In China, a national central city (国家中心城市) is a municipality or city with regional, national, and international importance. There are nine national central cities: Beijing, Tianjin, Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, Xi'an, and Zhengzhou.
As defined by the National Development and Reform Committee, national central cities are strategically located in the country, shoulder the national mission, lead regional development, participate in international competition, and represent the national image. This designation was formulated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in 2005 as a first step in reforming urbanization in China. The cities' hub activities or spheres of influence have great impact on their surrounding regions in modernizing and integrating services in various fields, including infrastructure, finance, public education, social welfare, sanitation, business licensing, and urban planning.
