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Chinapolis: A Bit About China's Big Five Cities

By Dan Harris and Steve Dickinson

The most recent issue of Foreign Policy Magazine has a story entitled, the "Global Cities Index," in setting out the 60 cities "that shape our lives the most." Beijing (#12), Shanghai (#20), Guangzhou (#52), Shenzhen (#54) and Chongqing (#59) made the list and a sidebar article entitled, "Chinapolis," provides the following information on these cities:

Beijing (#12) Population: 11.1 million Population in 2025: 14.5 million Claim to Fame: China?s cultural, educational, and political capital. Host of the 2008 Summer Olympics and now home to the world?s largest airport. Major Industries: Government, tourism, chemicals, electronics, textiles GDP per capita: $9,237 No. of Days to Start a Business: 37 Roadblocks to Growth: Pollution, dust storms, avoiding a post-Olympic slowdown, overcrowding. Shanghai (#20) Population: 15 million Population in 2025: 19.4 million Claim to Fame: The country?s economic capital Major Industries: Banking, finance, fashion, electronics, shipbuilding GDP per capita: $9,584 No. of Days to Start a Business: 35 Roadblocks to Development: Danger of a bursting economic bubble, replenishing energy supplies, a slowdown in the global economy, traffic. Guangzhou (#52) Population: 8.4 million Population in 2025: 11.8 million Claim to Fame: The largest and wealthiest city in the south. An important seaport and connection to the rest of the world. Major Industries: Automobiles, petrochemicals, electronics, telecom, shipbuilding GDP per capita: $9,970 No. of Days to Start a Business: 28 Roadblocks to Development: Crime, traffic, wide gaps between the rich and the poor, clashes between migrants and locals. Shenzhen (#54) Population: 7.2 million Population in 2025: 10.2 million Claim to Fame: Shenzhen has seen the most rapid growth among all China?s cities. At some points in the past 30 years, it grew at 40 percent a year. Major Industries: IT, software, construction, food processing, medical supplies GDP per capita: $11,445 No. of Days to Start a Business: Around 30 Roadblocks to Development: Traffic, high rates of HIV/AIDS, labor unrest. Chongqing (#59) Population: 6.4 million Population in 2025: 7.3 million (2015) Claim to Fame: Often called the ?Chinese Chicago,? the city is an industrial center and gateway to China?s western regions. Major Industries: Mining, automobiles, textiles, chemicals, manufacturing GDP per capita: $5,500 No. of Days to Start a Business: 39 Roadblocks to Development: Air pollution, potential of landslides, drought.

I am always both intrigued and skeptical of statistics on how quickly one can start a business in various places and particularly so when dealing with Chinese cities. My firm has overseen the registration of countless Wholly Foreign Owned Entities (WFOEs), Joint Ventures (JVs), and Representative Offices in countless Chinese cities, including all of those set forth above and, until now, it never really occurred to me to distinguish the time it took us based on the city. Rather, our experience has been that the companies doing "routine" business go quickly and the unusual ones that take further explanation go slowly. What do you think of the "Roadblocks to Devolpment" the article sets out for these cities? What do you think of the ranking?

Full post as published by China Law Blog on December 01, 2008 (boomark / email).