Online-sales portal evaluates Chinese cities on buying power

The country's largest online-shopping platform has placed about 2,600 cities among six levels based on their economic strength and online purchasing power.

The four Chinese cities with the highest GDP - Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen - are the four in the first tier in the list because their economies are conducive to online shopping, according to a report released on Tuesday by Taobao, a domestic online-shopping service provider.

Most of the 24 second-tier cities are from the eastern and central areas and have higher incomes, convenient transportation, and easier access to the Internet. Only three western cities - Chongqing, Xi'an, and Chengdu - were on the second-tier list.