Front Matter and Methodology前言与方法论

Preface前言

The 2026 China International City Index is the ninth edition of Maxxelli's ranking of China's most international cities, and the first in the index's history to be built with a fully documented audit trail behind every number.

2026年《中国国际化城市指数》（CICI）是Maxxelli对中国最具国际化水平城市排名的第九版，也是该指数历史上首次为每一个数字都建立完整可查的审计记录。

Maxxelli began operating in China in 2006 as a destination services provider, expanding into residential and consulting services with particular depth in the second-tier cities where international companies actually grow. The CICI was born in 2015 from a simple observation: our clients kept asking which cities could genuinely support an international assignment, and nobody had an answer backed by data. The first edition compared six cities. This edition measures thirty, plus Shanghai and Beijing on the same scale for the first time.

Maxxelli于2006年进入中国，最初提供目的地服务，随后将业务拓展至住宅与咨询领域，尤其深耕跨国企业真正落地成长的二线城市。CICI诞生于2015年，源自一个简单的观察：客户不断问我们，哪些城市真正有能力支撑一次国际派驻，而当时没有人能给出有数据支撑的答案。第一版只比较了六座城市，本版测量三十座，并首次将上海与北京放到同一把标尺上。

The question has never changed. Where can your people actually live, work, school their children, and reach a hospital in English at two in the morning? The 2026 edition answers it with 7,000+ data points across 47 indicators, over 4,000 of them newly collected and verified this year, each carrying a documented source, date, and confidence grade.

这个问题从未改变：你的员工在哪座城市能真正安居、工作、让孩子上学，并且在凌晨两点用英语找到医院？2026版用47项指标、7,000多个数据点回答这个问题，其中4,000多个为今年新采集并核实，每个数据都附有来源、日期和置信度等级。

This Report关于本报告

The 2026 edition ranks 30 cities: the largest and most internationally relevant cities in mainland China outside Shanghai and Beijing. Guangzhou and Shenzhen, first-tier by any definition, remain in the ranking as they have since 2016, serving as the measuring stick for what an emerging first-tier city looks like. Zhanjiang and Liuzhou are included because Maxxelli's operations cover them.

2026版对30座城市进行排名：即上海、北京之外，中国大陆规模最大、国际关联度最高的城市。广州和深圳按任何标准都是一线城市，但自2016年起一直保留在榜单中，作为“新兴一线城市应该是什么样”的参照标尺。湛江和柳州入选，是因为Maxxelli的业务覆盖这两座城市。

New in 2026:

2026版的新变化：

• The first-tier benchmark overlay. Shanghai and Beijing are scored on the identical 47-indicator engine, normalized against the 30-city field. They are not ranked. They are measured, so that for the first time the distance between any second-tier city and the first tier is a number rather than an impression.
• Back-to-back editions. Publishing in consecutive years for the first time since COVID restores genuine year-on-year visibility.
• The audit trail. Every collected data point is source-logged. Documented gaps are retained as gaps rather than estimated. Where we could not verify, we say so.

• 一线基准对照。上海与北京采用完全相同的47项指标引擎打分，并以30城为基准归一化。它们不参与排名，只被测量——这样，任何一座二线城市与一线之间的差距，第一次成为一个数字，而不是一种印象。
• 连续两年发布。疫情以来首次连续两年发布，真正恢复了逐年可比性。
• 审计记录。每个采集的数据点都有来源日志。已记录的数据缺口保留为缺口，而不做估算。凡无法核实之处，我们直接说明。

How to Read the Scores如何解读得分

Each city is scored 0-100. Within each indicator, the best-performing city in the 30-city field sets the ceiling and the weakest sets the floor; every city is placed proportionally between them, weighted by indicator and category, and summed. A score of 50 does not mean "half international." It means a city half-way between the field's floor and ceiling across the weighted set. Because the benchmark cities are normalized against the second-tier field, their scores express how far beyond that field they sit.

每座城市的得分在0–100之间。在每项指标内，30城中表现最好的城市设定上限，最弱的设定下限；每座城市按比例落在两者之间，再按指标与类别加权求和。得分50并不意味着“国际化了一半”，而是指这座城市在加权指标体系中位于全场下限与上限的中间。由于基准城市也以二线城市阵营为基准归一化，它们的得分表达的是其超出这一阵营的幅度。

Methodology方法论

Categories and Weights类别与权重

Sources and Standards数据来源与标准

One method, one source type, one reference date per indicator, applied identically across all 32 cities. Official government registries take precedence over consumer platforms: museums are counted from the national first-grade museum registry, tourist attractions from the A-level Scenic Area registry, universities from the ShanghaiRanking 2025 Top 100, schools from provincial licensing registries for schools for children of foreign personnel. Economic data comes from city statistical yearbooks and 2025 statistical communiqués, with financial figures reflecting the most recent published year.

每项指标只用一种方法、一类来源、一个基准日期，并对全部32座城市完全一致地执行。官方登记数据优先于消费平台：博物馆按国家一级博物馆名录计数，旅游景点按A级景区名录，大学按2025软科世界大学学术排名前100，学校按各省外籍人员子女学校办学许可名录。经济数据来自城市统计年鉴和2025年统计公报，财务数据取最近已发布年度。

Where a value could not be confirmed to a reasonable standard, the cell was left empty and documented, never estimated. The index contains deliberate, documented gaps, and we consider them a feature. A confident blank is worth more than a fabricated number.

凡无法以合理标准确认的数值，一律留空并记录在案，绝不估算。指数中存在有意保留、并有记录的数据缺口，我们视其为优点而非缺陷——一个坦诚的空白，比一个编造的数字更有价值。

Changes from the 2022 Edition与2022版相比的调整

Transparency note, stated here before anyone else states it for us. The 2026 edition differs from 2022 in documented ways, and year-on-year movement partly reflects better measurement rather than purely real-world change:

透明度说明，我们先于任何人自己讲清楚：2026版与2022版存在若干已记录的差异，逐年变动部分反映的是测量方法的改进，而非纯粹的现实变化：

1. Six indicators retired, neutralized evenly across all cities: online content counts (two variants), expatriate population, expatriate percentage, international university students, and foreign cuisine restaurant counts. Each was retired because no source of acceptable quality exists at city level. The 2022 edition's values for these indicators relied on methods we are no longer willing to stand behind.
2. Commerce measurement moved to presence basis. The 2022 edition recorded exact outlet counts per brand per city; those counts were never verifiable at scale. 2026 records verified presence (a brand operates in the city, or it does not) across a fixed 79-brand basket.
3. Registry sources replaced consumer platforms for museums, attractions, and universities.
4. Foreign companies counts exclude firms invested from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, for definitional consistency across cities whose statistics bureaus report these categories differently.
5. List-format indicators converted to counts, with underlying detail held in the source log.

1. 六项指标退役，并在所有城市间做同等中性化处理：网络内容数量（两个变体）、外籍常住人口、外籍人口占比、国际留学生、外国餐厅数量。退役原因是城市层面不存在质量可接受的数据来源。2022版这些指标所依赖的方法，我们已不愿再为之背书。
2. 商业测量改为“进驻制”。2022版记录每个品牌在每座城市的精确门店数，但这些数字从来无法大规模核实。2026版在固定的79个品牌篮子中，只记录经核实的进驻状态：品牌在该城市运营，或不运营。
3. 官方名录取代消费平台，适用于博物馆、景点和大学。
4. 外资企业数不含港澳台投资企业，因为各城市统计局对这几类的报告口径不一致，此举是为了保证定义统一。
5. 列表型指标改为计数型，明细保留在来源日志中。

The Collection数据采集

The 2026 dataset was researched and verified over five weeks, between 8 July and 10 August 2026. Our team worked city by city and indicator by indicator, drawing on official registries, statistical communiques, and primary sources, with modern research tooling doing the heavy lifting and human judgment making every call that mattered. Each figure was logged with its source, date, and confidence grade as it was collected, and every entry into the dataset was checked before it stood. The discipline paid for itself: along the way we caught and corrected roughly thirty errors, several of them inherited from earlier editions. The full source log runs to more than 450 dated, graded entries and is available for inspection on request.

2026版数据集的调研与核实历时五周，从2026年7月8日至8月10日。团队逐城、逐指标推进，依托官方名录、统计公报和一手来源；繁重的工作交给现代研究工具，而每一个关键判断都由人做出。每个数字在采集时即记录来源、日期和置信度等级，每条数据入库前都经过核对。这份严谨得到了回报：过程中我们发现并修正了约三十处错误，其中若干处继承自更早的版本。完整来源日志超过450条带日期、带等级的记录，可应要求提供查阅。

Findings, Rankings, Benchmark, Categories, Movers核心发现、排名、基准、类别与变动

The 2026 Ranking2026年总排名

Five Findings That Define 2026定义2026年的五大发现

1. China's #2 international city is now a statistical dead heat. Shenzhen 51.49, Chengdu 50.62. Less than a point separates a coastal tech capital from an inland hub 1,500 kilometers from the sea. Last year's edition had Chengdu ahead. This year Shenzhen edges back. Two editions, two different winners, under a point in it both times. The era of a settled hierarchy behind Guangzhou is over.

1. 中国国际化第二城，如今是统计学意义上的平手。深圳51.49，成都50.62。一座沿海科技之都与一座距海1,500公里的内陆枢纽之间，只差不到一分。上一版成都领先，这一版深圳反超。两个版本，两个不同的赢家，两次差距都不到一分。广州之后座次分明的时代结束了。

2. Chengdu owns International Commerce outright. 83.0 against Shenzhen's 75.3 and Tianjin's 75.0. Across the 79 tracked international brands, no second-tier city offers more of the international consumer world than Chengdu. It also holds every one of the 15 tracked luxury brands, a distinction it shares only with Shenzhen, Nanjing, Shenyang, and Xi'an among second-tier cities.

2. 成都独占国际商业桂冠。83.0分，领先深圳的75.3和天津的75.0。在79个追踪国际品牌中，没有任何二线城市能比成都提供更完整的国际消费世界。它还集齐了全部15个追踪奢侈品牌——在二线城市中，只有深圳、南京、沈阳和西安与它共享这一殊荣。

3. Tianjin is back. After sliding from a five-edition hold on 4th place to 8th, Tianjin returns to 5th, carried by the index's second-densest attraction base (113 A-level scenic areas), top-three commerce presence, and its enduring port-economy fundamentals. Cities do come back.

3. 天津回来了。从连续五版稳居第4滑落到第8之后，天津重返第5，靠的是全指数第二密集的景区基础（113个A级景区）、位居前三的商业进驻，以及经久不衰的港口经济基本盘。城市是可以逆转的。

4. The concentration story. Fifteen of thirty cities have no foreign consulate. Nineteen of thirty have no international clinic chain. Meanwhile the top of the table pulls away: the top five hold a growing share of everything the index measures, from luxury retail to trade promotion offices. International China is not spreading evenly. It is concentrating.

4. 集中化的故事。30座城市中有15座没有任何外国领事馆，19座没有国际诊所连锁。与此同时，榜首阵营在拉开距离：从奢侈品零售到贸易促进机构，前五名在指数测量的一切维度上占据着越来越大的份额。国际化的中国不是在均匀扩散，而是在集中。

5. The first-tier gap, measured at last. Shanghai scores 88.93 and Beijing 79.87 on the identical engine. The gap from Shanghai to Guangzhou (24.4 points) is smaller than the gap from Guangzhou to sixth-placed Suzhou (25.7 points). The first tier is far away, but the biggest cliff in Chinese city internationalization is not between Shanghai and the second tier. It is inside the second tier itself.

5. 一线差距，终于有了数字。在完全相同的引擎上，上海得88.93分，北京79.87分。上海到广州的差距（24.4分）小于广州到第6名苏州的差距（25.7分）。一线固然遥远，但中国城市国际化最大的断崖并不在上海与二线之间——它就在二线内部。

The Benchmark Overlay: Shanghai and Beijing on the Second-Tier Scale基准对照：把上海、北京放到二线城市的标尺上

For ten editions this index refused to rank Shanghai and Beijing, and it still does. What it now does instead is measure them, because "how far is this city from Shanghai" is the question every mobility manager actually asks, and it deserved a numerical answer.

十个版本以来，本指数始终拒绝给上海和北京排名，现在依然如此。但它现在做的是测量它们——因为“这座城市离上海还有多远”是每一位流动性管理者真正会问的问题，它值得一个数字化的答案。

What the overlay shows:

对照结果显示：

• Shanghai leads everything except one thing. Its category profile towers over the field, with one exception worth knowing: on International Commerce presence, the gap to Chengdu is smaller than in any other category. Brand-presence internationalization is the dimension where the second tier has come closest to the first.
• Beijing's profile is spikier than its reputation. Overwhelming in Government & Political Engagement (176 embassies against Guangzhou's 70 consulates, a definitional note applies) and in cultural institutions (28 first-grade museums, more than double any other city measured), yet on commerce presence and clinic networks the capital sits closer to the top second-tier cities than most would guess.
• Definitional note, stated plainly: Beijing's diplomatic figure counts embassies, which only a capital can host. The comparison is presented for scale, not as a like-for-like contest.

• 上海几乎领先一切，只有一个例外。它的类别曲线全面高出全场，但有一个值得记住的例外：在国际商业进驻上，它与成都的差距小于任何其他类别。品牌进驻，是二线城市距一线最近的维度。
• 北京的曲线比它的名声更“尖”。在政府与对外交往上压倒性领先（176个大使馆对广州的70个领事馆，附有定义说明），文化机构同样惊人（28座国家一级博物馆，两倍于任何其他被测城市）；但在商业进驻和诊所网络上，首都与最强二线城市之间的距离比多数人想象的近。
• 定义说明，直接讲明：北京的外交数字统计的是大使馆，而大使馆只有首都才能拥有。这一对比用于呈现量级，而非同类竞赛。

Category Leaders各类别领先城市

(Layout: six category top-10 charts from the Chart Pack.)

（版式：此处排布图表包中的六张类别前十图。）

Guangzhou takes four of six categories, the quiet dominance behind its unbroken decade at #1. The two it loses tell the report's best stories: Chengdu's commerce crown, and Xi'an's fourth consecutive Culture & Tourism title, powered by heritage no methodology change can dent.

六个类别，广州拿下四个——这正是它稳坐榜首十年背后安静的统治力。它输掉的两个类别，恰好是本报告最精彩的两个故事：成都的商业桂冠，以及西安连续第四次蝉联文化与旅游头名，那是任何方法论调整都撼动不了的历史底蕴。

Movers排名升降

Risers: Suzhou (+4, to 6th) on the field's third-strongest economy. Wuxi (+4, to 13th) and Hefei (+4, to 20th), the Yangtze Delta and Anhui stories quietly compounding. Tianjin (+3, to 5th), the headline comeback. Ningbo (+3, to 15th).

上升：苏州（+4，升至第6），凭借全场第三强的经济。无锡（+4，升至第13）与合肥（+4，升至第20），长三角与安徽的故事在安静地复利。天津（+3，升至第5），本届最大的回归。宁波（+3，升至第15）。

Fallers: Wuhan (-4, to 10th) and Xiamen (-4, to 16th) take the cycle's steepest drops. Harbin (-3, to 22nd) and Zhuhai (-3, to 24th) continue longer slides. Hangzhou (-2, to 7th) gives back ground at the top without surrendering its top-tier trajectory.

