Beijing still among China's most competitive cities despite smog, report says

Despite its traffic challenges and air quality issues, Beijing still manages to come in just behind Hong Kong, Shanghai and Shenzhen in terms of "sustainable development", according to an annual ranking of Chinese cities.

But the survey found that smog was undermining the competitiveness of several Chinese cities, including Beijing, Tianjin and Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei province.

The annual ranking of urban competitiveness is jointly released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Social Sciences Academic Press.

It ranks 294 Chinese cities using various metrics, including developmental sustainability, business climate and quality of life, among others.

"Smog has become a [core] problem for some Chinese cities," according to the compilers of the ranking, now in its 12th year. "Its severity is ever increasing and areas directly affected by it are ever expanding."

The central government declared "war" on pollution in March.