What does it mean?, The birth of another mega city in China

China's mega cities are experiencing expansion.

Suzhou has been promoted to a mega city

Suzhou recently released a statement stating that the National Bureau of Statistics has updated the national urban-rural classification code. The statistical scope of Suzhou urban area includes Suzhou Industrial Park, and the urban-rural code of its subordinate communities has been changed from the town center area to the main urban area. The urban and rural classification codes of various communities under the jurisdiction of Loufeng Street, Shengpu Street, Weiting Street, Xietang Street, and Jinjihu Street have been changed to 111. This adjustment is not a zoning adjustment, it is only an adjustment of statistical caliber.

According to the statistical caliber of this adjustment, based on the permanent population data released by the 7th National Population Census in 2020, the permanent population of Suzhou urban area is 5.1251 million.

According to the Notice on Adjusting the Standards for Urban Scale Classification issued by the State Council in 2014, the standards for urban scale classification are based on the permanent population of urban areas, and cities are divided into five categories and seven levels. Among them, cities with a permanent population of 5 million to 10 million in urban areas are considered mega cities; Cities with a permanent population of over 10 million in urban areas are considered mega cities.

The permanent population of Suzhou urban area exceeds 5 million, which means that Suzhou has entered the ranks of mega cities.

What are the mega cities?

In September 2021, the National Bureau of Statistics released a list of super large and mega cities in China through the Qiushi magazine based on the 2020 national population census data.

The above list shows that at that time, there were a total of 7 mega cities in China: Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Tianjin; There are a total of 14 mega cities: Wuhan, Dongguan, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Foshan, Nanjing, Shenyang, Qingdao, Jinan, Changsha, Harbin, Zhengzhou, Kunming, and Dalian.

Therefore, after Suzhou joins the ranks of mega cities, China's mega cities will also expand accordingly.

What is the significance of being promoted to a mega city?

Feng Wenmeng, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council, told China News Finance reporters that mega cities are an important threshold for cities, and upgrading to mega cities can have a positive impact on urban development and enjoy more policy potential.

Taking the ongoing urban village renovation as an example, on July 21, 2023, the State Council executive meeting approved the Guiding Opinions on Actively and Steadily Promoting Urban Village Renovation in Super Large Cities. The meeting pointed out that actively and steadily implementing the transformation of urban villages in mega cities is an important measure to improve people's livelihoods, expand domestic demand, and promote high-quality urban development.

Whether it is a mega city or not is also related to the qualification of urban agglomeration construction. According to the Guiding Opinions on Cultivating and Developing Modern Urban Agglomerations released by the National Development and Reform Commission in 2019, urban agglomerations are urbanization spatial forms within urban agglomerations centered around mega cities or large cities with strong radiating and driving functions, and with a 1-hour commuting circle as the basic scope.

In Feng Wenmeng's view, becoming a mega city in Suzhou is not only a result of population agglomeration in the context of regional population growth and decline differentiation, but also will further enhance Suzhou's attractiveness to population and talent. Suzhou has a solid foundation for industrial development, including careful layout of high-end manufacturing, biopharmaceuticals, etc. The industrial development has driven a large number of employment opportunities.

Feng Wenmeng stated that becoming a mega city will bring about economies of scale and more efficient allocation of public services. Suzhou has a higher level of public services, which makes residents' lives more comfortable, the environment more livable, and their lives more reassuring. This is an important factor in attracting population inflows and long-term settlement. In addition, cities can aggregate more innovative elements, trigger a new round of innovation, form a spiral effect, and help promote the continuous emergence of new models and industrial upgrading.

"Becoming a mega city means that the city is more attractive and has a stronger ability to radiate and drive," Feng Wenmeng believes. However, at the same time, there are not only benefits but also challenges, including considering preventing the occurrence of big city diseases, preventing resource factor prices from soaring, and avoiding the weakening of relative competitive advantages. Urban management needs to be well planned and prepared for response.

Who will become the next mega city?

Currently, Nanning has the potential to become the next mega city.

In recent years, the permanent population of Nanning City has continued to increase. According to data released by the Nanning Municipal Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2022, the permanent population of Nanning was 8.8917 million, an increase of 58900 people from the end of 2021, ranking first in the region in terms of total population.

Although the permanent population of Nanning is close to 9 million, whether the urban permanent population reaches 5 million is the indicator that determines whether it is a mega city.

According to the 2020 China Population Census data by county, the permanent resident population in the urban area of Nanning City is 4.5675 million, which is not far from the threshold of a mega city with 5 million people.