Abstract: High-tech city is a new type city that will emerge in 21 century in our country. In the 10th Five-year Plans of many regions, building a high-tech city is a key development strategy. This paper analyses the basic conditions of the formation and development of high-tech cities in terms of economic globalization, informationization, sustainable development and advantageous location theory. On the basis of reviewing the developing patterns of the main high-tech cities in the world, the paper puts forward the strategic goal and basic direction of high-tech cities' development. This paper also designs an estimation index system as follows:(1) Science and technology input scale and output efficiency, including ratio of science input to GDP, annual growth rate of high-tech industrial cluster, ratio of industrialization of R&D outcome within a year and the ratio of high-tech products with intellectual property rights.(2) Creativity and sustainability of innovation, including ratio of influx of graduates from first-class universities at home and abroad, reeducation of the incumbent in a year, the ratio of R&D staff to all the staff in the high-tech industry.(3) Perfection level of security system, including harmonization level of economic rules and policies with international convention, frequency of illegal activities.(4) Construction level of high-tech city's image, including ratio of the volume of e-commerce to the total, composite level of recycle of resources and disposal of pollutant. The above index system reflects three symbols of industrial structure, composite landscape and competitive edge of high-tech cities. Then this paper advances the innovation framework of high-tech cities in our country and make clear the strategic emphases of enhancing relations between main bodies of innovation and high-efficiency operation, and makes a deep discussion about the core contents of innovation such as functions of government in the construction of high-tech cities, intermediate agent system, policy system with the core of intellectual property rights, investment and financing system and talented supporting system.