beijingwalker
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China, partially a member of the developed world
2014-01-05
2014-01-05
After over a decade of breakneck development speed and much speculation, China is matching the economic prosperity of the developed world. The signs of this expanding milestone can be found in the GDP per capita of a growing number of cities and provinces, according to our Chinese-language sister newspaper Want Daily.
Shanghai was an early starter, breaking the US$10,000 benchmark — the threshold for entering the developed club — when it recorded a US$10,529 GDP per capita in 2008. The figure rose further to US$14,095 in 2012. The record was quickly followed by Beijing, whose GDP per capita reached US$10,070 in 2009 and rose to US$14,442 in 2012. Next was Tianjin in 2012 with US$15,383 GDP per capita in 2012, the highest in the country.
Besides directly-controlled municipalities, GDP per capita in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Inner Mongolia also exceeded the benchmark in 2012. It is not a surprise for the two former provinces since they located in the highly-industrialized Yangtsu River Delta.
Inner Mongolia became the first province in western China to surpass the US$10,000 GDP per capita, excelling over south and east China's Fujian, Guangdong and Shandong provinces. Its economy has grown substantially over the past decades due to the booming mine industry and rising energy prices.
Several Chinese cities are geared to pass the US$10,000 threshold. Liaoning in northeastern China almost reached the mark in 2012 with US$9,352 GDP per capita and is likely to has exceeded it in 2013. Guangdong, Fujian and Shandong are also expected to follow suit in 2014.
Among prefecture-level cities, Macao and Hong Kong have the highest GDP per capita at US$74,914 and US$36,660, respectively.
）will be north of 10000 USD in 2015。
