Wuxi rejoins the ranks of China's new first-tier cities

The Grand Canal runs through Wuxi, Jiangsu province. [Photo by Zhou Ye/for China Daily]

A total of 15 cities have joined the ranks of China's new first-tier cities due to their commercial charm, according to a report by the China Business Network (CBN) Co Ltd.

The ranking, released by CBNweekly magazine, assesses the commercial attraction of 338 cities based on five indicators: concentration of commercial resources, pivotability, citizen vitality, variety of lifestyle, and future flexibility.

Wuxi in East China's Jiangsu province returned to the list this year, while Chongqing, Suzhou and Zhengzhou have now seen their rankings rise for a third consecutive year.

Wuxi first made the list in 2013, coming in at No 7, the highest rank it has yet achieved. However, it dropped out of the top 15 new first-tier cities last year.

Thanks to years of industrial upgrading and structural reform, Wuxi has become home to many projects related to integrated circuits and the Internet of Things. In 2017, it became the nation's 14th city to achieve a GDP greater than 1 trillion yuan ($159 billion).

Jiangsu has also become China's only province to have three cities -- Suzhou, Nanjing, and newcomer Wuxi -- with a GDP above 1 trillion yuan.

Wuxi's return to the ranks of China's new first-tier cities this year demonstrates the progress Jiangsu has made in transforming its manufacturing sector, developing Wuxi from a traditional manufacturing city that relies on labor and resources into a smart city focusing on intelligent manufacturing.