Taizhou ranks 44th in the 2019 list of the top 100 cities in China released by Warton Economic Institute. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

Taizhou ranked 44th in the 2019 list of the top 100 cities in China released by the Warton Economic Institute.

The first three spots went to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou respectively.

Apart from Taizhou, other cities in Zhejiang province that made the list include Hangzhou (fifth), Ningbo (18th) and Shaoxing (33rd).

The institute ranked the cities based on six criteria: GDP, household savings, environment, science and education, culture, and sanitation. It is the fourth top 100 Chinese cities list to be released by the institute.

The Warton Economic Institute is formally known as the Shanghai Institute of Economic Development Research. It was founded in 1988 after being approved by the Shanghai Municipal Government. It is the first comprehensive research institute to focus on macroeconomics, regional economics and business development.

Taizhou is the birthplace of China's joint-stock company and a national manufacturing hub.

The city has 52 listed companies and the fourth most A-share listed companies of any prefecture-level city in the country.

As of the end of 2018, Taizhou was home to 67 national industrial bases, with 179 products from the city holding the largest market shares in their respective categories.