Suzhou's counties dominate national rankings

Recent research from the Guo Xin Small and Medium Cities Index Research Institute indicates that all four county-level cities of Suzhou ranked in the top ten for comprehensive strength among China's county-level cities for 2024. Furthermore, Suzhou occupies seven top ten positions in this year's town rankings.

Kunshan continues to lead as the top county in the nation for 20 consecutive years, followed by Zhangjiagang in third, Changshu in fourth, and Taicang in seventh, highlighting the robust strength of Suzhou's counties.

In the town rankings, Yushan in Kunshan, Yangshe in Zhangjiagang, and Huaqiao in Kunshan secured first, second, and fifth place, respectively. Shengze in Wujiang, Jinfeng in Zhangjiagang, and Zhoushi and Zhangpu in Kunshan completed the top ten.

In addition, Kunshan also tops in five categories: comprehensive strength, green development, investment potential, technological innovation, and new urbanization quality. Notably, all of Kunshan's towns are listed in the top 100 for comprehensive strength in 2024, with Yushan maintaining the top position.

Over the past two decades, Kunshan's gross regional product has surged, making it the country's first and only county-level city to exceed 500 billion yuan ($71.25 billion). The city also achieved a historic milestone with total industrial output surpassing 1 trillion yuan and a trade volume reaching $100 billion, accounting for one-seventh of Jiangsu's total and placing it among the top 15 cities nationwide.

Kunshan is accelerating the development of new quality productive forces, with the value of strategic emerging industries rising to 56.8 percent in the first half of this year, an increase of 3.4 percentage points over the past three years. The region's GDP grew 6.3 percent year-on-year in the first half, surpassing national and provincial averages.