Chinapolis: A Bit About China's Big Five Cities

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?