This Aug 19, 2022 photo shows a view of Beijing's CBD area. (PHOTO / VCG)

Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen were the top 3 Chinese cities in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) last year, Chinese news portal Jiemian reported on January 31.

With a respective GDP of 4.47 trillion yuan ($660.18 billion), 4.16 trillion yuan and 3.24 trillion yuan, Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen claimed the first three positions on the list of top Chinese mainland cities in GDP.

Chongqing replaced Guangzhou and claimed fourth place for the first time in 2022, with Suzhou ranking sixth, followed by Chengdu.

Chongqing witnessed 2.6 percent year-on-year GDP growth in 2022 to reach 2.91 trillion yuan and Guangzhou posted 1 percent year-on-year GDP growth to reach 2.88 trillion yuan in the same period.

Looking from a middle and long-term perspective, Chongqing has greater growth potential than Guangzhou as Chongqing's GDP per capita is only half that of Guangzhou, said Xu Tianchen, an economic analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit.

A GDP of one trillion yuan is an indicator of a strong economic city and China has 24 such cities, according to data from local governments.

It indicates that China remains an important engine for global growth despite the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic.