Sept 19 – Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining met separately with Severin Schwan, chairman of the International Business Leaders' Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai and chairman of the board of directors of Roche Group, Merlin Swire, CEO of Swire Pacific Ltd, and Gary S. Guthart, CEO of Intuitive. All three were in Shanghai to attend the 36th IBLAC session.

Chen highlighted Shanghai's unwavering commitment to deepening high-level opening-up and supporting global enterprises in their growth in Shanghai with a favorable business environment and effective policies. He encouraged enterprises to integrate their strengths with Shanghai's advantages in openness, technological innovation, and policy support, jointly creating more internationally influential landmark projects.

Schwan, Swire, and Guthart expressed anticipation for the upcoming IBLAC and shared ideas for deepening innovation and collaboration in healthcare and other sectors. They look forward to increasing investment in Shanghai, enhancing research and development, and making a notable contribution to the transformation and development of the city.

Sept 20 – Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining met separately with Shriti Vadera, chairwoman of Prudential Plc, and Jeffrey W. Greenberg, chairman of Starr Insurance. Both of them were in Shanghai to attend the IBLAC.

Chen encouraged Prudential Plc and Starr Insurance to offer high-quality insurance services. He called for a regulatory and legal framework that aligns with high-level openness, aiming for a brighter future for companies in Shanghai.

Vadera expressed her desire to participate in Shanghai's financial opening and innovation, focusing on healthcare, asset management, the green economy, and other areas. Greenberg expressed a strong interest in further collaboration with Shanghai to advance the city's insurance industry.

Sept 21 – Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining met with several international business leaders attending the 36th IBLAC. The leaders included Piyush Gupta, CEO of DBS Group, Miguel Ángel López Borrego, chairman of the executive board and CEO of Thyssenkrupp AG, Roland Busch, chairman, president and CEO of Siemens AG, Joerg Reinhardt, chairman of the board of directors of Novartis AG, and Robert Maersk Uggla, chair of the board of A.P. Moller-Maersk (Maersk).

Chen expressed hopes for deepened cooperation in key areas such as financial services, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and green shipping, as well as more market-driven, future-oriented services from these leading companies. He conveyed his eagerness to focus on key areas of mutual interest and deepen communication and coordination.

Gupta, Borrego, Busch, Reinhardt, and Uggla shared their insights on Chinese modernization, digital transformation, and the well-being of citizens and customers. They aim to enhance collaboration and integrate their companies' strengths with Shanghai's advantages in openness, industry, innovation, market, and resources.

Sept 13 to 17 – Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng led a delegation on a visit to Marseille, Lyon, and Paris in France. During the trip, Gong met with Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan and attended a roundtable discussion with French entrepreneurs.

During his meeting with Payan, Gong encouraged solid bilateral collaboration in fields such as trade, industry, ports, and cultural tourism. He also emphasized opportunities for exchanges and cultural interactions through flights between Shanghai and Marseille.

At the roundtable discussion in Paris, Gong expressed Shanghai's dedication to optimizing the business environment and welcomed more French companies to invest in Shanghai, sharing development opportunities.

During his visit to France, Gong unveiled the second phase of the five-year exhibition collaboration between the West Bund Museum and the Pompidou Center. In Lyon, he participated in the WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 Official Reception and the closing ceremony of the 47th WorldSkills Competition.

Sept 21 – Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng met with 36th IBLAC attendees Orit Gadiesh, chairman of Bain and Company, Soopakij Chearavanont, chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group, Rob Speyer, CEO of Tishman Speyer, Yoshihito Yamada, chairman of OMRON Corporation, and Koji Nagai, chairman of Nomura Holdings, Inc.

Gong remarked that IBLAC served as an important platform for Shanghai to deepen international exchange and cooperation, with its theme "Leading Paradigm Transformation, Expanding Opening-up and Cooperation, Advancing Shanghai's International Sci-tech Innovation Center Initiative in the New Era".

He expressed the hope that international enterprises will continue to optimize their functional layouts in the city and collaborate closely with Shanghai-based companies, offering constructive suggestions for Shanghai's high-quality growth.

Gadiesh, Chearavanont, Speyer, Yamada, and Nagai praised Shanghai's recent developments. They conveyed their eagerness to deeply engage in the city's urban development, increase investment in China, and enhance Sino-foreign exchanges.