen Chinese cities were ranked in the world’s top 100 by the A.T. Kearney 2019 Global Cities report, which focusses on frontrunners for the future, the report reveals.
The report, consisting of a global cities index and a global cities outlook, rated the world’s 130 top-performing cities and those with the most potential. Among them were 26 cities in China.
New York, London, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong were the top five in the global cities index. The two Chinese cities listed in the top 10 were Hong Kong and Beijing, with Beijing ranked 9th. Hangzhou and Suzhou made the top 100 list for the first time.
Business activity remained the largest contributor to the index scores, accounting for the rise of Chinese cities, followed by improved key areas such as human capital and information exchanges.
London, Singapore, San Francisco, Amsterdam and Paris topped the global cities outlook. In the top 100 list, Taipei ranked 25th and Beijing 39th. Shenzhen, Shanghai and Hong Kong ranked 49th, 51st and 52nd respectively.
China gained ground with cities outpacing their Western peers in outlook, thanks to significant improvements in governance scores.
The report also added that if China wanted to maintain its momentum and be competitive, Chinese cities need to take a citizen-centric approach that prioritizes healthy populations and happy people – the macro and micro strategies in building human capital and improving individual well-being respectively.