Core Insights - The 2025 "New First-Tier Cities Charm Ranking" highlights the increasing differentiation among cities in China as they transition to a consumption-driven society, with cities like Linyi and Heze showing significant improvements in their rankings [1][9] - The ranking methodology emphasizes commercial consumption over traditional economic indicators like GDP, reflecting a shift in urban competitiveness [3][4] Group 1: Ranking Overview - Linyi has returned to the second-tier city status, ranking closely behind Yantai, and has jumped 8 places from the previous year, while Heze has surged 20 places [1] - The ranking includes 15 new first-tier cities and 30 second-tier cities, with Linyi and Heze being notable examples of cities that have improved their standings significantly [2] Group 2: Evaluation Criteria - The ranking system prioritizes third-sector activities, particularly commercial consumption, over industrial output, indicating a shift towards a more service-oriented urban economy [3][4] - New metrics introduced in the ranking include factors such as the scale of live-streaming influencers, online business diversity, and nighttime economic activity, reflecting the evolving nature of urban attractiveness [4][5] Group 3: Economic Indicators - Linyi's retail sales reached 343.38 billion yuan in 2024, ranking fourth in Shandong, while its economic output is significantly lower than Yantai's, indicating untapped consumption potential [6][7] - The city has a third-sector contribution of 51.2% to its GDP, which is comparable to other industrial cities, suggesting a balanced economic structure [7][8] Group 4: Urban Development Trends - The ranking reflects a broader trend where cities with strong service sectors and vibrant consumer markets are becoming more attractive, especially to younger populations [5][8] - Linyi's logistics and transportation infrastructure has facilitated economic dynamism, with a notable increase in online retail sales driven by live-streaming commerce [8][9] Group 5: Consumption as an Economic Driver - Consumption is increasingly recognized as a primary engine for economic growth in China, with consumer spending contributing 82.5% to GDP growth in 2023 [8][9] - The shift towards a consumption-oriented economy is evident as cities adapt to new consumer preferences and market dynamics, with Linyi's rise serving as a case study [9]

Core Viewpoint - The "2025 New First-Tier City Charm Ranking" has been released, highlighting Huizhou's elevation to a second-tier city status among 337 cities in mainland China [1] Group 1: Ranking and Evaluation - The ranking evaluates cities based on five primary dimensions: commercial resource aggregation, urban hub characteristics, urban vitality, new economic competitiveness, and future plasticity [4] - The evaluation methodology includes expert scoring for primary and secondary dimensions, with data for lower-level indicators derived from principal component analysis [4] Group 2: Indicator Explanation - Commercial resource aggregation is assessed through brand preference index, commercial core index, and commercial support maturity [6] - Urban hub characteristics are measured by transportation connectivity, intercity mobility index, industrial collaboration index, and regional commercial resource centrality [6] - Urban vitality focuses on consumer, leisure, and nightlife activities of residents [6] - New economic competitiveness reflects the city's internal development momentum, consisting of enterprise leadership, new consumption index, and industrial chain ecosystem index [6] - Future plasticity includes innovation atmosphere index, talent attraction index, and city scale index, emphasizing long-term sustainability [6] Group 3: Economic Performance - In 2024, Huizhou's GDP reached 613.64 billion yuan, marking a 4.2% year-on-year growth, ranking third in the province [7] - This achievement signifies Huizhou's entry into the "600 billion club" and its historic placement among the top 50 cities in national economic output, ranking 49th [7] - The GDP milestone represents both a quantitative and qualitative transformation, showcasing Huizhou's commitment to a high-quality development path centered on the real economy and manufacturing [10] Group 4: Development Goals - Huizhou aims to become a new growth pole for high-quality development in Guangdong, focusing on new industries, embracing new economies, and advancing new technologies [11] - The city is determined to contribute significantly to Guangdong's leadership in the modernization of China [11]