Jinjiang, Shishi, and Nan'an county-level cities and Huian county in Quanzhou, East China's Fujian province, made the 2020 list of China's top 100 county-level cities, ranking 4th, 22nd, 23rd and 36th respectively, according to a report issued on July 28.

Released by CCID Consulting, the ranking was based on four aspects: economic strength, growth potential, affluence, and green development.

Since China's reform and opening-up began in 1978, Jinjiang has vigorously developed its private economy, brand economy and real economy, and has formed a characteristic development path.

The economic strength of Jinjiang has ranked first among county-level cities in Fujian province for 25 consecutive years. In 2019, Jinjiang's GDP reached 254.62 billion yuan ($36.14 billion), up 8 percent year on year.

Shishi is famous for its clothing industry and was in the first batch of National Model Textile Industry Clusters and in the Top 10 Model Clusters of the National Garment Industry. Its output value created by the private economy accounts for 90 percent of the city's total economic output.

Located on the southeast coast of Fujian province, Nan'an was once the political, economic and cultural center of southern Fujian.

It boasts a developed private economy, with influential characteristic industrial clusters including stone materials and ceramics, plumbing, machinery and equipment, shoes and clothing, and photoelectric information.

Huian county is located between Quanzhou Bay and Meizhou Bay, facing Taiwan across the sea. It has convenient land and sea transport networks, beautiful natural scenery and abundant cultural attractions. It is known as the "stone carving town", "construction town" and a "strong fishing county".