下降：武汉（-4，降至第10）与厦门（-4，降至第16）承受本周期最陡的下滑。哈尔滨（-3，降至第22）和珠海（-3，降至第24）延续更长的跌势。杭州（-2，降至第7）在头部让出位置，但上行轨迹未失。

The floor holds: Shijiazhuang, Urumqi, Zhanjiang, and Liuzhou hold their positions, and the gap between 28th and 29th place remains the ranking's single largest relative cliff.

底部稳固：石家庄、乌鲁木齐、湛江和柳州原地未动，第28名与第29名之间的差距仍是整个榜单最大的一道相对断崖。

Standard caveat, applied throughout: movement versus 2022 combines real-world change with documented methodology improvement. Where a shift is primarily methodological, the city profile says so.

通用注意事项，全文适用：与2022年相比的排名变动，既包含现实变化，也包含已记录的方法论改进。凡以方法论为主因的变动，城市档案中均有说明。

CICI 2026 Benchmark Profiles: Shanghai and BeijingCICI 2026 基准城市档案：上海与北京

Benchmark: Shanghai (88.93)基准：上海（88.93）

Status: Measured on the identical engine, not ranked | Gap to Guangzhou: +24.36

状态：以相同引擎测量，不参与排名 | 与广州的差距：+24.36

City Profile Shanghai is what the ceiling looks like. Scored on the same 47 indicators as the 30 ranked cities, it clears the field in five of six categories and posts the highest total the engine has ever produced. Its 2025 statistical communique reports 9.36 million inbound tourists, more than the top five ranked cities combined among those that publish a figure. It hosts 73 consulates, 74 sister cities, 44 UFI-approved exhibitions, 32 licensed international schools, and every international clinic network the index tracks. For a mobility manager, Shanghai is not a data point. It is the reference against which every posting decision in this report is quietly measured.

城市概况 上海就是天花板的样子。用与30座上榜城市完全相同的47项指标打分，它在六个类别中的五个高出全场，并创下该引擎有史以来的最高总分。其2025年统计公报报告入境游客936万人次，超过榜单前五名中所有公布数字城市的总和。它拥有73个领事馆、74个友好城市、44个UFI认证展会、32所持牌国际学校，以及指数追踪的所有国际诊所网络。对流动性管理者而言，上海不是一个数据点，而是本报告中每一个派驻决策暗中对照的参照系。

What the overlay reveals - The narrowest gap to the field is in International Commerce presence. Chengdu's 83.0 stands closer to Shanghai on brand presence than any second-tier city stands to the first tier on any other dimension. Brand China arrived in the second tier ahead of everything else. - The widest gaps are institutional: schools, clinics, and diplomatic presence. These are the dimensions where the second tier remains a different country in practice, and where assignment support budgets earn their keep. - Shanghai's 144 A-level attractions trail Chongqing's 329 and Tianjin's 113 on paper. Attraction counts scale with administrative area, not with international pull. The overlay is a scale, not a verdict on weekends.

对照揭示了什么 - 与二线阵营最窄的差距在国际商业进驻。成都的83.0分在品牌进驻上与上海的距离，比任何二线城市在任何其他维度上与一线的距离都近。“品牌中国”先于其他一切抵达了二线。 - 最宽的差距是制度性的：学校、诊所与外交存在。在这些维度上，二线在实际生活中仍像另一个国家，也正是派驻支持预算发挥价值的地方。 - 上海的144个A级景区在纸面上落后于重庆的329个和天津的113个。景区数量随行政区面积扩张，而非随国际吸引力。这套对照是一把标尺，不是对周末生活的裁决。

Benchmark: Beijing (79.87)基准：北京（79.87）

Status: Measured on the identical engine, not ranked | Gap to Guangzhou: +15.29

状态：以相同引擎测量，不参与排名 | 与广州的差距：+15.29

City Profile Beijing's benchmark score lands closer to Guangzhou than to Shanghai, and its profile is the spikiest the engine measured. As the capital it hosts 176 embassies, a figure no other city can structurally match, and 28 first-grade museums, more than double any measured city. Its 2025 communique records 5.48 million inbound tourists and its airport system moved 124.4 million passengers in 2025. Yet on commerce presence and international clinic networks, Beijing sits within reach of the strongest second-tier cities. The capital's internationalization is deep where the state concentrates it and thinner than its reputation where the market decides.

城市概况 北京的基准分更接近广州而非上海，其类别曲线是引擎测得最“尖”的一条。作为首都，它拥有176个大使馆——任何其他城市在结构上都无法企及的数字——以及28座国家一级博物馆，两倍于任何其他被测城市。2025年公报录得入境游客548万人次，机场系统全年吞吐旅客1.244亿人次。但在商业进驻和国际诊所网络上，北京与最强的二线城市相距不远。首都的国际化，在国家集中资源之处深厚；在由市场做主之处，则比名声单薄。

What the overlay reveals - The diplomatic figure carries a definitional note stated plainly in the methodology: embassies exist only in capitals. The comparison shows scale, not a contest Guangzhou could ever enter. - Beijing's UFI-approved exhibition count is 4, against Shenzhen's 27 and Shanghai's 44. China's commercial trade-fair industry has decisively migrated south and east, and the index catches it. - For mobility planning, Beijing's benchmark value is directional: a posting there buys institutional depth (schools, healthcare, diplomacy) at first-tier cost, while several second-tier cities now match it on daily consumer internationality.

对照揭示了什么 - 外交数字附有方法论中直接说明的定义注记：大使馆只存在于首都。这一对比展示的是量级，不是广州能参与的竞赛。 - 北京的UFI认证展会数量是4个，对比深圳的27个和上海的44个。中国的商业会展业已决定性地南移、东移，指数捕捉到了这一点。 - 对流动性规划而言，北京的基准值是方向性的：派驻北京，是以一线成本换取制度深度（学校、医疗、外交）；而在日常消费国际化上，若干二线城市如今已与之持平。

CICI 2026 City Profiles: Ranks 1 to 10CICI 2026 城市档案：第1至10名

1. Guangzhou (64.57)1. 广州（64.57）

Movement: unchanged at 1st | Best category: Government & Political Engagement (89.9, 1st in field) | Weakest category: Culture & Tourism (40.7)

排名变动：持平，居第1 | 最强类别：政府与对外交往（89.9，全场第1） | 最弱类别：文化与旅游（40.7）

City Profile Guangzhou opens the 2026 index where it closed the last one, first overall, and it wins on breadth. It leads four of the six categories: Global Economic Strength, Social Capital, Infrastructure Connectivity and Government & Political Engagement, the last at 89.9, the highest category score in the field. This is China's default gateway city outside the two benchmarks, with the diplomatic corps, banking bench and school system to match. The two categories it does not lead, International Commerce and Culture & Tourism, both 5th, are the only openings rivals have found across two editions.

城市概况 广州以上一版收官时的位置开启2026版：总排名第一，赢在全面。它在六个类别中领跑四个：全球经济实力、社会资本、基础设施连通性和政府与对外交往——最后一项89.9分，是全场最高的类别得分。这是两座基准城市之外中国默认的门户城市，外交使团、外资银行阵容和学校体系都与之匹配。它未领跑的两个类别——国际商业和文化与旅游，均列第5——是两个版本以来对手们找到的唯一突破口。

Strengths - 70 foreign consulates, by far the largest diplomatic corps among the 30 cities, plus offices of 15 of the 19 tracked national trade-promotion agencies. - Infrastructure at benchmark scale: 317 metro stations, 83.55 million passengers through Baiyun airport in 2025, and 179 foreign-trade container liner routes out of Guangzhou Port. - The deepest expat support base in the field: 18 officially licensed international schools on the municipal bureau's list, 7 of the 10 tracked foreign banks, and 50,200 registered foreign-invested enterprises as of May 2025.

优势 - 70个外国领事馆，是30城中遥遥领先的最大外交使团；19家追踪国家级贸易促进机构中的15家在此设办事处。 - 基准级的基础设施：317个地铁站，白云机场2025年吞吐旅客8,355万人次，广州港拥有179条外贸集装箱班轮航线。 - 全场最深厚的外派支持基础：市教育局名录上的18所持牌国际学校、10家追踪外资银行中的7家，以及截至2025年5月的50,200家注册外商投资企业。

Weaknesses - Culture & Tourism sits 5th at 40.7. With 114 A-level attractions and 5.72 million inbound visitors in 2025, the destination story is solid but trails Chengdu, Chongqing and Xi'an. - Not among the five index cities holding all 15 tracked luxury brands, an odd gap for the overall leader. - The last official expatriate population figure dates to 2019 (83,400 registered foreign residents). No current headcount exists, which blunts workforce planning.

短板 - 文化与旅游列第5，得40.7分。114个A级景区、2025年入境游客572万人次，作为目的地并不差，但落后于成都、重庆和西安。 - 不在集齐全部15个追踪奢侈品牌的五座城市之列，对总榜第一而言是个奇怪的缺口。 - 最近一次官方外籍人口数字停留在2019年（83,400名登记外国居民），此后再无最新统计，影响人力规划。

Recommendations - For mobility buyers Guangzhou is an allocation question, not a risk question: capacity exists across schools, clinics and banks, so negotiate on choice and cost rather than availability. Note the bureau licenses 18 schools while most relocation shortlists circulate far fewer. - The city's next gain is lifestyle, not institutions. Until the tourism file catches up with the rest of the scorecard, retention cases should lean on Pearl River Delta access rather than the city's own attraction set.

建议 - 对流动性买方而言，广州是资源配置问题，而非风险问题：学校、诊所、银行的容量都在，谈判重点应放在选择与成本，而非有无。注意教育局持牌学校有18所，而多数搬迁短名单上流传的远少于此。 - 这座城市下一步要补的是生活方式，而非制度。在旅游档案赶上其余指标之前，人才保留的卖点应放在珠三角的可达性，而非城市自身的景点。

2. Shenzhen (51.49)2. 深圳（51.49）

Movement: unchanged at 2nd | Best category: International Commerce (75.3, 2nd in field) | Weakest category: Culture & Tourism (29.0)

排名变动：持平，居第2 | 最强类别：国际商业（75.3，全场第2） | 最弱类别：文化与旅游（29.0）

City Profile Second in 2022, second now, and the shape has not changed either: second in four categories, third in Government & Political Engagement, then a cliff to 16th in Culture & Tourism. Shenzhen internationalizes through business rather than institutions. It has no foreign consulate and just 17 A-level attractions, yet runs the field's biggest exhibitions calendar, one of its widest liner networks, and the largest confirmed inbound visitor flow this cycle, powered by the Hong Kong border. Foreigners transact with Shenzhen in enormous numbers. Fewer of them settle, and the index shape says exactly that.

城市概况 2022年第二，如今仍是第二，格局也没变：四个类别第二，政府与对外交往第三，然后在文化与旅游上断崖式跌到第16。深圳的国际化走的是商业而非制度路线。它没有一个外国领事馆，只有17个A级景区，却运营着全场最大的展会日历、最广的班轮网络之一，以及本周期确认的最大入境客流——由香港口岸驱动。与深圳做生意的外国人数量巨大，在此定居的却少得多，指数曲线的形状说的正是这件事。

Strengths - 27 UFI-approved exhibitions, the most among the 30 cities, ahead of Chengdu's 13 and Guangzhou's 11. - 13.08 million inbound overnight visitors in 2025, the largest confirmed figure recorded among the index cities this cycle, plus 332 metro stations and 270 foreign-trade container liner routes covering six continents. - Full commercial stack: all 15 tracked luxury brands, 14 of the 25 tracked Fortune 500 companies (tied with Suzhou for most in the field), and 3,996 students across its four tracked international schools.

优势 - 27个UFI认证展会，30城中最多，领先成都的13个和广州的11个。 - 2025年入境过夜游客1,308万人次，是本周期指数城市中确认的最大数字；另有332个地铁站和覆盖六大洲的270条外贸集装箱班轮航线。 - 完整的商业矩阵：全部15个追踪奢侈品牌、25家追踪财富500强中的14家（与苏州并列全场最多），四所追踪国际学校在校生3,996人。

Weaknesses - Culture & Tourism scores 29.0, ranked 16th, the only bottom-half category on its card: 17 A-level attractions against Tianjin's 113 and Chongqing's 329. - Zero foreign consulates and only 2 top-100 universities, a thin institutional layer for a rank-2 city. The last official expat count dates to 2015 (26,579). - No published total of foreign-invested enterprises: the city releases registration flow, not stock, so its foreign business base cannot be sized against Guangzhou's 50,200.

短板 - 文化与旅游29.0分，列第16，是其成绩单上唯一的后半区类别：17个A级景区，对比天津的113个和重庆的329个。 - 外国领事馆为零，百强大学仅2所，对第2名城市而言制度层偏薄。最近一次官方外籍人口统计停留在2015年（26,579人）。 - 未公布外商投资企业存量：城市只发布注册流量而非存量，其外资企业基数无法与广州的50,200家对比。

Recommendations - Consular services run through Guangzhou or Hong Kong, so build cross-border document runs into assignment budgets and timelines. A first consulate would move Shenzhen's score more than any new tower. - Recruitment is easy here, retention is not. Weekend Hong Kong access is the current workaround for a shallow local lifestyle file, and packages should price it in.

建议 - 领事服务需经广州或香港办理，请把跨境文书往返纳入派驻预算和时间表。一个首家领事馆对深圳分数的提升，胜过任何一座新楼。 - 在这里招人容易，留人不易。周末去香港是本地生活方式短板的现行解法，薪酬包应把这一点计入。

3. Chengdu (50.62)3. 成都（50.62）

Movement: unchanged at 3rd | Best category: International Commerce (83.0, 1st in field) | Weakest category: Social Capital (27.2)

排名变动：持平，居第3 | 最强类别：国际商业（83.0，全场第1） | 最弱类别：社会资本（27.2）

City Profile Chengdu holds 3rd for a second straight edition and takes the International Commerce crown at 83.0, clear of Shenzhen's 75.3. This is western China's consumer and services capital: the full 15-brand luxury set, the strongest foreign-developer footprint in the index, and China's third-busiest city airport system. Its category shape is unusually even, top five in all six, a spread only Guangzhou matches. The soft edges are structural: landlocked logistics that borrow a shared rail brand, a consular corps that has been shrinking, and a city that stopped publishing its own inbound tourism number.

城市概况 成都连续第二版守住第3，并以83.0分摘得国际商业桂冠，明显领先深圳的75.3。这是中国西部的消费与服务之都：15个奢侈品牌一个不缺、全指数最强的外资开发商布局、中国第三繁忙的城市机场体系。它的类别形状异常均衡——六项全部进入前五，只有广州能与之比肩。软肋是结构性的：依赖共享班列品牌的内陆物流、持续收缩的领事团，以及一座不再发布自身入境旅游数据的城市。

Strengths - Winner of International Commerce (83.0): all 15 tracked luxury brands, 13 UFI-approved events, and completed projects from five of the six tracked Hong Kong and Singapore developers (Swire, CapitaLand, Yanlord, Lan Kwai Fong, Hongkong Land), the strongest showing in the index. - 90.2 million airport passengers in 2025 across Tianfu and Shuangliu, China's third-busiest city system, plus 363 metro stations, more than Guangzhou or Shenzhen. - Real expat infrastructure: two international clinic chains (ParkwayHealth, Global Doctor), four tracked international schools, an active consulate corps, and foreign chambers from the EU, Germany, France, the UK and Australia.

