Guangzhou, the southern Chinese city once known as Canton, has stayed at the top of a new list of the country's best cities for business, according to Forbes China, the licensed China-language edition of Forbes magazine.

Guangzhou topped the list in part on the strength of the city's transport infrastructure and human resources. The southern business hub is headquarters to, among others, billionaire Zhang Li of Guangzhou R&F Properties, one of China's richest people and China Southern Airlines.

Nearby Shenzhen, home to Internet giant Tencent and China's telecommunications hardware leader Huawei Technologies, ranked No 2 on the list.

No 10 Chengdu

Workers prepare to assemble parts of a Volvo car at an assembly line of the new Volvo automobile manufacturing plant in Chengdu, Sichuan province, June 5, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]