South China's Guangdong province, East China's Jiangsu province and the city of Shanghai were the three most competitive economies in 2017, according to the latest released China Provincial Competitiveness Bluebook in April.

The Bluebook, compiled by the Fujian Normal University and China Social Sciences Press, evaluated 31 provincial-level administrative regions in their economic competitiveness in 2016-2017.

The provincial competitiveness, according to Li Jianping, chief editor of the Bluebook, also former president of the Fujian Normal University, was based on the province's attraction to nationwide resources, acquisition of market share, and influence on surrounding regions.

GDP was no longer the sole metric to judge competitiveness, Li said, adding that macro economy, industrial economy, sustainable development, finance, environment, government contribution, and planning and coordination were all key criteria in evaluation.

Top winner Guangdong province ranked high in macro economy, industrial economy and knowledge-based economy, the report showed, as the province boasts more than 40,000 high-tech enterprises, with output value reaching 7.4 trillion yuan ($1.1 trillion) in 2017, up 10 percent on a yearly basis.

Besides Guangdong province, regions in the Yangtze River Delta region, including the Jiangsu province, Shanghai, and Zhejiang province all remained at the forefront. The GDP of Jiangsu province exceeded 9 trillion yuan in 2018, making it a new player in the "9 trillion yuan club" with Guangdong province.