Shanghai: a trendsetter with significant competition

Other than Beijing, Shanghai is perhaps the most widely known city in China. Having grown its reputation through its port activity in the 19th century, today it stands not only as the largest city in China but also the most financially fierce. In the 2019 Global Financial Center Index, for example, the city was ranked as the fifth most competitive financial centre in the world—Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou came in at ninth, 14th and 24th respectively.