优势 - 国际商业冠军（83.0）：全部15个追踪奢侈品牌、13个UFI认证展会，以及六家追踪港新开发商中五家（太古、凯德、仁恒、兰桂坊、置地）的已建成项目，全指数最强。 - 2025年天府与双流两场合计吞吐旅客9,020万人次，为中国第三繁忙的城市机场体系；另有363个地铁站，超过广州和深圳。 - 实打实的外派基础设施：两家国际诊所连锁（百汇、环球医生）、四所追踪国际学校、活跃的领事团，以及欧盟、德国、法国、英国和澳大利亚的商会。

Weaknesses - The consular corps is thinning: New Zealand (2020), Czech Republic (2022) and Poland (January 2025) have all closed their Chengdu posts. - Landlocked logistics: zero direct ocean liner routes, and rail reach is only reported through the shared Chengdu-Chongqing brand, with no city-specific country count published. - The 2025 statistical communique carries no inbound tourism section at all, confirmed on two separate full-text reads, so the destination case cannot be quantified.

短板 - 领事团在变薄：新西兰（2020）、捷克（2022）、波兰（2025年1月）先后关闭驻成都机构。 - 内陆物流：直航远洋班轮航线为零，铁路通达性只能通过成渝共享品牌报告，没有成都单独的国家数量。 - 2025年统计公报完全没有入境旅游章节（经两次全文核读确认），目的地价值无法量化。

Recommendations - Treat Chengdu as the default western base, but verify consular coverage per nationality before assuming local processing. Affected passport holders now route via Beijing or Guangzhou. - The commerce crown is banked. The city's cheapest rank insurance is publication: restoring an official arrivals figure would let it defend Culture & Tourism with data rather than review counts.

建议 - 把成都作为西部的默认基地，但在假定可本地办理前，先按国籍核实领事覆盖。受影响的护照持有人现在需经北京或广州办理。 - 商业桂冠已经落袋。这座城市最便宜的排名保险是发布数据：恢复官方入境游客数字，就能用数据而非点评量守住文化与旅游。

4. Chongqing (41.73)4. 重庆（41.73）

Movement: unchanged at 4th | Best category: Culture & Tourism (59.6, 2nd in field) | Weakest category: Global Economic Strength (31.1)

排名变动：持平，居第4 | 最强类别：文化与旅游（59.6，全场第2） | 最弱类别：全球经济实力（31.1）

City Profile Chongqing stays 4th on the strength of what a visitor sees rather than what a foreign firm files: 2nd in Culture & Tourism and 3rd in Infrastructure Connectivity, but 11th in both Global Economic Strength and International Commerce, the widest lifestyle-to-business gap in the top ten. Municipality scale delivers genuinely first-tier hardware, a 286-station metro, a 50-million-passenger airport, and the largest A-level attraction count recorded this cycle. The foreign business layer runs thinner: no direct ocean service, a rail story told only through the brand shared with Chengdu, and a small expat service base for a city this size.

城市概况 重庆守住第4，靠的是游客看得见的东西，而非外资企业申报的东西：文化与旅游第2、基础设施连通性第3，但全球经济实力和国际商业双双列第11，是前十名中生活方式与商业之间落差最大的城市。直辖市的体量带来真正一线级的硬件——286个地铁站、5,000万人次量级的机场、本周期录得的最大A级景区数量。外资商业层则薄得多：没有直航远洋航线，铁路故事只有与成都共享的品牌，以及对这个体量城市而言偏小的外派服务基础。

Strengths - 329 A-level attractions, including 12 rated 5A, the largest tally recorded in the 2026 index, with 2.15 million inbound visitors in 2025 per the official communique. - 286 metro stations, 50.09 million passengers through Jiangbei airport in 2025, and four large stadiums, hardware few rank peers match. - 8,753 registered foreign-invested enterprises (October 2025, official municipal portal) and two international clinic chains on the ground (Raffles, Global Doctor).

优势 - 329个A级景区，其中12个5A级，是2026版录得的最大数量；官方公报显示2025年入境游客215万人次。 - 286个地铁站、江北机场2025年吞吐5,009万人次、四座大型体育场——同级城市中少有的硬件。 - 8,753家注册外商投资企业（2025年10月，官方市级门户网站），以及两家在地国际诊所连锁（莱佛士、环球医生）。

Weaknesses - International Commerce ranks 11th at 62.9, behind smaller Hangzhou, Tianjin and Nanjing, and Chongqing is not among the five cities holding all 15 tracked luxury brands. - No scheduled international liner service calls at any Chongqing port. All foreign-trade cargo transships via coastal ports, and rail reach has no Chongqing-specific country count. - Expat education is thin: two tracked international schools with 620 students, and this cycle's audit removed three stale consulate entries (US, Ethiopia, Netherlands, all confirmed closed).

短板 - 国际商业列第11（62.9分），落后于规模更小的杭州、天津和南京；重庆也不在集齐15个追踪奢侈品牌的五城之列。 - 没有任何国际班轮定期挂靠重庆的港口，所有外贸货物经沿海港口中转，铁路通达没有重庆单独的国家数量。 - 外派教育薄弱：两所追踪国际学校共620名学生；本周期审计还移除了三条过期领事馆记录（美国、埃塞俄比亚、荷兰，均确认关闭）。

Recommendations - Strong for manufacturing and logistics postings, tight for families: check school seats early, because two schools is a small market for a 30-million-person municipality. - The rank ceiling is the business layer, not lifestyle. Watchers should track luxury-brand entries and chamber openings, not new attractions, as the signals that Chongqing is converting footfall into foreign investment.

建议 - 适合制造业和物流派驻，家庭派驻则偏紧：请尽早确认学位——对一个三千万人口的直辖市来说，两所学校是很小的市场。 - 排名的天花板在商业层，不在生活方式。观察者应关注奢侈品牌进驻和商会开设，而非新景区——那才是重庆把人流转化为外资的信号。

5. Tianjin (40.38)5. 天津（40.38）

Movement: up 3 from 8th | Best category: International Commerce (75.0, 3rd in field) | Weakest category: Government & Political Engagement (23.3)

排名变动：上升3位（2022年第8） | 最强类别：国际商业（75.0，全场第3） | 最弱类别：政府与对外交往（23.3）

City Profile The quiet riser of the top five, up three places to 5th. Tianjin's case is commercial depth: 3rd in International Commerce, 4th in both Global Economic Strength and Social Capital, built on manufacturing FDI and a foreign banking bench no non-gateway city matches. For families it is better equipped than its reputation suggests, with five licensed international schools, two international clinic chains and 113 A-level attractions. What it lacks is presence: no consulates, a near-empty exhibitions calendar and a small airport in Beijing's shadow keep Tianjin off shortlists its fundamentals would justify.

城市概况 前五名中安静的上升者，上升三位至第5。天津的底牌是商业深度：国际商业第3，全球经济实力和社会资本双双第4，建立在制造业外商直接投资和一支任何非门户城市都无法匹敌的外资银行阵容之上。对家庭而言，它的配套好于名声：五所持牌国际学校、两家国际诊所连锁、113个A级景区。它缺的是存在感：没有领事馆、近乎空白的展会日历，以及一座处在北京阴影下的小机场，让天津登不上它的基本面本应支撑的短名单。

Strengths - 7 of the 10 tracked foreign banks hold Tianjin branches (HSBC, JPMorgan, Citi, Deutsche, Mizuho, Credit Agricole, BNP Paribas), matching Guangzhou at the top of the non-benchmark field. - 10 of the 25 tracked Fortune 500 manufacturers operate here, including Airbus, Toyota and Volkswagen, alongside 147 container liner routes through Tianjin Port. - A complete family package: 5 officially licensed international schools (municipal list, 2024), two international clinic chains (United Family, Raffles), 113 A-level attractions and 91 international cruise calls in 2025.

优势 - 10家追踪外资银行中7家设有天津分行（汇丰、摩根大通、花旗、德意志、瑞穗、东方汇理、法国巴黎），与广州并列非基准城市之首。 - 25家追踪财富500强制造商中10家在此运营，包括空客、丰田和大众；天津港拥有147条集装箱班轮航线。 - 完整的家庭配套：5所持牌国际学校（市级名录，2024年）、两家国际诊所连锁（和睦家、莱佛士）、113个A级景区，以及2025年91个国际邮轮航次。

Weaknesses - Binhai airport handled 19.86 million passengers in 2025, a fraction of peer hubs (Hangzhou 50.5 million, Chengdu 90.2 million). Beijing proximity caps its own connectivity. - Zero foreign consulates and just 2 UFI-approved events, an institutional and events presence far below its commerce rank. - Beyond cruise arrivals (305,700 passengers), the city publishes no general inbound tourism figure, so the visitor economy cannot be sized.

短板 - 滨海机场2025年吞吐1,986万人次，只是同级枢纽的零头（杭州5,050万、成都9,020万）。近邻北京限制了它自身的连通性。 - 外国领事馆为零，UFI认证展会仅2个，制度与会展存在感远低于其商业排名。 - 除邮轮到港（305,700人次）外，城市不发布总体入境旅游数字，游客经济无法测算。

Recommendations - Price Tianjin as an underrated family posting: schools, clinics and banking all check out, and Beijing's airports cover the connectivity gap at the cost of transfer time in every itinerary. - The missing layer is visibility. An events calendar and any consular presence would convert existing fundamentals into shortlist appearances, and the three-place rise suggests the market is already repricing it.

建议 - 把天津定价为一个被低估的家庭派驻地：学校、诊所、银行全部过关，北京的机场以每次行程的中转时间为代价补上连通性缺口。 - 缺失的是能见度。一份会展日历和任何领事存在，都能把现有基本面转化为短名单曝光——这次上升三位说明市场已经在重新定价。

6. Suzhou (38.92)6. 苏州（38.92）

Movement: up 4 from 10th | Best category: Global Economic Strength (65.9, 3rd in field) | Weakest category: Infrastructure Connectivity (9.5)

排名变动：上升4位（2022年第10） | 最强类别：全球经济实力（65.9，全场第3） | 最弱类别：基础设施连通性（9.5）

City Profile The top ten's sharpest riser, up four places, and the field's purest industrial-expat city. Suzhou's economy ranks 3rd, with a Fortune 500 presence level with Shenzhen and an 18,000-strong foreign-enterprise registry. Its category shape is the most lopsided in the index: 3rd in Global Economic Strength against 24th in Infrastructure Connectivity, the lowest category rank carried by any top-ten city. No city here depends more on a neighbor, Shanghai, for its connection to the world. The schools, the factories and the foreign payrolls, though, are entirely its own, and they are what moved it four places.

城市概况 前十中上升最快的城市，跃升四位，也是全场最纯粹的产业外派城市。苏州经济列第3，财富500强布局与深圳持平，外商投资企业注册量达1.8万家。它的类别形状是全指数最不均衡的：全球经济实力第3对基础设施连通性第24，是所有前十城市背负的最低类别排名。这里没有哪座城市比它更依赖一个邻居——上海——来连接世界。但学校、工厂和外企的工资单完全是它自己的，正是这些让它上升了四位。

Strengths - 14 of the 25 tracked Fortune 500 companies present, tied with Shenzhen for the most in the field, plus 18,000-plus registered foreign-invested enterprises (end 2023) and three tracked foreign banks including JPMorgan and Mizuho. - 6 officially licensed international schools per the Municipal Education Bureau list (updated February 2026), around 2,400 tracked students, and a ParkwayHealth clinic presence. - 285 metro stations, more than Nanjing or Hangzhou, and 30 near-ocean container routes to Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia through Taicang port.

优势 - 25家追踪财富500强中14家在此布局，与深圳并列全场最多；外商投资企业注册超1.8万家（2023年底）；三家追踪外资银行进驻，包括摩根大通和瑞穗。 - 市教育局名录（2026年2月更新）载明6所持牌国际学校，约2,400名追踪在校生，另有百汇诊所。 - 285个地铁站，多于南京或杭州；经太仓港有30条近洋集装箱航线通往日韩和东南亚。

Weaknesses - Infrastructure Connectivity scores 9.5, ranked 24th of 30. Suzhou has no commercial airport of its own, with traffic routed through Shanghai and Wuxi. - A thin visibility layer for its economic weight: zero consulates, 2 UFI-approved events and a single top-100 university. - No separable inbound tourism figure exists. The 2025 communique reports only a combined domestic-plus-international total of 200 million visits.

短板 - 基础设施连通性得9.5分，列30城第24。苏州没有自己的民航机场，客流经上海和无锡中转。 - 能见度层与其经济体量不符：领事馆为零、UFI认证展会2个、百强大学仅1所。 - 没有可单列的入境旅游数字。2025年公报只报告国内加国际合计2亿人次。

Recommendations - Treat Suzhou as a Shanghai-plus-one: excellent schooling and factory-adjacent housing, but airport transfers and consular runs belong in every cost estimate and every assignment letter. - The four-place rise came from the economy alone. Any own-name connectivity gain, wider rail reach or an airport decision, would compound it, and city-watchers should watch for exactly that.

建议 - 把苏州当作“上海+1”：优秀的学校和厂区周边住房，但机场接送和领事往返应写进每一份成本测算和派驻函。 - 这次上升四位完全来自经济。任何以自己名义的连通性进展——更广的铁路通达或一个机场决策——都会形成复利，城市观察者应盯住这一点。

7. Hangzhou (38.77)7. 杭州（38.77）

Movement: down 2 from 5th | Best category: International Commerce (74.5, 4th in field) | Weakest category: Global Economic Strength (31.5)

排名变动：下降2位（2022年第5） | 最强类别：国际商业（74.5，全场第4） | 最弱类别：全球经济实力（31.5）

City Profile Hangzhou slips two places to 7th but keeps the twin engine that once put it in the top five: 4th in International Commerce and 4th in Culture & Tourism, a consumer city with 100 A-level attractions and an exhibitions calendar level with Guangzhou's. The slide comes from what sits behind the storefront. Global Economic Strength ranks 10th, no tracked international clinic chain operates here, the foreign banking bench is two names, and the city publishes no count of its foreign-invested enterprises at all. The index reads Hangzhou as a polished consumer surface over a thinner institutional base than its peers carry.

城市概况 杭州下滑两位至第7，但保住了当年送它进前五的双引擎：国际商业第4、文化与旅游第4——一座拥有100个A级景区、展会日历与广州持平的消费城市。下滑来自门面之后的东西。全球经济实力列第10，没有任何追踪国际诊所连锁在此运营，外资银行只有两家，而且城市完全不公布外商投资企业数量。指数读出的杭州，是一层打磨光亮的消费表皮，之下的制度基础比同侪单薄。

Strengths - 100 A-level attractions including three rated 5A, 1.44 million inbound overnight visitors in 2025, and 11 UFI-approved events, level with Guangzhou. - The best-documented school system in the field: 8 officially licensed international schools per the Municipal Education Bureau's Blue Paper, with 2,244 tracked students cross-checked against the education yearbook. - Xiaoshan airport carried 50.46 million passengers in 2025, ahead of Chongqing's Jiangbei, on top of 254 metro stations and Asian Games venues including an 80,000-seat stadium.

优势 - 100个A级景区（含三个5A级）、2025年入境过夜游客144万人次、11个UFI认证展会，与广州持平。 - 全场文档最完备的学校体系：市教育局蓝皮书载明8所持牌国际学校，2,244名追踪在校生，并与教育年鉴交叉核对。 - 萧山机场2025年吞吐5,046万人次，超过重庆江北；另有254个地铁站和包括8万座主体育场在内的亚运场馆。

Weaknesses - None of the seven tracked international clinic chains operates in Hangzhou, unusual for a top-ten city (Guangzhou, Tianjin and Nanjing each host two). - Zero foreign consulates and only 2 of the 10 tracked foreign banks (HSBC, Citi). - No official stock figure for foreign-invested enterprises exists, confirmed across two dedicated research passes, so the city's foreign business base is invisible to comparison.

