63.4 pct of respondents optimistic about second-tier cities' future: survey
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A survey showed that 63.4 percent of the respondents were optimistic about the future development of second-tier cities compared to first-tier cities, third-tier cities, and rural areas.

A total of 2,014 people participated in the survey, which was conducted by China Youth Daily.

There are no unified standards to categorize Chinese cities but the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) monitors the housing prices in 70 Chinese cities and has categorized the cities into three tiers.

According to the NBS, China has four first-tier cities -- Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Capital cities of provincial regions and some other major cities are listed as second-tier cities, including Hangzhou, Chengdu, and Xiamen.

China's urbanization rate (the percentage of permanent urban population) surged to 58.52 percent by the end of 2017, up from 17.92 percent four decades ago.

The growth of China's urbanization rate will maintain a relatively high speed, reaching 68.5 percent in 10 years, said Hu Xiaowu, an expert of urban development at Nanjing University.

China's urban areas will become more livable in the future, Hu said. "The cities will see progress in terms of the ecological environment, education, employment, elderly care, and traffic."

The respondents consider rail transit, employment policies, and job opportunities as the most important factors when evaluating the prospect of a city's development.

Hu noted that high-speed trains, as important tools to promote city-to-city exchanges, can bring new development opportunities.

"High-speed trains significantly reduce travel time between cities, which can promote business exchanges and tourism," Hu said.

"In addition, cities with both high-speed railways and subway lines have more advantages," He added, noting that the high efficiency in transportation helps bring resources together in a more convenient way.

Author： 　　　Source：xinhua　　　 Editor：Yang Fan