| Picsize: | 261px |
| Order: | st |
| T: | 國家中心城市 |
| P: | Guójiā Zhōngxīn Chéngshì |
| Tp: | Guó-jia Jhong-sin Chéng-shìh |
| Bpmf: | ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄔㄥˊ ㄕˋ |
| J: | gwok3 gaa1 zung1 sam1 sing4 si5 |
| Y: | Gwokgāa Jūngsām Sìhngsíh |
In China, a national central city is a modern metropolis with regional, national, and international importance. There are nine national central cities: Beijing, Tianjin, Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, Xi'an, and Zhengzhou.
As defined by the National Development and Reform Committee, national central cities are strategically located in the country, shoulder the national mission, lead regional development, participate in international competition, and represent the national image.[1] This designation was formulated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in 2005 as a first step in reforming urbanization in China. The national central cities' spheres of influence have great impact on surrounding cities in modernizing and integrating services in various fields, including infrastructure, finance, public education, social welfare, sanitation, business licensing, and urban planning.
| Division | Native name | Total GDP (2017 USD) | Per capita (2017 USD) | Urban Population (2017) | Area (km2) | Density (/km2) | Municipal Population (2017) | Economic zone | Region | Subdivisions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Chinese: 北京 | $443.8 billion | $20,446.58 | 18.76 million | 16,411 | 1,323 | 21.70 million | Bohai Economic Rim | North | List |
| Tianjin | Chinese: 天津 | $294.7 billion | $19,452 | 12.91 million | 11,920 | 1,306 | 15.57 million | List | ||
| Shanghai | Chinese: 上海 | $477.63 billion | $19,750.5 | 21.21 million | 6,341 | 3,813.8 | 24.18 million | Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone | East | List |
| Chinese: 重庆 | $309.1 billion | $9,433 | 19.71 million | 82,400 | 373.2 | 30.75 million | West Triangle Economic Zone | Southwest | List | |
| Chengdu | Chinese: 成都 | $273.8 billion | $16,515 | 11.54 million | 14,378 | 650 | 9.14 million | List | ||
| Xi'an | Chinese: 西安 | $118.4 billion | $12,055.41 | 5.9 million | 10,135 | 893.6 | 9.06 million | Northwest | ||
| Guangzhou | Chinese: 广州 | $341 billion | $22,317 | 12.49 million | 7,434 | 1,950.2 | 14.50 million | Pearl River Delta Economic Zone | South | List |
| Wuhan | Chinese: 武汉 | $212.6 billion | $19,627.7 | 8.72 million | 8,494 | 1,282 | 10.89 million | Yangtze River Midstream Economic Zone | Central | |
| Zhengzhou | Chinese: 郑州 | $144.7 billion | $14,276.13 | 7.14 million | 7,446 | 1,327 | 9.88 million | Zhongyuan Economic Zone | ||