Urbanization in China or 37 percent of the total population in the mid-1980s—was relatively low by comparison with developed nations, the number of people living in urban areas in China was greater than the total population of any country in the world except India. The four Chinese cities with the largest populations in 1985 were Shanghai, with 7 million; Beijing, with 5.9 million; Tianjin, with 5.4 million; and Shenyang, with 4.2 million. The disproportionate distribution of population in large cities occurred as a result of the government's emphasis after 1949 on the development of large cities over smaller urban areas. In 1985 the
Pakistanis in China number of Pakistani students across China was estimated at 1,000 . Xinjiang is one of the major destinations for Pakistanis coming to China. , about 500 Pakistani international students were enrolled at universities in Xinjiang, the largest proportion—484—at Xinjiang Medical University. The desire to attract Pakistani students was a major driver behind the university's decision to move away from using Chinese as their medium of instruction, even though it has proven challenging for the professors there. They include about 120 students drawn from among the large migrant population of Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia. As of 2012, there are over 5,000