短板 - 七家追踪国际诊所连锁无一在杭州运营——对前十城市来说很不寻常（广州、天津、南京各有两家）。 - 外国领事馆为零，10家追踪外资银行仅2家进驻（汇丰、花旗）。 - 不存在外商投资企业存量的官方数字（经两轮专项核查确认），其外资企业基数无从比较。

Recommendations - Underwrite the healthcare gap explicitly: with no tracked international clinic chain, assignees rely on public VIP wards or Shanghai referrals, and medical cover should be scoped accordingly. - Treat the two-place slip as a depth warning, not a blip. Until banking, clinics and basic FDI statistics thicken, Hangzhou's commerce and tourism scores are carrying more weight than they safely can.

建议 - 明确为医疗缺口兜底：没有追踪国际诊所连锁，外派人员依赖公立医院VIP部或上海转诊，医疗保障应据此设计。 - 把下滑两位当作深度预警，而非偶然波动。在银行、诊所和基础外资统计厚起来之前，杭州的商业与旅游分数承担着超出安全范围的重量。

8. Xi'an (37.41)8. 西安（37.41）

Movement: down 1 from 7th | Best category: Culture & Tourism (64.2, 1st in field) | Weakest category: Global Economic Strength (19.9)

排名变动：下降1位（2022年第7） | 最强类别：文化与旅游（64.2，全场第1） | 最弱类别：全球经济实力（19.9）

City Profile Xi'an wins Culture & Tourism outright at 64.2 and backs it with genuine hardware: 4th in Infrastructure Connectivity, the widest confirmed rail-freight reach in western China, and a 48-million-passenger airport. It is also the clearest single-engine city in the top ten. Global Economic Strength ranks 16th at 19.9, the weakest economy score in the top ten by a distance, and the gap between what a tourist experiences and what a foreign firm can actually plug into is wider here than anywhere above it. Heritage, universities and logistics carry the rank. The foreign business layer barely registers.

城市概况 西安以64.2分直接拿下文化与旅游，并有真实硬件支撑：基础设施连通性第4、中国西部确认范围最广的铁路货运网络、一座4,800万人次量级的机场。它也是前十中最明显的单引擎城市。全球经济实力列第16，得19.9分，是前十中断层式最弱的经济分数；游客体验与外资企业实际可接入资源之间的落差，比它之上的任何城市都大。历史、大学和物流撑起了排名，外资商业层几乎没有存在感。

Strengths - Winner of Culture & Tourism (64.2): 98 A-level attractions, and the Terracotta Warriors' 140,490 Trip.com reviews, the largest single-attraction count logged this cycle. - The Chang'an Hao rail platform runs 18 international trunk lines reaching 45 countries and regions, alongside 48.54 million Xianyang airport passengers and 243 metro stations. - All 15 tracked luxury brands, one of only five index cities with the full set, plus 6 top-100 universities and Samsung Electronics' manufacturing base.

优势 - 文化与旅游冠军（64.2）：98个A级景区；兵马俑在携程录得140,490条点评，是本周期单一景点的最大数量。 - 长安号铁路平台运营18条国际干线，通达45个国家和地区；咸阳机场吞吐4,854万人次，地铁243个站。 - 全部15个追踪奢侈品牌（仅五座指数城市集齐），另有6所百强大学和三星电子的制造基地。

Weaknesses - Global Economic Strength at 19.9 (16th) is the lowest of any top-ten city. Only 1 of the 10 tracked foreign banks is present, and no official municipal count of foreign-invested enterprises exists, confirmed on two passes. - Retail signals point the wrong way: Walmart closed its last Xi'an store in 2023 and Apple's store was still unopened at collection time. - One international clinic chain and three tracked international schools (1,186 students) is a thin services base for a city of this size.

短板 - 全球经济实力19.9分（第16），为前十最低。10家追踪外资银行仅1家进驻，且不存在外商投资企业的官方市级数字（两轮核查确认）。 - 零售信号指向错误的方向：沃尔玛2023年关闭西安最后一家门店，苹果直营店在数据采集时仍未开业。 - 一家国际诊所连锁和三所追踪国际学校（1,186名学生），对这个体量的城市是很薄的服务基础。

Recommendations - Fits single-status, logistics and tech-manufacturing postings well. For families, book school seats early and set healthcare expectations against Shanghai standards, not local marketing. - The tourism win is banked. The next rank move requires economy: a functioning foreign-bank bench and a published FIE count would do more for Xi'an than another attraction ever will.

建议 - 适合单身、物流和科技制造类派驻。家庭派驻请尽早锁定学位，并按上海标准而非本地宣传设定医疗预期。 - 旅游冠军已落袋。下一次排名跃升需要经济：一支能用的外资银行阵容和一个公布的外企数量，对西安的意义超过再多一个景区。

9. Nanjing (37.00)9. 南京（37.00）

Movement: unchanged at 9th | Best category: Social Capital (20.9, 5th in field) | Weakest category: Government & Political Engagement (18.6)

排名变动：持平，居第9 | 最强类别：社会资本（20.9，全场第5） | 最弱类别：政府与对外交往（18.6）

City Profile Ninth in 2022, ninth in 2026, and the most balanced card in the field's second tier: nothing better than 5th, nothing worse than 12th. Nanjing's defining asset is education, 11 top-100 universities, the most of the 30 index cities and more than benchmark Shanghai's 8. Around that sits a complete mid-sized international city: the full luxury set, two clinic chains, licensed schools, a properly published foreign-enterprise registry. What Nanjing is not is a gateway. Its airport, inbound flow and consular presence all run below its rank, and that, more than any weakness in the city itself, is what holds it at 9th.

城市概况 2022年第九，2026年还是第九，却是全场第二梯队里最均衡的成绩单：没有一项好过第5，也没有一项差过第12。南京的立身之本是教育——11所百强大学，30城最多，甚至超过基准城市上海的8所。围绕它的是一座配套完整的中型国际城市：奢侈品牌全套、两家诊所连锁、持牌学校、正规发布的外企名录。南京不是的，是一座门户。机场、入境客流和领事存在都低于它的排名——是这一点，而非城市本身的任何短板，把它按在第9。

Strengths - 11 ShanghaiRanking top-100 universities, the most in the field, giving Nanjing the deepest research and graduate talent bench of the 30 cities. - All 15 tracked luxury brands and 10,534 registered foreign-invested enterprises at end 2024, an official AMR figure fetched from the primary source, plus 8 UFI-approved events. - The family package holds up: 4 officially licensed international schools, two international clinic chains (Raffles, Global Doctor), and the 2,280-seat Jiangsu Grand Theatre opera hall.

优势 - 11所软科百强大学，全场最多，给了南京30城中最深的科研与毕业生人才储备。 - 全部15个追踪奢侈品牌；2024年底注册外商投资企业10,534家（直接取自市场监管部门一手来源）；另有8个UFI认证展会。 - 家庭配套过硬：4所持牌国际学校、两家国际诊所连锁（莱佛士、环球医生），以及2,280座的江苏大剧院歌剧厅。

Weaknesses - Gateway function is modest: Lukou airport carried 31.38 million passengers in 2025 and inbound overnight visitors totaled 682,000, the lowest confirmed inbound figure in the top ten. - One foreign consulate (Thailand) and 12th place in Government & Political Engagement. The institutional layer lags the commercial one. - Rail and sea reach are narrow for a Yangtze port city: 15 countries by rail and 15 international shipping routes, against Wuhan's 40-country rail network upriver.

短板 - 门户功能有限：禄口机场2025年吞吐3,138万人次，入境过夜游客68.2万人次，为前十中确认的最低入境数字。 - 只有一个外国领事馆（泰国），政府与对外交往列第12。制度层落后于商业层。 - 作为长江港口城市，铁路和海运通达偏窄：铁路通达15国、国际航线15条，对比上游武汉的40国铁路网络。

Recommendations - A balanced, low-drama posting: education and healthcare both run above rank while costs run below the gateways. The natural fit is R&D, pharma and university-linked assignments. - The ceiling is connectivity. International access still routes via Shanghai, so flight-network growth at Lukou is the single swing factor for both the city's score and its assignment volumes.

建议 - 一个均衡、少波折的派驻地：教育和医疗都高于排名，成本低于门户城市。天然适合研发、医药和高校相关的派驻。 - 天花板是连通性。国际通道仍经上海，禄口的航线网络增长是城市分数和派驻量的唯一摆动因子。

10. Wuhan (35.96)10. 武汉（35.96）

Movement: down 4 from 6th | Best category: Culture & Tourism (39.8, 6th in field) | Weakest category: Social Capital (10.5)

排名变动：下降4位（2022年第6） | 最强类别：文化与旅游（39.8，全场第6） | 最弱类别：社会资本（10.5）

City Profile The top ten's hardest fall, 6th to 10th. Some of it is measurement: Wuhan has published no inbound tourism figure for two straight years and several infrastructure indicators could not be verified this cycle, so the city gave points away on data alone. But the Social Capital collapse is real, 10.5 and 14th in the field, with no tracked international clinic chain and a school base down to two institutions. The fundamentals underneath remain first-tier: 312 metro stations, 40-country rail reach, six top-100 universities. Hardware held through the decade. Services and statistics did not, and the index priced that in.

城市概况 前十中最重的下跌，从第6到第10。其中一部分是测量问题：武汉已连续两年不公布入境旅游数字，若干基础设施指标本周期无法核实，城市在数据上白白丢分。但社会资本的塌陷是真实的——10.5分、全场第14，没有追踪国际诊所连锁，学校基数缩至两所。底层基本面仍是一线级的：312个地铁站、40国铁路通达、6所百强大学。十年间硬件一直在，服务和统计不在了，指数把这一点计入了价格。

Strengths - China-Europe (Wuhan) rail services reached 40 countries in 2025, confirmed in the city's own statistical communique, plus 5 direct near-ocean shipping lines from Yangluo port and 312 metro stations. - 6 top-100 universities, level with Xi'an and Guangzhou, alongside 72 A-level attractions including three 5A sites and 9 major museums. - The foreign-business bones remain: 8,559 registered foreign-invested enterprises (November 2024), a JETRO office, an AmCham chapter and 8 UFI-approved events.

优势 - 中欧班列（武汉）2025年通达40国，由城市自己的统计公报确认；另有阳逻港5条近洋直航航线和312个地铁站。 - 6所百强大学，与西安、广州持平；72个A级景区含三个5A级，另有9座重点博物馆。 - 外资商业的骨架还在：8,559家注册外商投资企业（2024年11月）、日本贸易振兴机构办事处、美国商会分会和8个UFI认证展会。

Weaknesses - Social Capital at 10.5 (14th) is the worst category showing in the top ten. None of the seven tracked international clinic chains operates in Wuhan. - The international school base has contracted to two schools and 322 tracked students, with the French school's enrollment down to 22 by its own published figure. - No inbound tourism figure exists in the communique, confirmed on repeated full-text reads, and unverifiable infrastructure data cost rank this cycle independent of any real-world decline.

短板 - 社会资本10.5分（第14），前十中最差的类别表现。七家追踪国际诊所连锁无一在武汉运营。 - 国际学校基数收缩至两所学校、322名追踪学生，法国学校按其自行公布的数字在校生已降至22人。 - 公报中不存在入境旅游数字（经反复全文核读确认），且无法核实的基础设施数据让本周期丢分——与现实是否退步无关。

Recommendations - Until an international clinic chain returns, treat Wuhan as a healthcare-gap posting: build Shanghai referral and evacuation cover into packages, and brief families on the two-school reality before they commit. - The fastest road back is publication. Restoring official inbound and expat-facing statistics would recover index position without a single new project, and city-watchers should read any new data release as a leading indicator.

建议 - 在国际诊所连锁回归之前，把武汉当作医疗缺口型派驻地：在薪酬包中加入上海转诊与医疗后送保障，并在家庭做决定前如实说明两所学校的现状。 - 回归最快的路是发布数据。恢复官方入境和涉外统计，不需要一个新项目就能收复指数排名——城市观察者应把任何新数据发布读作领先指标。

CICI 2026 City Profiles: Ranks 11 to 20CICI 2026 城市档案：第11至20名

11. Dalian (33.36)11. 大连（33.36）

Movement: Up 2 (13th in 2022) | Best category: Government & Political Engagement, 31.8, 4th of 30 | Weakest category: Infrastructure Connectivity, 16.4

排名变动：上升2位（2022年第13） | 最强类别：政府与对外交往，31.8，30城第4 | 最弱类别：基础设施连通性，16.4

City Profile Dalian ranked 3rd in China in the 2015 edition of this index. The decade since has been a long slide, and 2026 brings the first clear reversal, up two places to 11th. The city's international identity is Northeast Asian: JETRO and KOTRA both keep Dalian offices, AmCham and the French chamber run local chapters, and the Japanese School of Dalian still operates. Government engagement is the standout, 4th nationally. The drag is physical: 17th for infrastructure connectivity, a modest metro, and consumer brands quietly thinning out. Dalian's recovery is real but narrow, built on institutions rather than hardware.

城市概况 大连在本指数2015年版曾位列全国第3。此后十年是一路长滑，2026年迎来第一次明确的反转：上升两位至第11。这座城市的国际身份是东北亚式的：日本贸易振兴机构（JETRO）和大韩贸易投资振兴公社（KOTRA）都在大连设办事处，美国商会和法国商会运营本地分会，大连日本人学校仍在办学。政府交往是亮点，全国第4。拖累是物理性的：基础设施连通性第17、规模有限的地铁，以及悄然变薄的消费品牌。大连的复苏真实但狭窄，建立在制度而非硬件之上。

Strengths - Government & Political Engagement scores 31.8, 4th of 30, ahead of every city outside the national top ten. - Deep Northeast Asia trade plumbing: 93 foreign-trade container routes out of 106 total at Dalian Port, plus JETRO and KOTRA offices and active AmCham and French chamber chapters. - Working expat basics: two licensed foreign-passport schools (Dalian American International School at 243 students, plus the Japanese School of Dalian), a Raffles Medical clinic, and four stadiums above 30,000 seats.

优势 - 政府与对外交往31.8分，30城第4，领先所有全国前十之外的城市。 - 深厚的东北亚贸易管道：大连港106条集装箱航线中93条为外贸航线，另有JETRO和KOTRA办事处，以及活跃的美国商会、法国商会分会。 - 可用的外派基本盘：两所持牌外籍人员子女学校（大连美国国际学校243名学生，另有大连日本人学校）、一家莱佛士医疗诊所，以及四座3万座以上的体育场。

Weaknesses - Infrastructure Connectivity ranks 17th: 100 metro stations and 19.79 million airport passengers in 2025 trail every city ranked above it. - Consumer brands are retreating. Gucci exited Dalian, H&M's official locator confirms zero stores, and Apple retail presence could not be confirmed. - Inbound tourism reporting is opaque: the city published a 70.22 percent growth rate for 2025 but no absolute visitor figure.

短板 - 基础设施连通性列第17：100个地铁站、机场2025年吞吐1,979万人次，落后于排名在它之上的每一座城市。 - 消费品牌在撤退：古驰退出大连，H&M官方门店查询确认为零，苹果零售的存在也无法确认。 - 入境旅游报告不透明：城市公布了2025年70.22%的增速，却没有绝对游客数字。

Recommendations - Strong fit for Japanese and Korean corporate moves, where school, chamber and trade-office support is already built. Confirm current capacity at both licensed schools before committing families. - Budget for Beijing, Seoul or Tokyo routings for specialist healthcare and lifestyle needs, since only one tracked international clinic chain covers the city.

