The annual survey, organized by International Talent Magazine and China Society for Research on International Professional Personnel Exchange and Development and now into its seventh year, has served as an important window for expatriates to learn about China. It is the only national survey participated in exclusively by foreign experts working and living in China. 

Shanghai has topped the list five times in a row, having scored the highest both in working and living environments（Special coverage: 2016 Amazing China）. Hangzhou, ranked third in 2016, performed well and greatly closed the gap between it and Beijing, which was second on the list. For the list of most attractive cities in Western China, Chengdu has led the race two years in a row.

Economic reasons continue to dominate why expats choose to work in China. Employment opportunities were voted as the reason to come to China by 57.2 percent of voters. More than half of respondents, 55.3 percent, took urban environment and pollution into consideration when choosing a city to work in China.

Climbing up the career ladder and enhancing working environments was a core need for expats. 39.1 percent of voters hoped to work in China in the long term. 71.6 percent were satisfied with their pay, and 36.1 percent expressed a willingness to stay in China for the long run.

The survey this year is more interactive and targeted. 20 semi-finalist cities will be selected through online voting on China Daily Website as well as the official Wechat account of International Talent Magazine. From this group, 10 finalists will be chosen by a team of experts, including Nobel Prize laureates, Chinese Friendship Award recipients and foreign experts who are part of China's Thousand Talents Program. The experts will make their decisions based on criteria like policy, political affairs, working environment and living environment.

Under the theme "urban openness and talent recruitment", this year's survey aims to showcase Chinese cities, discover the value and entrepreneurial preferences of foreign experts in China, raise awareness of talent recruitment and establish a better comprehensive environment in order to attract more foreign talents to work and start businesses in China.

This year's survey concludes on Feb 28 and results will be released in April.

Most Attractive Chinese Cities for expats is an annual survey organized by International Talent Magazine and China Society for Research on International Professional Personnel Exchange and Development. It aims to discover the beauty of Chinese cities in the eyes of foreign experts in China.