(ECNS) -- Shanghai beat Beijing to score the highest in terms of "future-proofing" credentials, according to a report by Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (JLL), an American professional services and investment management company.
The report, "China12: China's Cities Go Global", was first launched in 2007, studying the growth and potential in 12 leading cities -- Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuhan, Tianjin, Chengdu, Chongqing and Xi'an. It says these cities are extending their global influence and forging ever-deeper linkages abroad.
The JLL "traditional" metrics include six categories -- size, wealth, growth, connectivity, traditional corporate activity and investment and openness. Beijing and Shanghai sat well ahead of their domestic rivals.
The focus of those cities extends beyond "traditional" drivers to include their "future-proofing" credentials -- their readiness to embrace change through innovation platforms, business operating environments and overall liveability.
Shanghai and Beijing, as China's most globally connected cities, dominate in "future-proofing" metrics, with each having their characteristics and strengths. Shanghai scores higher than Beijing for its superior liveability, environment and well-integrated surrounding region, along with a highly dynamic business services sector.
Shenzhen is catching up with Shanghai and Beijing for its dynamic entrepreneurial workplaces and concentrations of innovative domestic corporates. Guangzhou in Guangdong Province also does well in both "traditional" and "future-proofing" measures. Vigorous corporate activity and high growth rate boost the position of Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province. Chengdu, Chongqing and Tianjin score better on "traditional" metrics than "future-proofing."
The report says China's cities are shifting to a new growth model that emphasizes new growth drivers that are more sustainable and better-suited to building competitive cities in a globalized economy. China is now entering a "new era" of innovation, internationalization and global influence, which will further reshape the urban landscape both at home and abroad, according to the report.
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