March 21 - Chen Jining, Party secretary of Shanghai, met with Emma Walmsley, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, and her team.

Chen highlighted Shanghai's focus on the biopharmaceutical industry as a key sector for development. The city has unveiled innovative policies to support technological advancement and improve healthcare. With GSK's global leadership in biopharmaceuticals, there are significant opportunities for collaboration. The company is encouraged to enhance its footprint and investment in Shanghai, in alignment with the city's vision for internationalization and market-oriented growth.

Walmsley emphasized the company's mission to advance disease prevention and collaborate with Chinese partners, aiming to introduce innovative drugs and vaccines to benefit a wider patient population.

Chen Jining (R), Party secretary of Shanghai, shakes hands with Emma Walmsley, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, on March 21. [Photo by Chen Zhengbao]

March 22 - Chen Jining, Party secretary of Shanghai, met with Howard Schultz, founder and chairman emeritus of Starbucks, and co-founder of the Schultz Family Foundation.

Chen encouraged Starbucks to expand in Shanghai, enhance research and development, and shape consumer trends. He also expressed Shanghai's commitment to facilitating China-US economic cooperation and cultural exchanges and supporting the development of enterprises.

In response, Schultz affirmed his dedication to leveraging the strengths of Starbucks to promote China-US economic cooperation and cultural exchanges.

Chen Jining (R), Party secretary of Shanghai, shakes hands with Howard Schultz, Starbucks founder and chairman emeritus, on March 22. [Photo by Chen Zhengbao]

March 22 - Chen Jining, Party secretary of Shanghai, met with Bill Anderson, CEO of Bayer.

Chen highlighted Bayer's global technology leadership and encouraged increased investment in research and development in Shanghai. The goal is to create an incubation platform and an ecosystem to support small and medium-sized enterprises and introduce high-quality agricultural products.

Anderson recognizes the benefits of the Chinese market and expressed Bayer's commitment to further collaborate in new drug research, modernizing agriculture, and contributing to Shanghai's high-quality development as a global technological hub.

Chen Jining (R), Party secretary of Shanghai, shakes hands with Bill Anderson, CEO of Bayer, on March 22. [Photo by Chen Zhengbao]

March 23 - Chen Jining, Party secretary of Shanghai, welcomed top developers attending the 2024 Global Developer Conference in Shanghai. He emphasized the city's commitment to developing artificial intelligence, along with other key industries. Chen encouraged attendees to seize opportunities in sustainability, digitalization, and intelligent technologies.

Chen Jining (R), Party secretary of Shanghai, shakes hands with a representative of the global developers, on March 23. [Photo by Chen Zhengbao]

March 19 – Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng met with Eduardo Bartolomeo, CEO of Vale, along with his delegation.

Gong stressed that Shanghai is accelerating steps as a globally influential modern metropolis. As China's economic hub, Shanghai actively promotes industrial modernization and green transformation. He welcomed the company to optimize its investments in Shanghai, deepen local collaboration, and participate in the city's green initiatives.

Bartolomeo emphasized Vale's role in the 50-year economic cooperation between Brazil and China. The business environment and efficiency in Shanghai have bolstered their confidence in continuing operations.

Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng (R) shakes hands with Eduardo Bartolomeo, CEO of Vale, on March 19. [Photo by Zhang Chunhai]

March 20 - Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng met a delegation led by Daniel Houston, chairman, president, and CEO of Principal Financial Group, a global financial investment management company based in the United States.

Gong emphasized Shanghai's commitment to becoming an international financial center, prioritizing the development of finance sectors to serve the real economy, technological innovation, and the Belt and Road Initiative. He welcomed Principal Financial Group's support for Shanghai's transformation into a global asset management center and its participation in the city's pension finance development.

Houston expressed Principal Financial Group's confidence in Shanghai's growth and its intention to expand its business scope and increase investment in the city. The company plans to use its global asset management advantages to support the construction of Shanghai's international financial center and contribute to the city's urban digital transformation, aiming for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng (R) meets with Daniel Houston, chairman, president, and CEO of Principal Financial Group on March 20. [Photo by Zhang Chunhai]

March 21 - Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng met with Nestlé Group's CEO, Mark Schneider, and his team.

Gong stressed the importance of healthy, green, and high-quality food for a better life. Shanghai anticipates Nestlé's contribution to the city's development as an international consumption center through the China International Import Expo.

Schneider reaffirmed Nestlé's commitment to the Chinese market by highlighting Shanghai's significance in Nestlé's operations, particularly in coffee, where Nestlé has had a 30-year presence. Nestlé aims to provide better products and share its food safety expertise.

Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng (R) meets with Nestlé Group's CEO Mark Schneider on March 21. [Photo by Zhang Chunhai]

March 21 - Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng, met with Korhan Kurdoglu, CEO of TFI TAB Food Investments.

Gong stated that Shanghai is one of the destinations for the initial launch of new stores for national restaurant chains, with the city's franchise headquarters consistently leading the nation for five years. Shanghai looks forward to the company expanding its investment, enhancing local supply chain cooperation, fortifying management and food safety, advancing digitalization and innovation, and creating new growth opportunities in the service consumption sector.

Kurdoglu highlighted Shanghai's global significance and TFI Group's role in bridging Turkiye and China, expressing a desire to introduce more Turkish restaurant brands to contribute to China's prosperity.

Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng (R) shakes hands with Korhan Kurdoglu, CEO of TFI TAB Food Investments Group, on March 21. [Photo by Zhang Chunhai]

March 22 - Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng met with Spanish Ambassador to China Marta Betanzos and her delegation.

Gong highlighted that since the establishment of a friendship-city relationship between Shanghai and Barcelona in 2001, extensive exchanges and cooperation have been carried out in areas such as culture, education, smart cities, and port construction.

Acknowledging that next year marks the 20th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Spain, Gong expressed Shanghai's readiness to deepen its pragmatic cooperation with Spain.

He encouraged Spanish companies to leverage the China International Import Expo as a platform to broaden their business presence in Shanghai, tap into the potential of economic and trade cooperation, bolster mutual investment, and explore global market opportunities together.

Betanzos affirmed Spain's eagerness to participate in the 7th China International Import Expo in Shanghai and foster closer ties with Shanghai across a spectrum of sectors, including economy, trade, industry, energy, culture, and tourism, in the future.

Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng (R) meets with Spanish Ambassador to China Marta Betanzos on March 22. [Photo by Zhang Chunhai]