(Yicai Global) July 22 -- Kunshan, a small city in eastern China's Jiangsu province, is China's best-performing county in terms of gross domestic product, according to a Chinese consultancy.

Kunshan's GDP was CNY383.2 billion (USD55.7 billion) last year, The Paper reported today, citing a report from CCID Consulting Jiangsu dominates the top four, and in total, holds 26 out of the 100 slots in the list. Eastern Zhejiang had 19 and northeastern Shandong 18. 

The top 100 counties maintained steady growth in trade, retail sales of consumer goods and fixed-asset investment, while benefiting from their specific locations and good industrial structures, Ma Chengen, director at the Beijing-headquartered consultancy said in the report.

The group of 100 were growing faster in terms of their secondary and tertiary sectors, involving manufacturing and services, than provinces and the national average, Ma added.

The top 30 counties achieved a combined annual GDP worth more than CNY100 billion. Some 26 of them were located in eastern China, proving an imbalance of wealth.

Central regions made up 20 slots in the top 100, an increasing number, as the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, including Henan and Hubei provinces, have further integrated to spur growth in the entire region. 

Editor: Emmi Laine