Xi'an climbs top 100 global cities list

Global management consulting firm Kearney recently released the 2024 Global Cities Index (GCI). Among the 31 Chinese cities listed, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong secured spots in the global top 10, with 13 cities ranking in the top 100 worldwide.

Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, notably rose four places from 102nd in 2023 to 98th in 2024.

The GCI reflects cities' current leadership and influence in terms of business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experiences, and political affairs, with a total of 31 evaluation criteria.

Analysis of the rankings highlighted Xi'an's ascent, attributed to the stellar performance of several Global Fortune 500 state-owned enterprises and new energy vehicle companies based in the city, boosting commercial vitality. The city's advancement was also fueled by the remarkable development of the China-Europe freight train.

From January to July, the output of the city's automotive industry increased by 9.3 percent.

In the human capital domain, Xi'an's rich history and proactive policies have attracted more international students, injecting diversity and vitality into the city.

Since 2024, Xi'an has deepened reform and opening-up across all sectors, igniting new vigor in economic and social development.

Xi'an is deeply involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, implementing outcomes from the China-Central Asia Summit and cooperation agreements from provincial and municipal delegations' visits.

In the realm of cultural experiences, Xi'an's tourism industry has fully recovered, due mainly to its diverse array of tourism and entertainment offerings, continuously achieving record highs in terms of both visitor numbers and tourism revenue.

Data indicates that from January to July, Xi'an welcomed 186 million visitors, with total spending reaching 229.12 billion yuan ($32.17 billion), increases of 16.1 percent and 19.8 percent, respectively.