建议 - 非常适合日韩企业的派驻——学校、商会和贸易办事处的支持已经现成。安排家庭前请确认两所持牌学校的当前容量。 - 专科医疗和生活方式需求请预算北京、首尔或东京的行程，本地只有一家追踪国际诊所连锁。

12. Qingdao (32.79)12. 青岛（32.79）

Movement: Down 1 (11th in 2022) | Best category: Culture & Tourism, 37.8, 7th of 30 | Weakest category: Infrastructure Connectivity, 17.4

排名变动：下降1位（2022年第11） | 最强类别：文化与旅游，37.8，30城第7 | 最弱类别：基础设施连通性，17.4

City Profile Qingdao remains the most internationally serviced city in the 11 to 20 band even after slipping one place. Its expat backbone is unmatched at this level: nine licensed foreign-passport schools, a United Family Healthcare presence, JETRO and KOTRA offices, and rail freight to 23 countries under the Qilu Express brand. Culture & Tourism ranks 7th on 96 A-level attractions and six national first-grade museums. What holds the city back is connectivity, 16th in the field, and the fact that faster movers like Wuxi, Ningbo and Hefei are closing from below. Qingdao's pitch is depth of services, not momentum.

城市概况 即便下滑一位，青岛仍是11至20名区间国际服务最完备的城市。它的外派骨架在这个级别无可匹敌：九所持牌外籍人员子女学校、和睦家医疗的存在、JETRO和KOTRA办事处，以及齐鲁号品牌下通达23国的铁路货运。文化与旅游凭96个A级景区和六座国家一级博物馆列第7。拖后腿的是连通性——全场第16——以及无锡、宁波、合肥等更快的追赶者正从下方逼近。青岛的卖点是服务深度，不是势头。

Strengths - Nine licensed foreign-passport schools, 9 of Shandong's 12, the largest school base of any city ranked 11 to 20. - United Family Healthcare operates in Qingdao, one of only six cities in its national network alongside Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Tianjin. - Culture & Tourism ranks 7th: 96 A-level attractions including two 5A sites, six first-grade museums, and two top-100 universities.

优势 - 九所持牌外籍人员子女学校，占山东全省12所中的9所，是11至20名区间最大的学校基础。 - 和睦家医疗在青岛运营——其全国网络仅覆盖六城，其余为北京、上海、广州、深圳和天津。 - 文化与旅游列第7：96个A级景区含两个5A级、六座一级博物馆、两所百强大学。

Weaknesses - Infrastructure Connectivity ranks 16th, with 172 metro stations and 26.89 million passengers at Jiaodong airport, mid-pack numbers for a city of this profile. - Slipped one place since 2022 while three cities in the band climbed three or more. - Published enrollment covers only two of the nine licensed schools, 570 students combined, so real capacity is undocumented.

短板 - 基础设施连通性列第16：172个地铁站、胶东机场2,689万人次，对这个定位的城市只是中游数字。 - 2022年以来下滑一位，而区间内三座城市上升了三位或更多。 - 九所持牌学校中仅两所公布在校生数（合计570人），真实容量缺乏文档。

Recommendations - The best schools-to-cost equation in the 11 to 20 band for families. Verify seat availability early, since published enrollment data is thin. - For healthcare-sensitive assignees, Qingdao is the only city in this band with a UFH facility, worth weighing against higher-ranked cities that lack one.

建议 - 11至20名区间内家庭性价比最高的学校配置。因公布的在校生数据薄弱，请尽早核实学位。 - 对医疗敏感的外派人员，青岛是该区间唯一拥有和睦家设施的城市，值得与缺此项的更高排名城市权衡。

13. Wuxi (29.29)13. 无锡（29.29）

Movement: Up 4 (17th in 2022) | Best category: Global Economic Strength, 40.6, 6th of 30 | Weakest category: Infrastructure Connectivity, 9.7

排名变动：上升4位（2022年第17） | 最强类别：全球经济实力，40.6，30城第6 | 最弱类别：基础设施连通性，9.7

City Profile Wuxi is one of two cities that climbed four places this cycle, and the rise is built on economics: Global Economic Strength ranks 6th of 30, above Nanjing, Hangzhou and Wuhan. Luxury retail followed the money, with Hermes opening its Wuxi store in January 2025. The city logged 375,200 inbound overnight tourists in 2025 and holds four 5A attractions. But the international service layer is thin. The 2024 closure of the International School of Wuxi cut into the schooling base, no tracked clinic chain operates, and infrastructure ranks 22nd. Wuxi earns 13th place on output, not on expat experience.

城市概况 无锡是本周期两座上升四位的城市之一，涨势建立在经济上：全球经济实力列30城第6，高于南京、杭州和武汉。奢侈品零售循钱而来——爱马仕2025年1月开出无锡门店。城市2025年录得入境过夜游客375,200人次，坐拥四个5A景区。但国际服务层很薄。2024年无锡国际学校的停办削减了学校基础，没有追踪诊所连锁运营，基础设施列第22。无锡的第13名挣在产出上，不在外派体验上。

Strengths - Global Economic Strength scores 40.6, 6th of 30, ahead of Nanjing, Hangzhou and Wuhan. - Luxury retail is arriving, not leaving: Hermes opened in January 2025, and four of the city's 44 A-level attractions carry the top 5A grade. - 375,200 inbound overnight tourists in 2025 per the city's own statistical communique, a confirmed high-confidence figure where many peers publish none.

优势 - 全球经济实力40.6分，30城第6，高于南京、杭州和武汉。 - 奢侈品零售在进场而非离场：爱马仕2025年1月开业；44个A级景区中4个为最高的5A级。 - 2025年入境过夜游客375,200人次，出自城市自己的统计公报——在许多同侪不公布数字的情况下，这是一个经确认的高置信数据。

Weaknesses - Infrastructure Connectivity scores 9.7, rank 22: 89 metro stations, a 10.98 million passenger airport, and no stadium above 30,000 seats until the new 60,000-seat venue opens, targeted mid 2026. - The International School of Wuxi (600 students) closed on 30 June 2024, and current enrollment across the remaining licensed schools is not fully confirmed. - None of the seven tracked international clinic chains and no tracked intern agencies operate in the city.

短板 - 基础设施连通性9.7分，列第22：89个地铁站、1,098万人次的机场，且在目标2026年年中开放的6万座新场馆落成前，没有3万座以上的体育场。 - 无锡国际学校（600名学生）于2024年6月30日停办，其余持牌学校的当前在校生数尚未完全确认。 - 七家追踪国际诊所连锁与追踪实习机构均无一在此运营。

Recommendations - Rely on Shanghai's airports for long-haul routings, Sunan Shuofang is a regional-scale field at 10.98 million passengers. - School placement first: after the 2024 closure, confirm exactly which licensed schools are operating and enrolling before agreeing any family move.

建议 - 长途航线依赖上海的机场——苏南硕放只是1,098万人次量级的区域机场。 - 学位优先：2024年停办事件后，先确认哪些持牌学校在运营、在招生，再敲定任何家庭派驻。

14. Shenyang (29.29)14. 沈阳（29.29）

Movement: No change (14th in 2022) | Best category: International Commerce, 67.0, 8th of 30 | Weakest category: Infrastructure Connectivity, 10.6

排名变动：持平（2022年第14） | 最强类别：国际商业，67.0，30城第8 | 最弱类别：基础设施连通性，10.6

City Profile Shenyang holds 14th, exactly where it stood in 2022, and remains the Northeast's most complete international city. Its commerce profile outclasses its rank: all 15 tracked luxury fashion brands are present, a distinction shared only with Chengdu, Shenzhen, Nanjing and Xi'an, and International Commerce ranks 8th of 30. Six licensed foreign-passport schools give it the strongest family base in the Northeast, and Culture & Tourism ranks 9th on 104 A-level attractions. The gaps are physical and medical: infrastructure ranks 20th, and none of the tracked international clinic chains operates in the city.

城市概况 沈阳守在第14，与2022年一模一样，仍是东北配套最完整的国际城市。它的商业档案超出排名：全部15个追踪奢侈时尚品牌进驻——只有成都、深圳、南京和西安共享这一殊荣——国际商业列30城第8。六所持牌外籍人员子女学校给了它东北最强的家庭基础，文化与旅游凭104个A级景区列第9。缺口在物理与医疗层面：基础设施列第20，且没有任何追踪国际诊所连锁在此运营。

Strengths - One of only five index cities holding all 15 tracked luxury fashion brands, alongside Chengdu, Shenzhen, Nanjing and Xi'an. - Six licensed foreign-passport schools confirmed by the municipal Foreign Affairs Office, with QSI Shenyang at roughly 1,300 students the largest tracked school in the Northeast. - Culture & Tourism ranks 9th on 104 A-level attractions, with rail freight reaching more than 20 countries through the Shenyang assembly center.

优势 - 集齐全部15个追踪奢侈时尚品牌的五座指数城市之一，与成都、深圳、南京、西安并列。 - 市外办确认六所持牌外籍人员子女学校，其中沈阳QSI约1,300名学生，为东北追踪到的最大学校。 - 文化与旅游凭104个A级景区列第9，铁路货运经沈阳集结中心通达20多个国家。

Weaknesses - Infrastructure Connectivity scores 10.6, rank 20, despite 134 metro stations and 24.91 million airport passengers. - None of the seven tracked international clinic chains operates in Shenyang. - The French consulate-general was reported closed during index research and remains unverified, so consular coverage needs case-by-case confirmation.

短板 - 基础设施连通性10.6分，列第20——尽管有134个地铁站和2,491万人次的机场吞吐。 - 七家追踪国际诊所连锁无一在沈阳运营。 - 法国总领事馆在指数调研期间被报告关闭且仍未获证实，领事覆盖需逐案确认。

Recommendations - The most family-workable Northeast option on schools and retail, but plan healthcare around public hospital VIP wards or flights to Beijing given the clinic gap. - Korean-linked moves benefit from a KOTRA office on the ground. Verify current consular services early in any visa-sensitive assignment.

建议 - 就学校和零售而言是东北对家庭最友好的选择，但医疗要围绕公立医院VIP部或飞北京来规划——诊所缺口是现实。 - 韩国相关的派驻可受益于本地的KOTRA办事处。任何签证敏感的派驻请尽早核实当前领事服务。

15. Ningbo (25.95)15. 宁波（25.95）

Movement: Up 3 (18th in 2022) | Best category: Infrastructure Connectivity, 25.7, 11th of 30 | Weakest category: Social Capital, 6.2

排名变动：上升3位（2022年第18） | 最强类别：基础设施连通性，25.7，30城第11 | 最弱类别：社会资本，6.2

City Profile Ningbo rose three places to 15th on the strength of what it builds and ships rather than what it hosts. Infrastructure Connectivity ranks 11th with 156 metro stations, and the exhibition calendar stands out for this band: 11 UFI-approved events, level with Hangzhou and Guangzhou. The consumer city is respectable too, with 89 A-level attractions and two grand theatres. The international resident layer is another story. Two tracked schools with 478 students combined, no tracked clinics, no consulates, and no stadium above 30,000 seats until 2028. Ningbo works internationally as an economy, not yet as a home.

城市概况 宁波上升三位至第15，靠的是它建造和运输的东西，而非它接待的人。基础设施连通性凭156个地铁站列第11，展会日历在这个区间也很突出：11个UFI认证展会，与杭州、广州持平。消费城市的一面也说得过去：89个A级景区、两座大剧院。国际居住层则是另一回事。两所追踪学校合计478名学生、没有追踪诊所、没有领事馆、2028年前没有3万座以上的体育场。宁波作为一个经济体在国际化运转；作为一个家，还没有。

Strengths - Hosted 11 UFI-approved exhibitions, level with Hangzhou and Guangzhou and the most of any city ranked 11 to 20. - Infrastructure Connectivity ranks 11th: 156 metro stations, more than Dalian, Wuxi or Xiamen. - 89 A-level attractions including two 5A sites, re-confirmed against official municipal sources in February 2026, plus two 1,500-seat-plus grand theatres.

优势 - 承办11个UFI认证展会，与杭州、广州持平，是11至20名区间最多的。 - 基础设施连通性列第11：156个地铁站，多于大连、无锡或厦门。 - 89个A级景区含两个5A级（2026年2月对官方市级来源复核确认），另有两座1,500座以上的大剧院。

Weaknesses - Social Capital scores 6.2, rank 20: two tracked international schools with 478 students combined and none of the seven tracked clinic chains. - No foreign consulates, and no official figure exists for the rail-freight country reach of the city's own Yong-Xin-Ou line. - No stadium clears 30,000 seats until the new Olympic Sports Center opens, targeted for end 2028.

短板 - 社会资本6.2分，列第20：两所追踪国际学校合计478名学生，七家追踪诊所连锁无一进驻。 - 没有外国领事馆，且城市自己的甬新欧班列没有官方的通达国家数字。 - 在目标2028年底开放的奥体中心落成前，没有一座3万座以上的体育场。

Recommendations - Fine for single assignees and commuter arrangements tied to the port and manufacturing zones. For families, benchmark school options against Hangzhou and Shanghai within rail reach. - Set medical referral and evacuation pathways to Shanghai from day one, since no tracked international clinic operates locally.

建议 - 适合单身派驻和围绕港口与制造园区的通勤安排。家庭派驻请把学校选项与高铁可达的杭州、上海对标。 - 从第一天起就把医疗转诊和后送路径设到上海——本地没有追踪国际诊所在运营。

16. Xiamen (25.49)16. 厦门（25.49）

Movement: Down 4 (12th in 2022) | Best category: Social Capital, 11.5, 12th of 30 | Weakest category: Culture & Tourism, 22.8

排名变动：下降4位（2022年第12） | 最强类别：社会资本，11.5，30城第12 | 最弱类别：文化与旅游，22.8

City Profile Xiamen's four-place fall is the sharpest in this band, a hard result for a city long treated as the default lifestyle pick among second-tier coastal postings. The family fundamentals are still there: Social Capital ranks 12th, with 1,427 students across three licensed schools, and Gaoqi airport moved 29.19 million passengers in 2025. What slipped is the comparative story. Culture & Tourism ranks just 24th on a 21-attraction registry, International Commerce sits 22nd, and one school carries an unverified closure report. Xiamen is still livable. The index simply shows other cities catching up and passing it.

城市概况 厦门下滑四位，是这个区间最陡的跌幅——对一座长期被当作二线沿海派驻默认生活方式之选的城市，这是个扎眼的结果。家庭基本面还在：社会资本列第12，三所持牌学校共1,427名学生，高崎机场2025年吞吐2,919万人次。滑落的是比较优势。文化与旅游仅列第24（登记在册的景区只有21个），国际商业列第22，一所学校还挂着未经证实的停办传闻。厦门依然宜居。指数只是显示，别的城市正在赶上并超过它。

Strengths - 1,427 international students across three licensed foreign-passport schools, one of the deepest confirmed enrollment bases in the band. - Gaoqi airport handled 29.19 million passengers in 2025, with rail freight links to 13 Belt and Road countries. - Two stadiums above 30,000 seats, including the 53,443-seat Egret Stadium, and visa-free transit coverage applies to Fujian.

优势 - 三所持牌外籍人员子女学校共1,427名国际学生，是该区间确认在校生最深厚的基础之一。 - 高崎机场2025年吞吐2,919万人次，铁路货运连接13个“一带一路”国家。 - 两座3万座以上的体育场（含53,443座的白鹭体育场），福建适用过境免签政策。

Weaknesses - Fell four places since 2022, the largest decline of any city ranked 11 to 20. - Culture & Tourism scores 22.8, rank 24: only 21 A-level attractions on the registry, one UFI-approved exhibition, and two first-grade museums. - Concordia International School (listed at 1,000 students) has an unverified closure report against it, and no tracked clinic chain operates in the city.

