According to mayor Gong Zheng at Shanghai's promotion convention on Sunday, Shanghai will remain focused on innovation and attracting investors from all over the world.

 

The mayor added that the city would strive towards ensuring fair competition for businesses at home and overseas, and innovation will play a crucial role in Shanghai's development. To achieve this, the city will aim to provide an optimum business environment to generate more opportunities for investors.

 

Shanghai has attracted the highest number of multinational firms' regional headquarters out of all China's cities, amounting to 877, as well as 523 research and development centres as of the end of September, China Daily reports.

 

In addition, according to vice-mayor Zong Ming, Shanghai has amended its regulations to urge more businesses to set up their regional HQs in the city. The revised measures include launching a new type of regional HQ, bolstering the service mechanism for businesses and optimising supportive policies for companies with their headquarters in the city; the vice-mayor went on to say.

 

According to Henkel China president Rajat Agarwal, Shanghai is committed to innovation, dynamism and tolerance, has world-class infrastructure, top quality governance and is able to attract the world's best talent.

 

Furthermore, those attending Shanghai's promotion convention conveyed their optimism in regard to the country's economic outlook and their ongoing confidence in investing in Shanghai and China in general.

 

"China is our second-biggest market. It is very clear that if you want to be a global leader, you need to be No 1 in China," said Francis Liekens, vice-president of Atlas Copco (China) Investment Co.