Glossary for China economic and trade

1st tier cities
1st tier cities are municipalities directly administered by the central government (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai Chongqing) that are designated as the major economic and commercial centres of China. But in terms of the actual state of development, only Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are recognized as the first tier cities.

2nd and 3rd tier cities
s are regional economic centres/cities other than Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Administratively, regional economic centres are basically provincial capital cities or subprovincial cities which have independent economic status within a province. 3rd tier cities are larger cities which are economically more developed but are not the provincial capital or subprovincial cities.

PRD
Production line in a PRD factory
Acronym in full: The Pearl River Delta
The Pearl River Delta (PRD) is one of China’s leading economic regions and a major manufacturing center located at the south. The PRD economic zone is formed by 9 cities, namely Guangzhou (the provincial capital), Shenzhen, Foshan, Zhuhai, Jiangmen, Zhongshan, Dongguan, four districts and counties of Huizhou and four districts and counties of Zhaoqing. Continue reading →