短板 - 2022年以来下滑四位，是11至20名城市中最大跌幅。 - 文化与旅游22.8分，列第24：登记A级景区仅21个、UFI认证展会1个、一级博物馆2座。 - 协和国际学校（记录在册1,000名学生）有未经证实的停办传闻，且没有追踪诊所连锁在此运营。

Recommendations - Still a strong family posting on schools and livability, but verify Concordia's operating status directly before any placement decision. - For multi-year programs, watch the trajectory: weigh Xiamen against rising Wuxi and Ningbo on total cost and service depth at renewal.

建议 - 就学校和宜居性而言仍是强势的家庭派驻地，但任何安置决定前请直接核实协和学校的运营状态。 - 对多年期项目，请盯住趋势：续约时把厦门与上升中的无锡、宁波在总成本和服务深度上做对比。

17. Changsha (25.21)17. 长沙（25.21）

Movement: Down 2 (15th in 2022) | Best category: Infrastructure Connectivity, 26.1, 10th of 30 | Weakest category: Government & Political Engagement, 6.4

排名变动：下降2位（2022年第15） | 最强类别：基础设施连通性，26.1，30城第10 | 最弱类别：政府与对外交往，6.4

City Profile Changsha slipped two places to 17th, and the shape of the score explains why. The hardware is genuinely good: Infrastructure Connectivity ranks 10th, with 140 metro stations, a 30.25 million passenger airport, and rail freight to around 30 countries. The culture bench is deep, seven national first-grade museums, more than any peer in this band. But the international service layer is close to absent. One licensed school for all of Hunan, no tracked clinics, and a Government & Political Engagement rank of 24th despite a new Malawi consulate in 2023. Changsha entertains China well. It hosts foreigners barely.

城市概况 长沙下滑两位至第17，分数的形状解释了原因。硬件确实好：基础设施连通性列第10，140个地铁站、3,025万人次的机场、通达约30国的铁路货运。文化家底也深——七座国家一级博物馆，多于区间内任何同侪。但国际服务层近乎缺席。全湖南只有一所持牌学校、没有追踪诊所，政府与对外交往列第24——尽管2023年新开了马拉维总领事馆。长沙很会娱乐中国人；接待外国人，则勉强及格。

Strengths - Infrastructure Connectivity ranks 10th: 140 metro stations, Huanghua airport at 30.25 million passengers in 2025, and rail freight reaching about 30 countries. - Seven national first-grade museums, equal to Nanjing and Xi'an and the most of any city ranked 11 to 20. - Three top-100 universities and 82 A-level attractions including two 5A sites.

优势 - 基础设施连通性列第10：140个地铁站、黄花机场2025年吞吐3,025万人次、铁路货运通达约30国。 - 七座国家一级博物馆，与南京、西安持平，是11至20名区间最多的。 - 三所百强大学和82个A级景区（含两个5A级）。

Weaknesses - Government & Political Engagement scores 6.4, rank 24, even after the Malawi consulate-general opened in June 2023. - Social Capital ranks 23rd: one licensed foreign-passport school (Changsha WES Academy, Hunan's only), no tracked clinic chains, no intern agencies, and Ascott presence limited to a local sub-brand. - The single school's enrollment record is stale, logged at 40 students with secondary sources suggesting around 400.

短板 - 政府与对外交往6.4分，列第24——即便在2023年6月马拉维总领事馆开馆之后。 - 社会资本列第23：一所持牌外籍人员子女学校（长沙玮思学校，湖南唯一）、没有追踪诊所连锁、没有实习机构，雅诗阁的存在仅限本土子品牌。 - 这所唯一学校的在校生记录已过时：登记为40人，二手来源显示约400人。

Recommendations - Treat as a commuter or single-assignee market. Family moves hinge on one school, so audit WES Academy capacity and accreditation directly before offering the location. - Use the strong air and rail connectivity for regional coverage roles based in Changsha with frequent travel, rather than full family relocation.

建议 - 按通勤或单身派驻市场对待。家庭派驻系于一所学校，发出offer前请直接审核玮思学校的容量与认证。 - 用强大的空铁连通性做以长沙为基地、频繁出差的区域覆盖岗位，而非举家搬迁。

18. Kunming (24.22)18. 昆明（24.22）

Movement: Down 2 (16th in 2022) | Best category: Government & Political Engagement, 18.3, 13th of 30 | Weakest category: Global Economic Strength, 10.1

排名变动：下降2位（2022年第16） | 最强类别：政府与对外交往，18.3，30城第13 | 最弱类别：全球经济实力，10.1

City Profile Kunming's index position understates its function. Changshui airport moved 49.70 million passengers in 2025, the largest figure in this band, and the China-Laos Railway corridor gives the city rail reach into 19 Belt and Road countries. As China's land and air gateway to Southeast Asia, its connectivity is strategic rather than local. The city itself has thinned: down two places to 18th, Global Economic Strength ranked 26th, Tiffany gone since December 2024, and one international school of 200 students. Kunming is a strong place to be based for the region and a limited place to settle a family.

城市概况 昆明的指数排名低估了它的功能。长水机场2025年吞吐4,970万人次，是这个区间最大的数字；中老铁路走廊给了它通达19个“一带一路”国家的铁路网络。作为中国面向东南亚的陆空门户，它的连通性是战略性的，而非本地性的。城市本身则在变薄：下滑两位至第18，全球经济实力列第26，蒂芙尼2024年12月撤出，国际学校只有一所、200名学生。昆明是驻扎区域业务的好地方，安置家庭的选择则很有限。

Strengths - Changshui airport handled 49.70 million passengers in 2025, the largest throughput of any city ranked 11 to 20 and the primary air gateway to Southeast Asia. - Rail freight reaches 19 Belt and Road countries through the China-Laos Railway corridor anchored in Kunming. - 46 A-level attractions including two 5A sites on the September 2025 municipal list, with visa-free transit coverage for Yunnan.

优势 - 长水机场2025年吞吐4,970万人次，为11至20名区间最大吞吐量，也是通往东南亚的主要空中门户。 - 以昆明为锚点的中老铁路走廊，铁路货运通达19个“一带一路”国家。 - 2025年9月市级名录载明46个A级景区含两个5A级，云南适用过境免签政策。

Weaknesses - Global Economic Strength scores 10.1, rank 26 of 30, the weakest economic position in this band. - One licensed international school (Kunming International Academy, 200 students) and none of the seven tracked clinic chains. - Tiffany exited Kunming in December 2024, and no tracked intern agency operates locally.

短板 - 全球经济实力10.1分，列30城第26，是该区间最弱的经济位置。 - 一所持牌国际学校（昆明国际学校，200名学生），七家追踪诊所连锁无一进驻。 - 蒂芙尼2024年12月退出昆明，本地没有追踪实习机构运营。

Recommendations - An efficient base for ASEAN-facing regional roles. Price assignments around the flight network, not local services. - For families, plan on a single school option and route specialist healthcare through Hong Kong or Bangkok, both directly served from Changshui.

建议 - 面向东盟的区域岗位的高效基地。派驻定价围绕航线网络，而非本地服务。 - 家庭派驻按单一学校选项做计划，专科医疗经香港或曼谷解决——两地均有长水直飞。

19. Zhengzhou (22.86)19. 郑州（22.86）

Movement: Up 1 (20th in 2022) | Best category: Infrastructure Connectivity, 28.4, 8th of 30 | Weakest category: Government & Political Engagement, 4.3

排名变动：上升1位（2022年第20） | 最强类别：基础设施连通性，28.4，30城第8 | 最弱类别：政府与对外交往，4.3

City Profile Zhengzhou rose one place to 19th on the back of a genuine logistics machine. Infrastructure Connectivity ranks 8th of 30, ahead of Hangzhou and Nanjing, with 233 metro stations and rail freight covering more than 40 countries and 140 cities. Then came the retail surprise of the cycle: Chanel opened its Zhengzhou store in 2025, the brand's first in a below-Tier-2 Chinese city, a signal of where luxury sees spending power heading. The rest of the international file is thin. Government & Political Engagement ranks 27th, with no consulates, one licensed school and no tracked clinics.

城市概况 郑州凭一台真正的物流机器上升一位至第19。基础设施连通性列30城第8，领先杭州和南京：233个地铁站，铁路货运覆盖40多个国家、140座城市。然后是本周期的零售惊奇：香奈儿2025年在郑州开店，是该品牌在中国二线以下城市的首家门店——一个奢侈品对消费力走向判断的信号。其余的国际档案很薄。政府与对外交往列第27：没有领事馆、一所持牌学校、没有追踪诊所。

Strengths - Infrastructure Connectivity ranks 8th, ahead of Hangzhou and Nanjing: 233 metro stations, Xinzheng airport at 29.19 million passengers, and rail freight to more than 40 countries. - Chanel opened its Zhengzhou store in 2025, the brand's first in a below-Tier-2 Chinese city. - Two stadiums above 30,000 seats and two grand theatres seating more than 1,600 each.

优势 - 基础设施连通性列第8，领先杭州和南京：233个地铁站、新郑机场2,919万人次、铁路货运通达40多国。 - 香奈儿2025年在郑州开店，为该品牌在中国二线以下城市的首店。 - 两座3万座以上的体育场和两座1,600座以上的大剧院。

Weaknesses - Government & Political Engagement scores 4.3, rank 27, with no foreign consulates, the weakest category position of any city in this band. - One licensed foreign-passport school (Sias International School, Henan's first and only, approved 2020) after a second listed school was removed as a category error. - None of the seven tracked international clinic chains operates in the city.

短板 - 政府与对外交往4.3分，列第27，没有外国领事馆，是该区间最弱的类别位置。 - 一所持牌外籍人员子女学校（西亚斯外籍人员子女学校，河南第一所也是唯一一所，2020年获批）——另一所曾登记的学校经查为类别错误已移除。 - 七家追踪国际诊所连锁无一在此运营。

Recommendations - Works well for logistics and manufacturing assignments: excellent mobility, thin family services, so price packages accordingly. - One school means a single point of failure. Secure Sias placement before family arrival or structure the assignment as single-status.

建议 - 很适合物流和制造类派驻：出行一流、家庭服务薄弱，薪酬包应据此定价。 - 一所学校意味着单点故障。家庭抵达前先锁定西亚斯的学位，或将派驻设计为单身模式。

20. Hefei (22.06)20. 合肥（22.06）

Movement: Up 4 (24th in 2022) | Best category: International Commerce, 57.2, 16th of 30 | Weakest category: Government & Political Engagement, 6.6

排名变动：上升4位（2022年第24） | 最强类别：国际商业，57.2，30城第16 | 最弱类别：政府与对外交往，6.6

City Profile Hefei climbed four places to crack the top 20, powered by a science economy the index is starting to register. Three top-100 universities call the city home, including USTC, and the metro has grown to 196 stations, more than Qingdao, Ningbo or Dalian. The official Anhui registry counts 64 A-level attractions, and rail freight reaches 20 countries. What has not caught up is the international resident layer: a 12.65 million passenger airport, two small licensed schools, no tracked clinics, and no consulates. Hefei is arriving fast, but most of the services an assignee needs still sit elsewhere.

城市概况 合肥攀升四位挤进前20，动力来自一个指数刚开始记录的科学经济。三所百强大学坐落于此（包括中国科大），地铁已扩至196个站，多于青岛、宁波或大连。安徽官方名录载明64个A级景区，铁路货运通达20国。还没跟上的是国际居住层：1,265万人次的机场、两所小型持牌学校、没有追踪诊所、没有领事馆。合肥来得很快，但外派人员需要的多数服务还在别处。

Strengths - Three top-100 universities including USTC, a research base few cities in this band can match. - 196 metro stations, more than Qingdao, Ningbo or Dalian, with rail freight to 20 countries and 179 international station cities. - 64 A-level attractions confirmed line by line from the official Anhui provincial registry.

优势 - 三所百强大学（含中国科学技术大学），是该区间少有的科研基础。 - 196个地铁站，多于青岛、宁波或大连；铁路货运通达20国、179座国际站点城市。 - 64个A级景区，逐条核对自安徽省官方名录。

Weaknesses - Government & Political Engagement scores 6.6, rank 23, with no foreign consulates. - Xinqiao airport at 12.65 million passengers in 2025 is the second smallest in the band, and inbound tourism logged just 91,700 visits on the 2024 fallback figure. - Two licensed schools (Canadian International School of Hefei at 200 students, plus Hefei German School) with limited confirmed capacity, and no tracked clinic chains.

短板 - 政府与对外交往6.6分，列第23，没有外国领事馆。 - 新桥机场2025年吞吐1,265万人次，为区间第二小；入境旅游按2024年替代数字仅录得91,700人次。 - 两所持牌学校（合肥加拿大外籍人员子女学校200名学生，另有合肥德国学校）确认容量有限，且没有追踪诊所连锁。

Recommendations - Suits tech and R&D assignments tied to the university and advanced manufacturing base, with Shanghai or Nanjing as the healthcare and lifestyle fallback. - The four-place rise justifies watching for service catch-up, but current packages should assume single-school, no-clinic conditions on the ground.

建议 - 适合依托高校和先进制造基地的科技与研发派驻，医疗和生活方式以上海或南京为后备。 - 上升四位值得关注服务层的补课，但当前的薪酬包应按“单一学校、无诊所”的实地条件设计。

CICI 2026 City Profiles: Ranks 21 to 30CICI 2026 城市档案：第21至30名

21. Jinan (21.91)21. 济南（21.91）

Movement: Up 1 from 22nd in 2022 | Best category: Culture & Tourism, 31.2, 12th of 30 | Weakest category: Social Capital, 6.5

排名变动：上升1位（2022年第22） | 最强类别：文化与旅游，31.2，30城第12 | 最弱类别：社会资本，6.5

City Profile: Shandong's capital is the quiet overachiever of the bottom third. It climbed one place this cycle on the back of a genuinely surprising trade-fair sector: 15 UFI-approved exhibitions, second only to Shenzhen's 27 across the entire index, though the count sums four fragmented venue records and carries a moderate-confidence flag. The expat-life layer has not kept pace. No foreign consulate, no basket foreign bank, no international clinic chain. Jinan works as a business destination with domestic-standard living, not yet as a family posting.

