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Preface
Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, China's urban development has been in full swing, with high-rise buildings rising from the ground and a high-speed rail network crisscrossing the country. Cities seem to be sprinting towards the goal of becoming an international metropolis.
However, how many of them have really reached the level of an international metropolis? Counting them down, there are only 9 cities that can be called truly cosmopolitan.
The standard of a cosmopolitan city
When it comes to cosmopolitan cities, many people's first reaction may be "rich", yes, economic strength is indeed one of the important criteria, but if you only look at GDP, it is too superficial.
A truly cosmopolitan city is a perfect combination of strength and charm, and it must not only have strong economic strength, but also show its unique charm in many fields.
This is not only reflected in the total GDP, but also depends on the per capita GDP and industrial structure, an international metropolis should have a diversified, high value-added industrial structure, rather than relying solely on a certain industry.
International influence includes the number of headquarters of international organizations, the frequency of international conferences, and the proportion of foreign population, etc., and a truly international metropolis should be a stage for gathering global elites.
At the same time, urban infrastructure is also a key indicator, and the degree of transportation convenience, medical and educational level, and ecological environment quality all directly affect the livability and attractiveness of the city.
In addition, cultural soft power cannot be ignored, and a city's historical heritage, cultural atmosphere, and innovation ability are all important parts of its charm.
However, some cities seem to be prosperous, but in fact the foundation is still very thin, and some cities, although not so high-profile, are silently accumulating strong strength.
So, which 9 cities stand out? And how do they meet these standards?
Nine shining pearls
Beijing, the heart of China, as the capital, its status is self-evident.
But there's more to Beijing than that, it's a political center and a cultural powerhouse, from the solemnity of the Forbidden City to the fireworks in the hutongs, Beijing condenses the essence of thousands of years of Chinese civilization.
The most amazing thing is that Beijing is actively embracing the future while preserving its traditions.
In 2022, Beijing will be among the top 10 cities in the world's international exchange center, which is not based on the old money accumulated by our ancestors.
It is followed by Shanghai, a city known as the "Magic Capital".
If Beijing is the political center of China, then Shanghai is the economic center, and in 2023, Shanghai's GDP will reach 4.7 trillion yuan, ranking first in the country, but Shanghai's charm is not only in numbers.
Walking along the Bund and looking at the scenery on both sides of the Huangpu River, you will feel the unique charm of the city with both Eastern heritage and Western modernity.
The skyscrapers in Lujiazui bear witness to the vigorous development of China's financial industry; The shikumen in the old western-style house tells the vicissitudes of the city for a hundred years.
Hong Kong, the Pearl of the Orient, is a veritable international financial center despite its small size.
It is an important bridge between China and the world, and is home to the Asia-Pacific headquarters of many multinational companies.
When it comes to Guangzhou, we have to mention its reputation as a "thousand-year-old business capital".
As the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, Guangzhou's commercial genes can be said to be engraved in the bones, and today's Guangzhou, which still maintains the spirit of openness and inclusiveness, is an important economic center and foreign trade window in southern China.
Shenzhen's rise is a microcosm of China's reform and opening up.
More than 40 years ago, it was just a small fishing village, but today it is a world-renowned innovation capital, with the headquarters of tech giants such as Huawei and Tencent, witnessing the city's innovative vitality.
Wuhan's geographical location determines its importance.
In recent years, Wuhan's performance in scientific and technological innovation has also been quite impressive, as evidenced by the rise of Optics Valley.
Xi'an, an ancient and modern city.
It is the ancient capital of the Thirteen Dynasties, with a profound history, but don't think that Xi'an will only eat the old book, in recent years, the development of Xi'an in the high-tech industry is impressive, and the innovation park within the ancient city wall has become an excellent portrayal of the blend of ancient and modern.
Chongqing, the charm of the mountain city is unparalleled.
Chongqing is home to a mouth-watering hot pot, a thriving automotive and electronic information industries, and the largest inland port in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, making Chongqing an important gateway connecting western China with the world.
Finally, there is Hangzhou, a place that Marco Polo once praised as "the most beautiful and luxurious city in the world".
Today's Hangzhou not only retains the poetic and picturesque feeling of the West Lake, but also has become the leader of the digital economy, and the rise of Internet giants such as Alibaba has injected new vitality into this thousand-year-old city.
The reason why these nine cities can become international metropolises is not only because of their economic strength, but also because of their unique charm and positioning, each city has its own story, and they are all interpreting what is truly international in their own way.
