Hai'an ranked 42nd among China's top 100 counties and county-level cities with the most development potential, according to a survey conducted by Xiaokang Magazine. [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]

The Xiaokang Magazine, a Chinese periodical published every ten days, recently released a 2021 list of China's top 100 counties and cities with the most development potential.

With a score of 92.55 points, Hai'an – a county-level city administered by Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province – ranked 42nd among the 100 selected counties and cities and was the only administrative division in Nantong included on the list.

In addition to districts administered by municipalities directly under the central government and the Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan regions, a total of 2,757 counties and county-level cities in China were evaluated.

According to industry experts, the development potential of a county or county-level city is mainly determined by six major elements – land resources, location and traffic conditions, level of social and economic development, leading industries, population, and support from national or provincial development strategies.