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Suzhou in East China's Jiangsu province was rated as China's best third-tier city in terms of economic performance by US independent think tank Milken Institute. It is the first time the institute compiled such a ranking. The list ranks 266 Chinese cities, 232 of which are third-tier. Seven of the top 10 best-performing third-tier cities are in Jiangsu province, as they have benefited from Shanghai's proximity and an influx of talent and technology. The rankings are based on economic performance, including job and income growth, gross regional product, and foreign direct investment, as well as the strength of high value-added industries.

1. Suzhou

Population: 6.54 million