International execs smile on mainland cities

'No one knows how long the party is going to last' developer

SHANGHAI: China's economic growth amid a global recession in 2009 helped catapult Shanghai and Beijing to the forefront of the most attractive cities for international business people, according to a survey of more than 500 top managers of multinational enterprises.

The survey, conducted by the international accounting firm KPMG and Greater Paris Investment Agency, a French trade organization, ranked Shanghai as the second-most favorable city after London. Hong Kong, a perennial favorite, was third on the list and Beijing came in fifth.