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The Milken Institute, an independent economic think tank in the United States, has recently released its first report ranking Chinese cities on their economic performance.

A total of 266 Chinese cities at prefecture level and above were studied, divided into two groups, one consisting of 34 first-and-second-tier cities and a second echelon of small- and medium-sized ones, including 232 third-tier cities.

The rankings are based on actual economic performance, rather than projected success. The index considers job and income growth, gross regional product and foreign direct investment, as well as the strength of high value-added industries in each city.