Core Insights - The rapid economic growth of small cities, referred to as "little dragons and tigers," has slowed down significantly in 2023 due to changes in commodity prices and intensified competition in emerging industries [1][2][4] Economic Performance of Yulin - Yulin's GDP growth for the first half of 2023 was reported at 5.4%, a noticeable decline from previous years [1] - Yulin's GDP figures for 2021 to 2024 were 5435.18 billion, 6543.65 billion, 7091.44 billion, and 7548.68 billion respectively, with actual growth rates of 7.9%, 5.6%, 4.4%, and 6% [2] - The coal industry, which previously drove Yulin's economic growth, is facing challenges due to high supply and weak demand, leading to a decline in coal prices [2][3] Challenges Faced by Other Small Cities - Other small cities like Yibin and Qujing are also experiencing economic slowdowns, with Yibin's GDP growth at 5.0% and Qujing's at 3.1% for the first half of 2023 [4][5] - Yibin and Qujing have been focusing on attracting new industries, but the lack of new large projects has led to market competition and economic pressure [5][6] Future Economic Goals - Yunnan aims for its deputy center cities to achieve a GDP of over 5000 billion by 2025, while Sichuan targets a GDP of around 1 trillion for Yibin and Luzhou by 2027 [5] - Despite past high growth rates, the sustainability of these cities' economies is in question due to their reliance on a few key industries and the absence of new projects [6]