According to the "City of Opportunity 2019" report issued by China Development Research Foundation and PricewaterhouseCoopers on March 21, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shenzhen constitute the most developed cities in China and jointly promote the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao.

The report points out that innovation-driven, open and collaborative high-quality development model will become the focus of urbanization in the next stage. The "9+2" urban pattern in Dawan District of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao has basically taken shape. It will become a benchmark for high-quality urban development in China in terms of technological innovation, regional cooperation, opening-up and infrastructure interconnection, and further promote China's economic development.

"City of Opportunity" is a research report published by the China Development Research Foundation in cooperation with PricewaterhouseCoopers, which tracks and observes Chinese cities in an all-round way. Since 2014, it has published six issues continuously. Lu Mai, Secretary-General of China Development Research Foundation, said: "China's economy is in a critical period of transition to high-quality development. To achieve innovation, coordination, green, open and shared development in China, the key is to seize cities. The development of cities is of great significance for promoting the high-quality development of the whole economy, creating new momentum for growth, coping with the downward pressure of the domestic economy and the uncertainty of the international environment.

"City of Opportunity 2019" is based on the authoritative City Research Report "City of Opportunity" published by PricewaterhouseCoopers worldwide. From 10 dimensions and 50 variables of "Intellectual Capital and Innovation", "Technical Maturity", "Regional Important Cities", "Health, Safety and Security", "Transportation and Urban Planning", "Sustainable Development and Natural Environment", "Culture and Resident Life", "Economic Shadow", “Cost” and “Business-friendly environment” to make a thorough and comprehensive survey of 38 administrative and economic central cities in China.

Yu Jiantuo, Assistant Secretary-General of China Development Research Foundation, pointed out: "The report closely follows the overall China’s development strategy, and constructs an evaluation index system of urban development suitable for China's conditions from economic, social and livelihood aspects. The report has had a wide range of social impacts and also has received widespread attention from business, academia and municipal governments at all levels."

Liang Weijian, a deputy manager partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers in mainland China and Hongkong market, said: "Since the 19th National Congress, a series of development strategies related to urban development have been formulated, including the development strategy of" the Belt and Road ", the development strategy of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the development strategy of the Yangtze River Economy, and the development strategy of the Dawan District, which will promote the construction of China's market economic system. We will actively participate in China's modernization and contribute to the development of China's new urbanization.

The number of cities observed in "City of Opportunity 2019" has expanded to 38, with an expansion of about 27%. Several important cities have been added in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and Hainan Provinces. Hong Kong and Macao were included in the observation for the first time. The 38 cities are: Harbin, Shenyang, Dalian, Urumqi, Lanzhou, Xi'an, Taiyuan, Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Tangshan, Baoding, Jinan, Qingdao, Zhengzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan, Wuxi, Suzhou, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Hefei, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Changsha, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, Zhongshan, Zhuhai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Guiyang, Haikou, Hong Kong and Macau.

In the overall ranking, the top 10 cities are: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, Xiamen, and Nanjing.

From the perspective of dimensional integration, Beijing ranks first in "intellectual capital and innovation" and "economic influence", Shanghai ranks highest in "regional important cities", and Hong Kong ranks first in "business-friendly environment" and "health, safety and security". Beijing and Shanghai are China's mega cities, and they represent China in the international urban agglomeration. Although Hong Kong's size is much smaller than that of Beijing and Shanghai, due to its status as a major international financial center and the development of the market economy, it is no doubt that it ranks third. Guangzhou and Shenzhen are almost equal in total points, ranking fourth and fifth.

Jin Jun, a partner of China Strategic Consulting Department of PricewaterhouseCoopers, pointed out: "Although the five cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shenzhen have different scales, status and development history, they have all played their respective advantages in the historical stage of reform and opening up. As the core cities of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao, they will lead the coordinated development of the three urban agglomerations. In the future, high-level openness and urban agglomerations will jointly promote the high-quality development of Chinese cities.

In addition, several cities attracted people's attention in the dimensionality ranking. Zhuhai ranks first in the "Transportation and Urban Planning" and has maintained its leading position in this dimension. Haikou has only been included in the scope of observation since this year, ranking first in "sustainable development and natural environment", highlighting the status of international tourism island. Although Macao is small in scale, it is famous for its leisure tourism industry and ranks first in "culture and residents' life". Baoding, which has become the focus of attention due to the construction and special positioning of Xiong'an New District, ranks first in the “cost” dimension, indicating that its comprehensive cost is the lowest.

The top five cities in the 10 dimensions of "City of Opportunity 2019":

• Intellectual Capital and Innovation —— Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Changsha, Wuhan

• Technical Maturity —— Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai

• Regional Important Cities—— Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Chongqing

• Health, Safety and Security —— Hong Kong, Shanghai, Macao, Beijing, Guangzhou

• Transportation and Urban Planning —— Zhuhai, Nanjing, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Shenzhen

• Sustainable Development and Natural Environment —— Haikou, Shenzhen, Foshan, Xiamen, Zhongshan

• Culture and Resident Life —— Macao, Hong Kong, Changsha, Shanghai, Fuzhou

• Economic Shadow —— Beijing, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Hangzhou are tied for fourth place.

• Cost —— Baoding, Shijiazhuang, Tangshan, Taiyuan, Shenyang

• Business-friendly environment —— Hong Kong, Xiamen, Ningbo, Hangzhou, Shanghai

He Guohui, the manager partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Guangzhou of China, said: "Several cities in the Dawan District of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao are relatively concentrated in the forefront of the relevant dimensions. Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao has good basic conditions for the construction of world-class Bay Area and world-class urban agglomerations. The coordinated development of the Dawan District is conducive to promoting the exchange of talents and capital, enhancing urban governance and promoting China's opening to the outside world. In the future, driven by the three core cities of Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, the development potential is unlimited.

This year, the Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences also actively participated in the research work of the "City of Opportunity" report, and participated in the research of "Intellectual Capital and Innovation", "Traffic and Urban Planning" and other chapters based on the data collected by PricewaterhouseCoopers and provides important support. The participation of urban research institutions makes the observation of "City of Opportunity 2019" more pragmatic and practical. Zhang Yueguo, party secretary and dean of Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out in the report that the Dawan District of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao has unique advantages. Only by exploring the coordinated development of the Dawan District of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao in practice can we give full play to this regional advantage.