Dalian belongs to several tier cities

Dalian leads the Northeast region, surpassing Yantai Dalian ranked sixth with a composite score of 0.76, the only city in the Northeast to enter the top ten. Dalian's main strengths are its well-developed manufacturing sector and its openness to internationalization. Manufacturing is an important pillar of Dalian's economy, with its manufacturing value-added accounting for as much as 38.7% of GDP, much higher than the national average. As one of China's most important port cities, Dalian maintains close trade relations with the rest of the world, and its internationalization is also a reflection of its competitiveness.

The fact that Dalian has overtaken Yantai in Shandong province reflects the positive results of economic transformation in the northeast. Dalian has not only maintained its leadership in traditional industries, but has also made significant progress in new industries and technological innovation. Dalian's success also provides lessons to be learned for other cities in the Northeast.