Zhangjiagang, a city in East China’s Jiangsu province, ranked third among all county-level cities in China in terms of economic competitiveness.

According to a report recently released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Kunshan, Jiangyin, Zhangjiagang, and Changshu, all located in Jiangsu province, were the top four cities on the list.

The list was based on the regional gross product, government revenue, and number of companies above the designated size - those with annual revenue of 20 million yuan ($2.86 million) or higher - of 400 counties in 26 provinces and regions. Zhangjiagang has made the top three on the list for the past 25 years.

Zhangjiagang, a city with 50 years of development, is home to five pillar industries: metallurgy, textiles, chemicals, electromechanicals, and oil and grains, which have a total annual output value of nearly 500 billion yuan.

The city’s emerging industries, which include new materials, new energy, and high-end equipment manufacturing, bring in around 230 billion yuan every year.

A number of world-class companies have begun operating in the city, including Tencent, DuPont, and Spotlight Automotive, a joint venture between China's Great Wall Motors and German carmaker BMW.