Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

Tajani: “A rich calendar of events and activities is planned which will celebrate this long twinning between the two cities in the name of culture, commerce and tourism”

Milan, September 2 2019 - Gemellate dal 1979, Milano e Shanghai celebrano quest’anno 40 anni di cooperazione e relazioni economiche, volti allo scambio di programmi e accordi bilaterali per la crescita di turismo, cultura e investimenti commerciali tra le due città più significative per l’Italia e la Cina. Per celebrare questo profondo legame, si è svolto a Palazzo Marino, il Forum “Investment & Business in Shanghai” che ha presentato per la prima volta in Italia, e a Milano, il più importante distretto economico di Shanghai, considerato la nuova Manhattan d’Oriente: “Jing` An District”. 

For the occasion, a large Chinese delegation led by the governor of Jing` An, Mr. Yu Yong, and made up of important state companies interested in meeting new realities and Italian companies not yet present in China, met the press and the city's economic community. Welcoming them, representing the Administration, was the councilor for Labor Policies, Productive Activities and Commerce, Cristina Tajani, together with representatives of the main fashion and lifestyle systems in Milan: from MonteNapoleone District to the National Chamber of Italian Fashion, to the Italy Foundation -China. 

“We are very honored to announce today the start of the celebrations of the 40 years of twinning with the city of Shanghai, which will see a series of events and activities take place throughout the entire year – comments councilor Tajani -. Milan and Shanghai are linked by a long friendship and represent the most active realities from an economic and social point of view for our two countries. Milan is the hub of fashion, design and Italian cuisine, all qualities that represent the highly sought after Italian lifestyle and which today we help bring to Shanghai, in the Jing` An district.” 

During the Forum, the photographic exhibition "Milan-Shanghai Living Cities" was presented as a preview which, through 40 shots by Aldo Fallai, a well-known photographer for Giorgio Armani, will tell the lifestyle of the two cities. After a first exhibition in Milan, during the September 2019 Fashion Week with a preview at the Shanghai Tang showroom in via Montenapoleone 3, the entire exhibition will be in Shanghai in November, on the occasion of the China International Import Expo and the Salone del Mobile, when Italy will present itself to China and the city of Milan to Shanghai with a large delegation.  

A sancire i 40 anni di amicizia, a Palazzo Marino sono stati firmati anche tre accordi di cooperazione, sia con importanti aziende italiane già presenti in Cina sia con nuove imprese pronte a sbarcarvi, con l’intento di supportarne la crescita e l’espansione sul mercato cinese nei settori moda, cucina e gioielleria artigianale.  

Located in the center of Shanghai and with a resident population of over 1 million inhabitants, equal to the municipality of Milan, Jing` An today represents the most important economic district of Shanghai, with over 6 thousand foreign companies that contribute to more than 50% of the turnover of the entire district, covering an area of ​​37 square km. 

“Few people in Italy know about the Jing' An district – says Stefano Mologni, president of the Italy-China Fashion and Creativity Committee, set up by the district to support its expansion –. Italian companies present and not in China can and must look at this important reality if they want to open new business opportunities on the Chinese market. To approach it profitably, you need a long-term vision that includes investments and a mental elasticity capable of adapting to Chinese culture."

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