城市概况：山东省会是后三分之一里安静的超预期者。本周期上升一位，靠的是一个着实令人意外的会展业：15个UFI认证展会，全指数仅次于深圳的27个——尽管该数字由四条分散的场馆记录加总而来，并带有中等置信度标注。外派生活层没有跟上：没有外国领事馆、没有篮子外资银行、没有国际诊所连锁。济南可以作为商务目的地运转，生活是国内标准——还不是一个家庭派驻地。

Strengths - 15 UFI-approved exhibitions across two convention centers, the second-highest count in the index, a real draw for trade-fair driven business travel - Solid domestic connectivity: 103 metro stations, a 20.33 million passenger airport, and freight rail links reaching 23 countries - 90 A-level tourist attractions including one 5A site, supporting the city's best category rank (12th in Culture & Tourism)

优势 - 两座会展中心合计15个UFI认证展会，全指数第二高，对会展驱动的商务出行是实打实的吸引力 - 扎实的国内连通性：103个地铁站、2,033万人次的机场、通达23国的铁路货运 - 90个A级景区含一个5A级，支撑起其最佳类别排名（文化与旅游第12）

Weaknesses - Zero foreign consulates, zero of the 10 basket foreign banks, and no verified foreign trade-promotion office (the Netherlands' NBSO closed and consolidated into Qingdao) - Foreign-invested enterprise count stands at 1,947 (Jan 2025), down from 3,532 in 2020, likely deregistration cleanup rather than real contraction, but a thin base either way - Just one licensed school for foreign passport holders, with a second candidate (Eton House, 400 students) still unverified on admissions criteria

短板 - 外国领事馆为零、10家篮子外资银行为零、无经核实的外国贸易促进办事处（荷兰NBSO已关闭并并入青岛） - 外商投资企业数为1,947家（2025年1月），较2020年的3,532家下降——很可能是注销清理而非真实萎缩，但无论如何基数偏薄 - 面向外籍护照持有人的持牌学校仅一所，第二候选（伊顿国际，400名学生）的招生标准仍未核实

Recommendations - Viable for exhibition-linked and rep-office assignments now. Confirm school admissions directly with the Jinan Education Bureau before proposing any family relocation - Bank onboarding must be arranged through Qingdao or a national digital account, there is no foreign retail banking presence on the ground

建议 - 会展相关和代表处派驻现在即可行。提出任何家庭搬迁前，请直接向济南教育局确认学校招生 - 银行开户须经青岛或全国性数字账户安排——本地没有外资零售银行

22. Harbin (19.22)22. 哈尔滨（19.22）

Movement: Down 3 from 19th in 2022 | Best category: Government & Political Engagement, 17.4, 14th of 30 | Weakest category: Infrastructure Connectivity, 7.1

排名变动：下降3位（2022年第19） | 最强类别：政府与对外交往，17.4，30城第14 | 最弱类别：基础设施连通性，7.1

City Profile: Harbin fell three places, the sharpest drop in this batch, and the details explain why. JPMorgan closed its branch, IKEA closed in February 2026, and this cycle's audit removed the city's only listed international school after its official profile showed it to be a mainstream private school. What remains is real but narrow: two top-100 universities, a Global Doctor clinic, a 24.65 million passenger airport, and rail corridors into Russia. Harbin is a research-and-education city with winter-tourism fame, not an expat-infrastructure city.

城市概况：哈尔滨下滑三位，是本批次最大跌幅，细节解释了原因。摩根大通关闭了分行，宜家2026年2月闭店，本周期审计还移除了城市唯一登记的国际学校——其官方资料显示它是一所普通民办学校。剩下的东西真实但狭窄：两所百强大学、一家环球医生诊所、2,465万人次的机场，以及通往俄罗斯的铁路走廊。哈尔滨是一座有冰雪旅游名气的科教城市，不是一座外派基础设施城市。

Strengths - Two top-100 universities, Harbin Institute of Technology and Harbin Engineering University, plus Fortune 500 presence from Airbus, Nestle and ABB - Global Doctor operates a clinic here, one of only 11 index cities with any international clinic chain presence - Rail links reaching 13 countries via the Suifenhe, Manzhouli and Tongjiang border crossings, and an HSBC branch still on the ground

优势 - 两所百强大学：哈尔滨工业大学和哈尔滨工程大学；另有空客、雀巢和ABB的财富500强布局 - 环球医生在此运营诊所，全指数仅11城拥有任何国际诊所连锁 - 经绥芬河、满洲里、同江口岸的铁路通达13国，汇丰分行仍在运营

Weaknesses - No licensed international school. The 2,160-student school carried since 2022 was reclassified this cycle as a mainstream private school, and Heilongjiang has no history of approvals in this category - Foreign commercial retreat in progress: JPMorgan branch closed, IKEA closed February 2026, Subway and Papa John's absent - Data transparency is poor even by lower-tier standards. The city's 2025 statistical communique could not be located across three checks, and no current GDP per capita figure exists

短板 - 没有持牌国际学校。2022年以来一直挂账的那所2,160人学校本周期被重新归类为普通民办学校，黑龙江在该类别也没有审批历史 - 外资商业撤退进行中：摩根大通分行关闭、宜家2026年2月闭店、赛百味和棒约翰缺席 - 数据透明度即便按低线标准也差：城市2025年统计公报三次查找无果，也没有当前的人均GDP数字

Recommendations - Suitable for university-linked and single-status assignments only. Families with school-age children cannot be placed here without boarding or remote schooling arrangements - Build medical cover around the Global Doctor clinic for routine care with evacuation cover to Beijing for anything serious

建议 - 仅适合高校相关和单身派驻。有学龄子女的家庭无法安置在此，除非采用寄宿或远程教学 - 医疗保障以环球医生诊所处理常规诊疗，重症后送北京

23. Fuzhou (19.02)23. 福州（19.02）

Movement: No change from 23rd in 2022 | Best category: International Commerce, 50.0, 19th of 30 | Weakest category: Social Capital, 3.2

排名变动：持平（2022年第23） | 最强类别：国际商业，50.0，30城第19 | 最弱类别：社会资本，3.2

City Profile: Fuzhou held its rank and holds a strange position: strong macro numbers, thin international life. GDP per capita of RMB 177,353 beats several cities ranked far above it, the port's Jiangyin district runs 30 or more foreign trade routes, and the city is one of the few in this batch that actually publishes inbound tourism data, 815,800 international visitors in 2025. But there is no consulate, no confirmed licensed international school, and the strongest foreign-enterprise figure on record dates to 2017. The commerce is real. The support structure for foreign families is not.

城市概况：福州守住了排名，也守着一个奇特的位置：宏观数字强，国际生活薄。人均GDP达177,353元，超过若干排名远高于它的城市；江阴港区运营30多条外贸航线；它还是本批次少数真正公布入境旅游数据的城市之一——2025年入境国际游客815,800人次。但这里没有领事馆、没有经确认的持牌国际学校，外资企业最有力的数字还停在2017年。商业是真实的，支撑外籍家庭的结构不是。

Strengths - One of the few transparent reporters in the lower half: 815,800 inbound international tourists in 2025, published in the official communique - Genuine port economy, 30 plus foreign trade shipping routes from the Jiangyin container district, plus rail links to 5 countries - High prosperity for its rank, GDP per capita RMB 177,353 with three UFI-approved exhibitions and a 59,562-seat Olympic sports center

优势 - 后半区少有的透明报告者：2025年入境国际游客815,800人次，载于官方公报 - 真正的港口经济：江阴集装箱港区30多条外贸航线，另有通达5国的铁路 - 以其排名而言相当富裕：人均GDP 177,353元，另有3个UFI认证展会和59,562座的奥体中心

Weaknesses - No school currently meets the foreign-passport-only licensing definition. The two marketed "international" schools both admit Chinese-passport children - Social Capital score of 3.2 reflects zero consulates, zero clinic chains and no verified foreign chamber presence - The best available foreign-enterprise count (11,000 plus) dates from 2017, and even HSBC's Fuzhou branch status could not be confirmed to an address

短板 - 目前没有学校符合仅限外籍护照的办学许可定义。两所以“国际”为名招生的学校均招收中国籍儿童 - 社会资本3.2分，反映的是零领事馆、零诊所连锁、无经核实的外国商会 - 可得的最佳外资企业数（11,000多家）停在2017年，连汇丰福州分行的状态都无法核实到具体地址

Recommendations - Treat as a commuter-companion city to Xiamen for anything family-facing. Schooling for foreign-passport children needs case-by-case verification with the Education Bureau before any offer letter mentions it - Port and trade roles can be staffed now. Set healthcare expectations at local-hospital VIP wards, there is no international clinic option

建议 - 家庭相关事务把它当作厦门的通勤伴城。外籍护照子女的就学，在任何offer函提及之前需逐案与教育局核实 - 港口与贸易岗位现在即可配置。医疗预期设在本地医院VIP部——没有国际诊所选项

24. Zhuhai (16.43)24. 珠海（16.43）

Movement: Down 3 from 21st in 2022 | Best category: Global Economic Strength, 26.0, 14th of 30 | Weakest category: Infrastructure Connectivity, 1.3

排名变动：下降3位（2022年第21） | 最强类别：全球经济实力，26.0，30城第14 | 最弱类别：基础设施连通性，1.3

City Profile: Zhuhai finished last in the 2016 edition of this index. A decade later it ranks 24th with the 14th-best economy score, which is the story in one line: the economic base grew up, the connectivity never did. GDP per capita of RMB 181,600 and 19,399 foreign-invested enterprises sit beside no metro system, no freight rail corridor and a 13.25 million passenger airport. This cycle also confirmed two licensed international schools with 970 students between them, quietly one of the better schooling positions in the bottom ten.

城市概况：珠海在本指数2016年版排名垫底。十年后，它以第14强的经济分数排在第24——一句话就能讲完这个故事：经济基础长大了，连通性一直没有。人均GDP 181,600元和19,399家外商投资企业，旁边是没有地铁、没有货运铁路走廊和一座1,325万人次的机场。本周期还确认了两所持牌国际学校、合计970名学生——悄然成为后十名中较好的学校配置之一。

Strengths - Two licensed international schools verified this cycle, QSI International School (720 students) and Zhuhai International School on Qi'ao Island (250), a combined 970 students - Real economic depth for its rank: 19,399 foreign-invested enterprises, GDP per capita RMB 181,600, and Fortune 500 presence from Bosch, GE and Airbus - Livability anchors: 9 A-level attractions, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom (the most-reviewed attraction in this entire batch on Trip.com, 43,404 reviews), and two Ascott-group serviced residences

优势 - 本周期核实两所持牌国际学校：QSI国际学校（720名学生）和淇澳岛的珠海国际学校（250名），合计970名学生 - 以其排名而言真实的经济深度：19,399家外商投资企业、人均GDP 181,600元，另有博世、通用电气和空客的财富500强布局 - 宜居锚点：9个A级景区、长隆海洋王国（本批次携程点评最多的景点，43,404条），以及两处雅诗阁系服务式公寓

Weaknesses - Infrastructure Connectivity of 1.3, 29th of 30. No metro in operation, no international rail corridor under the city's name, and only around 10 foreign trade shipping routes from Gaolan port - All 10 basket foreign banks confirmed absent, and zero foreign consulates - No UFI-recognized exhibition venue, so the meetings economy defaults to Macau, Shenzhen and Guangzhou next door

短板 - 基础设施连通性1.3分，列30城第29。没有运营中的地铁、没有以城市命名的国际铁路走廊，高栏港外贸航线仅约10条 - 10家篮子外资银行确认全部缺席，外国领事馆为零 - 没有UFI认证展馆，会议经济默认外流至隔壁的澳门、深圳和广州

Recommendations - One of the few bottom-ten cities where a family placement genuinely works on the schooling front. Verify seat availability early, 970 total seats is a shallow pool - Plan mobility around the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and neighboring hubs for flights and banking, and budget car allowances, there is no metro fallback

建议 - 后十名中少数在学校层面真正可行的家庭派驻地。请尽早核实学位——970个总学位是很浅的池子 - 出行围绕港珠澳大桥和邻近枢纽规划航班与银行事务，并把车补做进预算——没有地铁兜底

25. Changzhou (15.86)25. 常州（15.86）

Movement: Up 1 from 26th in 2022 | Best category: Global Economic Strength, 15.8, 19th of 30 | Weakest category: Social Capital, 1.9

排名变动：上升1位（2022年第26） | 最强类别：全球经济实力，15.8，30城第19 | 最弱类别：社会资本，1.9

City Profile: Changzhou is the index's clearest proof that a strong economy and an international city are different things. GDP per capita of RMB 207,000 is fourth highest among all 30 cities, ahead of Guangzhou. This cycle's audit also corrected the city's Fortune 500 count from zero to four after Bosch, Siemens, Schneider Electric and PepsiCo presences were confirmed. Yet the international living layer is close to empty: no consulate, no licensed international school, no basket foreign bank, no UFI venue. Manufacturing executives visit. Their families live in Shanghai or Suzhou.

城市概况：常州是全指数最清晰的证明：强经济和国际化城市是两回事。人均GDP 207,000元，在全部30城中列第四，高于广州。本周期审计还把城市的财富500强数量从零改为四——确认了博世、西门子、施耐德电气和百事的布局。但国际生活层近乎空白：没有领事馆、没有持牌国际学校、没有篮子外资银行、没有UFI展馆。制造业高管来出差，他们的家庭住在上海或苏州。

Strengths - Four Fortune 500 presences confirmed on re-audit, led by Bosch's Wujin automotive electronics plant (over EUR 100 million invested, roughly 1,300 employees), plus Siemens, Schneider Electric and PepsiCo - Fourth-highest GDP per capita in the index at RMB 207,000, with USD 52.21 billion in trade and USD 1.4 billion FDI in 2025 - A real domestic tourism product: 43 A-level attractions including three 5A sites, with China Dinosaurs Land drawing 31,664 Trip.com reviews

优势 - 复审确认四家财富500强布局，以博世武进汽车电子工厂为首（投资超1亿欧元、约1,300名员工），另有西门子、施耐德电气和百事 - 人均GDP 207,000元列全指数第四，2025年贸易额522.1亿美元、FDI 14亿美元 - 真实的国内旅游产品：43个A级景区含三个5A级，中华恐龙园录得31,664条携程点评

Weaknesses - Social Capital of 1.9, 28th of 30: zero consulates, zero licensed international schools, zero international clinic chains - All 10 basket foreign banks confirmed absent, and no UFI-recognized exhibition venue - Own airport handled just 4.56 million passengers (2024), leaving international access dependent on Shanghai and Nanjing

短板 - 社会资本1.9分，列30城第28：零领事馆、零持牌国际学校、零国际诊所连锁 - 10家篮子外资银行确认全部缺席，没有UFI认证展馆 - 自有机场仅456万人次（2024年），国际通道依赖上海和南京

Recommendations - Staff plants with commuter or split-week arrangements based in Suzhou or Shanghai, where schools and clinics exist. Do not position Changzhou itself as a family destination in assignment letters - For long-term local hires with foreign passports, pre-negotiate healthcare at Shanghai facilities, nothing international operates locally

建议 - 工厂人员配置采用以苏州或上海为基地的通勤或分周安排——学校和诊所在那里。派驻函中不要把常州本身定位为家庭目的地 - 持外籍护照的长期本地雇员，请预先谈妥上海医疗机构的就医安排——本地没有国际医疗

26. Changchun (13.62)26. 长春（13.62）

Movement: Down 1 from 25th in 2022 | Best category: Social Capital, 7.8, 16th of 30 | Weakest category: Culture & Tourism, 9.9

排名变动：下降1位（2022年第25） | 最强类别：社会资本，7.8，30城第16 | 最弱类别：文化与旅游，9.9

City Profile: Changchun is an auto town with an academic spine and very little else for an international resident. Volkswagen and Toyota both build here, part of a four-strong Fortune 500 presence, and Jilin University and Northeast Normal University give it two ranked universities. It even has a functioning licensed international school, CAIS, with 580 students. But the city sits outside China's visa-free transit zone entirely, one of only two index cities excluded, and its Culture & Tourism score of 9.9 ranks 29th. The fundamentals serve factories, not families.