The development dilemmas and challenges of other cities
Compared with other cities, the gap is indeed not small, and this gap is not only reflected in economic data, but also in the comprehensive strength and international influence of cities.
Let's talk about the economy first, after all, this is the most intuitive, take GDP in terms of GDP, except for these nine cities, the economic scale of other cities is indeed much inferior.
The total GDP of some second-tier cities may be less than half that of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, let alone the growth rate, and many cities are facing pressure to slow down under the new economic normal.
But in fact, the economic gap is not the most critical, the real divide lies in the degree of internationalization.
In third-tier cities, almost all foreigners there are English teachers, while in international metropolises such as New York and London, there are elites from all over the world.
There is also a clear gap in the quantity and quality of foreign-funded enterprises, and in those nine cities, you can see the regional headquarters of various multinational companies, but in other cities, it is already a remarkable achievement to attract Fortune 500 companies.
Let's talk about international exchange activities, large-scale international conferences, exhibitions, and cultural exchange activities are often held in first-tier cities, and other cities want to host such activities, not only the hardware facilities cannot keep up, but the soft power is also lacking.
The influence of city brands is a huge shortcoming, and many cities are still too low in international popularity, lacking impressive landmarks or cultural symbols.
Speaking of which, a question may arise, is there no hope for other cities? Of course not, the gap exists objectively, but it does not mean that it can never be overcome.
The key is that these cities should recognize their own advantages and disadvantages, find the right positioning, and find a development path that suits them.
For example, some cities may have unique advantages in a specific area, such as Ningbo's port advantage and Xiamen's foreign trade advantage, which are all directions that can be focused on development.
There are also some cities that can make use of their own cultural characteristics and natural resources to take the path of characteristic and differentiated development, such as Lijiang and Dunhuang, although the total economic volume is not large, but it has a unique attraction in terms of cultural tourism.
In fact, each city has its own story and characteristics, and the key is to dig it out and be good at telling this story.
The future is promising
National strategies such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta have provided new development platforms for many cities, which is not only an economic opportunity, but also an excellent opportunity to enhance the level of internationalization of cities.
The rise of the digital economy has made the starting point between cities relatively equal, and the success of Hangzhou is a good example, which has transformed from a traditional tourist city to a representative of the new economy by vigorously developing the digital economy.
In addition, the promotion of new infrastructure provides new opportunities for urban upgrading, and the construction of new infrastructure such as 5G networks, artificial intelligence, and industrial Internet can not only enhance the hard power of cities, but also give cities new competitiveness.
In addition, regional coordinated development also provides new ideas for the internationalization of cities, such as the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and other urban agglomerations, through complementary advantages, resource sharing, is forming a new development pattern, in this process, some originally less conspicuous cities, also found their own positioning and development space.
The internationalization of cities should not be a simple imitation process, each city has its own uniqueness, the key is to explore this uniqueness and organically combine it with international elements.
Just like Chengdu, it did not deliberately imitate Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, but gave full play to its own cultural characteristics and lifestyle advantages, but attracted many international friends to come to live and work.
The road to internationalization of Chinese cities is still very long, but the prospects are bright, and the key is to find their own positioning, give full play to their own advantages, seize new opportunities, and embark on a suitable path of internationalization.
Every city is unique and has its own story to tell, and the internationalization of Chinese cities is a grand narrative composed by these wonderful stories.
epilogue
Throughout the history of China's urban development, it is not difficult to find that from the beginning of the exploration of reform and opening up, to the current blooming of a hundred flowers, China's urbanization process has gone through an extraordinary road, the rise of the nine international metropolises is the epitome of China's urban development achievements, but also pointed out the direction for other cities.
However, urban development is not a simple imitation and catch-up, each city should be based on its own characteristics, find the right positioning, give full play to its advantages, and embark on a unique development path, whether it is an economic town, a scientific and technological innovation center, or a cultural city, ecological livable city, all have their own value and charm.
Resources:
Shenzhen News Network 2024-06-24"The First International Slow City in China's First-tier Cities is "Born"! Nanao Street, Dapeng New District, Shenzhen won the title of International Slow City》
Shenzhen News Network 2024-06-24 "The First International Slow City in China's First-tier Cities is Born"! Nanao Street, Dapeng New District, Shenzhen won the title of International Slow City》
Beijing Daily 2023-02-19 "Beijing Continues to Rank First in China's International Communication Influence and Has Entered the First Phalanx of World Cities"