From Sept 17 to 18, the Multinational Enterprises Shanghai Visit event was held in Shanghai. Jointly launched by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government and CITIC Group, the event brought together more than 220 business leaders and representatives of industry associations and investment institutions from 24 countries and regions, aiming to build a platform for exchange and cooperation between Chinese and international businesses, to attract global resources, high-quality projects and high-end production factors to Shanghai and to forge substantive, long-term connections among them.

Xi Guohua, chairman of CITIC Group, said that choosing China means choosing the most certain growth opportunity, choosing Shanghai means choosing the most dynamic ground for development, and choosing CITIC means choosing the most dependable partner. He set out three priorities for CITIC: deepening integration into Shanghai's development as a global center for the economy, finance, trade, shipping and technological innovation; channeling more innovation resources into the city to advance artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing; and scaling up investment to support CITIC's institutions in Shanghai and the city's broader development.

Jochen Leonhardt, chairman of the board of German Association of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses, and Ali Osmani, president of AMH Canada Ltd, were among the participants who shared their perspectives. Zhang Wenwu, vice-chairman of CITIC Group, joined representatives of six multinational corporations and institutions to launch a joint initiative by CITIC Group and international capital to invest in Shanghai.

The program yielded a pipeline of high-quality projects and cooperation intentions covering multinational headquarters, innovation platforms and manufacturing bases. Delegates also visited Pudong New Area and six other districts, with a focus on artificial intelligence, biopharmaceuticals, commercial aerospace and new energy vehicles.