城市概况：长春是一座有学术脊梁的汽车城，对国际居民而言此外乏善可陈。大众和丰田都在此设厂，构成四家财富500强布局的一部分；吉林大学和东北师范大学给了它两所上榜大学。它甚至有一所正常运转的持牌国际学校——长春美国国际学校，580名学生。但这座城市完全处在中国过境免签区之外（与乌鲁木齐是仅有的两座被排除的指数城市），文化与旅游9.9分列第29。这里的基本盘服务于工厂，不服务于家庭。

Strengths - Genuine industrial anchor tenants: Volkswagen and Toyota plants, plus PepsiCo and ABB, four Fortune 500 presences in total - Changchun American International School operates with 580 students, a confirmed licensed option many higher-ranked cities lack - Two ranked universities (Jilin University, Northeast Normal University) and 89 rail transit stations for a city this size

优势 - 真实的产业锚定租户：大众和丰田的工厂，加上百事和ABB，共四家财富500强布局 - 长春美国国际学校在运营，580名学生——许多排名更高的城市都没有的经确认持牌选项 - 两所上榜大学（吉林大学、东北师范大学），以及对这个体量城市而言不少的89个轨道交通车站

Weaknesses - Excluded from the national transit visa-free scheme (with Urumqi, the only two index cities shut out), which complicates every short-term visitor itinerary - All 10 basket foreign banks absent, GDP per capita of RMB 87,930 is among the lowest in the index, and 2025 FDI was just USD 0.179 billion - Inbound tourism of 243,600 in 2025 and a 29th-place Culture & Tourism score confirm a thin quality-of-life offer

短板 - 被排除在全国过境免签政策之外（与乌鲁木齐并列为仅有的两座被排除指数城市），使所有短期访客行程复杂化 - 10家篮子外资银行全部缺席，人均GDP 87,930元居指数末段，2025年FDI仅1.79亿美元 - 2025年入境游客243,600人次和第29位的文化与旅游分数，坐实了单薄的生活品质供给

Recommendations - Automotive assignments with children can work here thanks to CAIS, but confirm grade-level availability, 580 students is a single-school system with no fallback - Route all visa-sensitive travel through Beijing or Shenyang and flag the transit-exemption exclusion to travel teams before they book multi-stop itineraries

建议 - 得益于长春美国国际学校，带子女的汽车业派驻在此可行，但请确认各年级学位——580人是没有后备的单校体系 - 所有签证敏感行程经北京或沈阳中转，并在差旅团队预订多段行程前提示过境免签排除问题

27. Shijiazhuang (12.85)27. 石家庄（12.85）

Movement: No change from 27th in 2022 | Best category: Infrastructure Connectivity, 15.7, 18th of 30 | Weakest category: Social Capital, 0.0

排名变动：持平（2022年第27） | 最强类别：基础设施连通性，15.7，30城第18 | 最弱类别：社会资本，0.0

City Profile: Shijiazhuang posts the batch's starkest split. Its freight rail network reportedly reaches over 50 countries through 18 international lines, it runs 60 metro stations, and Hebei's flagship 2,800-seat arts center is here. Its Social Capital score is zero. Not low, zero: no foreign consulate, no licensed international school (Hebei's only one is in Cangzhou), no international clinic chain, and all 10 basket foreign banks confirmed absent. This is a logistics-corridor city an hour from Beijing by rail, and for any foreign family, that proximity is the entire relocation plan.

城市概况：石家庄呈现本批次最鲜明的分裂。据报道其铁路货运网络经18条国际线路通达50多国，运营60个地铁站，河北旗舰级的2,800座艺术中心也在这里。而它的社会资本得分是零。不是低，是零：没有外国领事馆、没有持牌国际学校（河北唯一一所在沧州）、没有国际诊所连锁，10家篮子外资银行确认全部缺席。这是一座距北京高铁一小时的物流走廊城市——对任何外籍家庭来说，这份邻近就是全部的安置方案。

Strengths - Outsized freight connectivity, 18 international rail lines reported to reach more than 50 countries, and a 60-station metro at home - Coca-Cola and ABB maintain operations, and the 2,800-seat Hebei Arts Centre gives it more major-venue capacity than most cities in this batch - 42 A-level attractions and Hebei's provincial museums support weekend life better than the headline score suggests

优势 - 超出体量的货运连通性：据报18条国际铁路线通达50多国，市内另有60个地铁站 - 可口可乐和ABB保持运营，2,800座的河北艺术中心给了它超过本批次多数城市的大型场馆容量 - 42个A级景区和河北的省级博物馆，周末生活好于总分给人的印象

Weaknesses - Social Capital of 0.0: zero consulates, zero licensed international schools, zero international clinic chains, ranked 29th of 30 - All 10 basket foreign banks confirmed absent, and no UFI-recognized exhibition venue - GDP per capita of RMB 76,926 and FDI of USD 0.173 billion put the economic base near the bottom of the index

短板 - 社会资本0.0分：零领事馆、零持牌国际学校、零国际诊所连锁，列30城第29 - 10家篮子外资银行确认全部缺席，没有UFI认证展馆 - 人均GDP 76,926元和FDI 1.73亿美元，经济基础接近指数底部

Recommendations - Use Beijing as the service hub for everything family-facing, schooling, healthcare and banking, and treat Shijiazhuang as high-speed-rail commutable rather than residential for foreign staff - Logistics and distribution roles are the realistic use case. Scope assignments as single-status with a Beijing housing option where family needs exist

建议 - 一切家庭相关事务——就学、医疗、银行——以北京为服务枢纽，把石家庄当作高铁通勤地而非外籍员工居住地 - 现实的用例是物流和分销岗位。派驻按单身模式设计，家庭有需要时配北京住房选项

28. Urumqi (10.0)28. 乌鲁木齐（10.0）

Movement: No change from 28th in 2022 | Best category: Infrastructure Connectivity, 19.3, 15th of 30 | Weakest category: Culture & Tourism, 9.3

排名变动：持平（2022年第28） | 最强类别：基础设施连通性，19.3，30城第15 | 最弱类别：文化与旅游，9.3

City Profile: Urumqi is a transport hub before it is anything else. Its airport moved 29.18 million passengers in 2025, the highest in this entire batch, and its International Land Port runs overland rail routes reported to reach 19 countries. Inbound tourism jumped 41.7 percent to 682,500 visitors. Everything else is thin. The city sits outside the visa-free transit zone, has no licensed international school, no basket foreign bank, and Starbucks has no directly operated store in Xinjiang. The infrastructure rank of 15th is genuine. The living infrastructure rank would be lower than 28th.

城市概况：乌鲁木齐首先是一个交通枢纽，其次才是别的。机场2025年吞吐2,918万人次，为本批次最高；国际陆港的欧亚铁路据报通达19国。入境旅游跃升41.7%至682,500人次。其余一切都很薄。城市处在过境免签区之外，没有持牌国际学校、没有篮子外资银行，星巴克在新疆没有直营门店。第15位的基础设施排名是真实的；若有“生活基础设施排名”，会比第28名更低。

Strengths - The strongest transport platform in the bottom ten: a 29.18 million passenger airport and Eurasian rail corridors reported to reach 19 countries - Real momentum in inbound tourism, 682,500 visitors in 2025, up 41.7 percent, with foreign-exchange tourism earnings up 2.7 times - Small but real commercial markers: an Omega boutique, two UFI-approved exhibitions at the Xinjiang International Convention & Exhibition Center, and the 2,100-seat Xinjiang Grand Theatre

优势 - 后十名中最强的交通平台：2,918万人次的机场和据报通达19国的欧亚铁路走廊 - 入境旅游动能真实：2025年682,500人次，增长41.7%，旅游外汇收入增长2.7倍 - 微小但真实的商业标记：一家欧米茄精品店、新疆国际会展中心的两个UFI认证展会，以及2,100座的新疆大剧院

Weaknesses - Excluded from the national transit visa-free scheme, and consulate status is unresolved (Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan maintain offices whose consular standing could not be confirmed) - Zero licensed international schools, zero of the 10 basket foreign banks, zero international clinic chains, and Starbucks, Subway and Papa John's all absent - FDI of USD 0.02448 billion in 2025 is among the lowest recorded in the index

短板 - 被排除在全国过境免签政策之外，领事地位悬而未决（哈萨克斯坦和吉尔吉斯斯坦设有机构，但其领事资格无法确认） - 零持牌国际学校、10家篮子外资银行为零、零国际诊所连锁，星巴克、赛百味和棒约翰全部缺席 - 2025年FDI为2,448万美元，是指数录得的最低数字之一

Recommendations - Structure any placement as single-status rotation with fly-out weekends, the air connectivity genuinely supports it. Families cannot be supported locally on schooling or healthcare - Confirm every traveler's visa individually, the transit-exemption exclusion catches itineraries that work everywhere else in the index

建议 - 任何安置都按单身轮换加飞行周末设计——空中连通性确实撑得起来。家庭在就学和医疗上无法获得本地支持 - 逐一确认每位差旅人员的签证——过境免签排除会卡住在指数其他任何地方都行得通的行程

29. Zhanjiang (4.99)29. 湛江（4.99）

Movement: No change from 29th in 2022 | Best category: Culture & Tourism, 16.5, 28th of 30 | Weakest category: Social Capital and Government & Political Engagement, both 0.0

排名变动：持平（2022年第29） | 最强类别：文化与旅游，16.5，30城第28 | 最弱类别：社会资本与政府与对外交往，均为0.0

City Profile: Zhanjiang is in this index because Maxxelli's business covers it, and the honest read is that its score under 5 is accurate. Two categories sit at exactly zero. No consulate, no licensed international school, no clinic chain, no trade-promotion office. Yet the city holds two markers most of the bottom ten lack: BASF counts Zhanjiang among just five cities in its China footprint alongside Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing and Chongqing, and HSBC operates a branch. Inbound tourism more than doubled in 2025 to 518,000 visitors. This is a single-anchor industrial port at the very start of an international story.

城市概况：湛江进入本指数，是因为Maxxelli的业务覆盖它；而诚实的解读是：它不到5分的得分是准确的。两个类别恰好为零。没有领事馆、没有持牌国际学校、没有诊所连锁、没有贸易促进办事处。但这座城市握有后十名多数城市没有的两个标记：巴斯夫把湛江列入其中国布局仅有的五城之一（另四座是北京、上海、南京和重庆），汇丰在此运营分行。2025年入境旅游翻了一倍多，达518,000人次。这是一座刚刚开始其国际故事的单锚工业港城。

Strengths - BASF's presence puts Zhanjiang in rarer company than its rank suggests, one of only five Chinese cities in the company's footprint - An operating HSBC branch, something 15 higher-ranked index cities cannot claim, plus 16 international shipping routes from the port - Inbound tourism of 518,000 in 2025, up 119.9 percent, with three China-Europe connecting rail lines (to Russia, Uzbekistan and Belarus)

优势 - 巴斯夫的存在让湛江跻身比排名更稀有的行列——该公司中国布局仅有的五城之一 - 一家运营中的汇丰分行（15座排名更高的指数城市都没有），另有港口16条国际航线 - 2025年入境旅游518,000人次，增长119.9%，另有三条中欧联通铁路线（通俄罗斯、乌兹别克斯坦和白俄罗斯）

Weaknesses - Two category scores of exactly zero. No consulate, no licensed international school, no international clinic chain, no verified foreign trade organisation - GDP per capita of RMB 55,504 is the lowest of all 30 cities, with 2025 FDI of just USD 0.02115 billion - Airport handled about 3.22 million passengers (2024), and there is no metro and no UFI-recognized venue

短板 - 两个类别得分恰好为零。没有领事馆、没有持牌国际学校、没有国际诊所连锁、没有经核实的外国贸易组织 - 人均GDP 55,504元为30城最低，2025年FDI仅2,115万美元 - 机场约322万人次（2024年），没有地铁，没有UFI认证展馆

Recommendations - Build assignment support around the BASF-driven population: single-status or commuter packages anchored to Guangzhou or Shenzhen for schooling, healthcare and consular needs - Lock in medical evacuation protocols to Guangzhou before headcount arrives, local international-standard care does not exist

建议 - 围绕巴斯夫驱动的人群搭建派驻支持：单身或通勤方案，就学、医疗和领事需求锚定广州或深圳 - 在员工到位前锁定飞广州的医疗后送预案——本地不存在国际标准的医疗

30. Liuzhou (4.33)30. 柳州（4.33）

Movement: No change from 30th in 2022 | Best category: Culture & Tourism, 18.3, 27th of 30 | Weakest category: International Commerce, 0.5

排名变动：持平（2022年第30） | 最强类别：文化与旅游，18.3，30城第27 | 最弱类别：国际商业，0.5

City Profile: Liuzhou closes the index, as it did in 2022, and it is included for the same reason as Zhanjiang: Maxxelli works here. Its International Commerce score of 0.5 is the lowest single category score in the report. No consulate, no foreign bank, no licensed school, no UFI venue, no Fortune 500 basket presence, no metro. What it does have is scenery and life: 62 A-level attractions including a 5A site, more than its other five category scores combined would predict, and its Culture & Tourism score of 18.3 exceeds those five scores added together. Liuzhou is a Guangxi industrial river city where international infrastructure has simply not arrived.

城市概况：柳州为指数收尾，一如2022年；它入选的原因与湛江相同：Maxxelli在这里开展业务。它的国际商业得分0.5，是全报告最低的单项类别分数。没有领事馆、没有外资银行、没有持牌学校、没有UFI展馆、没有篮子财富500强、没有地铁。它有的是风景和生活：62个A级景区含一个5A级——文化与旅游18.3分，超过其余五个类别分数之和。柳州是一座广西工业江城，国际基础设施只是还没有抵达。

Strengths - 62 A-level tourist attractions (one 5A, 43 at 4A grade), a deeper official attractions registry than several top-15 cities, anchored by Chengyang Bazhai - Named on the expanded national visa-free transit list through Guangxi's inclusion, easing short-term visits - Baseline hospitality exists: a Marriott-flag Courtyard operates in the prefecture, and the global fast-food majors are present

优势 - 62个A级景区（一个5A、43个4A），官方景区名录比若干前15城市更厚实，以程阳八寨为锚点 - 借广西入列而登上扩大后的全国过境免签名单，短期到访更便利 - 基础接待能力存在：一家万豪系万怡酒店在辖区内运营，全球快餐巨头均有门店

Weaknesses - International Commerce score of 0.5, the lowest category score anywhere in the 2026 index, with zero basket Fortune 500 presences and zero of the 10 foreign banks - Airport throughput of roughly 1.23 million passengers (2024), no metro, and a single confirmed international rail route (Liuzhou to Moscow) - Inbound tourism of 75,600 in 2025 is the smallest confirmed figure in this batch

短板 - 国际商业0.5分，为2026版全指数最低类别分数，篮子财富500强为零、10家外资银行为零 - 机场吞吐约123万人次（2024年），没有地铁，仅一条确认的国际铁路线（柳州—莫斯科） - 2025年入境旅游75,600人次，是本批次确认的最小数字

Recommendations - Support any placement remotely from Guangzhou, on-the-ground vendor options are too thin to contract locally. Scope visits as project trips, not postings - If a client requires a resident presence, budget for Guangzhou-based schooling and healthcare with a generous travel allowance, and set that expectation before the assignee accepts

建议 - 任何安置由广州远程支持——本地供应商太薄，无法就地签约。到访按项目差旅设计，而非派驻 - 若客户必须常驻，请预算广州的就学与医疗加充足的差旅补贴，并在派驻人员接受前设定好这一预期

About Maxxelli关于Maxxelli

Maxxelli is Asia's destination service partner for global enterprises relocating and managing international talent across Asia — end to end, from arrival to full settlement.

Maxxelli是面向全球企业的亚洲目的地服务伙伴，为在亚洲安置和管理国际人才的企业提供从落地到完全安顿的端到端服务。

Core Services核心服务

• Home Search
• School Search
• Immigration Support
• Orientation & Settling-In
• Tenancy Management

• 住房搜寻
• 学校搜寻
• 移民签证支持
• 城市向导与安家
• 租赁管理