Shenzhen ranked third among Chinese cities in the latest annual Globally Influential Cities list released Friday by China Daily, Peking University and Tsinghua University. Shanghai and Beijing ranked first and second, respectively. The report said Chinese cities are increasingly seeking to strengthen their global standing by relying less on population and economic scale and more on distinctive urban identities, compelling narratives and stronger international connections. The ranking evaluated five main indicators: visibility, media attention, online discussion, regional influence and international reputation, as well as nine secondary metrics, including social media mentions, mainstream media coverage, user engagement and post views