Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen were named the top three financial cities for innovation and entrepreneurship in China according to The China Innovator and Entrepreneur Finance Index, released by the China Development Institute in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Nov 22.

Covering 337 cities nationwide, this year's index evaluates cities via four dimensions: financial resource supply, service performance, policy support and environmental capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship, with 27 objective indicators.

A total of 52 cities in East China entered the top 100, with South China and Central China each hosting 12. Core urban agglomerations, such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions also led other regions in financial development, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, made the list on fourth place.