Even as its pollution soars to hazardous levels, Beijing has jumped into the top 10 global cities, says a ranking by A.T. Kearney. At No. 8, China’s capital is the only Chinese city in the top 10, and moves up from 12th place last year, according to the 2014 Global Cities Index, released on April 14 (Shanghai came in at No. 18, and Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Chongqing at 66, 73, and 84, respectively).
For the second year in a row, New York and London, in first and second place, topped the list that looks at 84 municipalities around the world and ranks them by measures including business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural offerings, and political engagement. Others in the top 10 include Paris at No. 3, followed by Tokyo, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Chicago, Beijing, Singapore, and Washington.
