The competition for national central cities has finally settled, with 11 cities winning the title, representing the state's recognition of their development and future planning. The plan was jointly compiled by 19 central ministries including the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Education, at the request of the State Council, making it China's highest-level strategic plan. The China Academy of Urban Planning and Design led the technical work for this most significant plan.

4 Global Cities

Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen

Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen have long been known as first-tier cities, and now they have the strength to be called global cities.

Beijing, as the capital, has inherent advantages and is the political and cultural center of China.

Guangzhou is China's major foreign trade port and the most important port in the history of the Maritime Silk Road. Known as the "Millennium Commercial Capital," it is also called the "Capital of the Third World" due to its large number of foreign residents.

Shenzhen, transformed from a fishing village into a global city thanks to the reform and opening-up policy, has seen "Made in Shenzhen" and "Created in Shenzhen" begin to represent China abroad.

Shanghai, China's economic center, ranks first among Chinese cities in GDP and second among Asian cities, second only to Tokyo. Shanghai is also a world-renowned financial center.

Since China became the world's second-largest economy, its exchanges with other countries in economy, trade, social culture, science, technology, and education have become increasingly frequent. Therefore, more central cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen are needed to undertake the mission of urban exchange and cooperation.

Currently, cities such as Beijing and Shanghai are leading the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta to the forefront of the global urban system. It can be said that global cities are the facade and招牌 of a country.

11 National Central Cities

Tianjin, Chongqing, Shenyang, Nanjing, Wuhan, Chengdu, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Zhengzhou, Xiamen

Northeast: Only Shenyang

In this selection of national central cities, only Shenyang was selected from the Northeast. China's old industrial base and major grain producer still need to keep working hard.

Although Shenyang has declined somewhat in recent years, its original foundation and strength are still formidable. If it can quickly find its position in the new round of reforms, it will surely revitalize the Northeast in a true sense.

North China: Tianjin & Qingdao

Although Tianjin is often overshadowed by its proximity to Beijing, its port advantages and municipality status have allowed it to develop at a pace close to first-tier cities.

Qingdao's inclusion may come as a surprise, but it has long been a city with independent planning status and a sub-provincial city, so its inclusion makes sense.

Central China: Wuhan & Zhengzhou

Wuhan, as a hub for nine provinces and the hinterland of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, is naturally included.

Zhengzhou's recent development is also commendable, with a good geographical location and a wide sphere of influence.

Northwest: Xi'an

Although Xi'an's strength is somewhat lacking, it is still the king of the Northwest. Each region should have at least one central city to drive development, and in the Northwest, Xi'an is the natural choice.

Southwest: Chengdu & Chongqing

Chongqing was confirmed as a national central city long ago. As a municipality directly under the central government, located at the node of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Silk Road, its economic growth rate has been outstanding in recent years.

Chengdu is known as the fourth city of China. Its aviation, number of consulates, and regional institutions are second only to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Most regional institutions in the western region, even the central and western regions, are established in Chengdu, showing its advantages.

The dual selection of Chengdu and Chongqing is surprising, as they are only 300 kilometers apart, and their hinterlands will inevitably overlap. Moreover, Sichuan and Chongqing were originally one. However, it is not surprising that both cities have the conditions to be national central cities. The Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration is a national-level urban agglomeration, and with two national-level cities driving it, it will surely shine.

East China: Hangzhou, Xiamen, Nanjing

The choice of Hangzhou for the G20 summit shows that Hangzhou's strength should not be underestimated.

Xiamen's inclusion may also be surprising, but Xiamen is an important city for cross-strait development.

Nanjing naturally has the strength, whether in economy or in science, education, and culture.

What is a National Central City?

A so-called national central city refers to the highest level of urban hierarchy in China's urban system. Such cities shoulder important development responsibilities and roles, and at this level, they must have the functions of leading, radiating, and distributing across the country, involving political, economic, cultural, and foreign exchange aspects.

Central cities should have the following development characteristics and functions:

First, they are the hub for organizing economic activities and allocating resources;

Second, they are the hub for comprehensive transportation and information networks;

Third, they are the national centers for science, education, culture, and innovation;

Fourth, they have international influence and competitiveness;

Fifth, they are the "tower cities" with the strongest comprehensive strength in the national urban system.

The five major functions that national central cities must have: comprehensive service functions, industrial cluster functions, logistics hub functions, open highland functions, and cultural cohesion functions.

In addition, central cities also bear the responsibility of leading the development of other cities in the region, thereby promoting regional economic and social development and narrowing the gap in development levels between regions.

Why Can Xiamen Become a National Central City?

The country's "Belt and Road" initiative has also provided the necessary conditions for Xiamen to become a central city. As a hub city for the "Belt and Road," Xiamen's future "centrality" is evident. In China's West Coast Urban Agglomeration, Xiamen has significant advantages.

Core Area of the "Maritime Silk Road"

Entering the new normal of the economy, China will shift from actively utilizing globalization to actively participating in globalization. The "Belt and Road" initiative and the "Going Global" strategy are important manifestations.

Xiamen is in the core area of the "Maritime Silk Road." "In the next stage of China's economic development, Xiamen will also play an important role in 'going global' and participating in globalization."

High "Face Value"

As a famous tourist city in China, Xiamen has won many honors such as the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honor, International Garden City, and China National Forest City.

Its high "face value" can attract a large number of people from home and abroad, which is also a reason for Xiamen's selection.

Rich Heritage

Xiamen is one of China's earliest ports opened to the outside world and played an important role in the process of modern Chinese people "opening their eyes to the world."

Xiamen was one of the earliest special economic zones after the reform and opening-up, and it is a typical export-oriented city with a strong sentiment and advantage for opening up and cooperation. At the same time, as an important center of Minnan culture and art, Xiamen can also serve as a central hub between Zhangzhou, Quanzhou, and even Taiwan in terms of regional sentiment. Clearly, Xiamen will continue to be one of China's most important platforms for cross-strait exchanges in the future.

It is against this background that Xiamen has an important urban positioning that radiates to the Minnan economic circle and connects east and west. After becoming a national central city, it will surely play a more important gateway role in promoting the common development of both sides of the strait and building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Being selected as one of the ten national central cities means that the city's development positioning has risen to the national strategic level! Subsequently, many policy preferences will be tilted to a considerable extent, and national-level resources will fully support the comprehensive development of central cities, gradually forming cross-provincial leading metropolises that connect with the world!

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