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Shanghai on cusp of becoming China’s beacon of soft power
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SHANGHAI is globally recognized as one of the world’s fastest-developing and most dynamic cities. With a population of 24 million people, it continues to be one of the most diverse places to live and visit.
Shanghai has a solid reputation for its influence in food, culinary and dining experiences. It is also recognized for its contribution to arts and literature.
Shanghai’s confidence is palpable. Having grasped the opportunities that came with China’s relaxation of foreign investment policies in the 1980s, the city quickly became a national gateway to multinationals and it has never looked back.
In many respects, the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai was the pinnacle of that energy and the point at which it took on global-city status. For some residents, that simply returns Shanghai to its rightful place as the commercial capital of Asia, a position it last held in the 1930s.
Whether it’s premature for Shanghai to reclaim its crown is difficult to say. The influx of international investment mirrors the massive population growth in the city, and Shanghai now boasts the largest foreign community in China’s mainland by some distance.
Initiatives such as the China (Shanghai) Free Trade Zone reflects the focus of the city’s leaders to develop a commercial environment that is as attractive to local trade as it is to foreign investment.
Shanghai’s push to be recognized as a finance and creative center in Asia Pacific is bearing fruit with multinational organizations opening up innovation and R&D centers in and around the city.
Architectural heritage
Shanghai has tackled an urban population explosion through an impressive, strategically grounded and ongoing infrastructure build. But it has not done so at the expense of its rich architectural heritage.
The river divides Shanghai’s revitalization initiatives, with the Huangpu and Hongkou Districts of Puxi seeing some serious preservation efforts while the Pudong area has become the center for dramatic contemporary commercial builds. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Metro system, the fastest-growing and longest subway system in the world, is designed to connect the new with the old.
Shanghai understands that soft power cannot be delivered with a sledgehammer, and it is active in ensuring visitors and residents have sight of the many exciting and dynamic attributes of the city.
Shanghai has built a reputation as a center for overseas business investment while amplifying its cultural and heritage attributes, both acutely distinguishing factors.
What it needs now is the means to showcase housing affordability, health, education and, more broadly, the quality of life it offers to its residents. We think Shanghai is on the cusp of becoming a soft power beacon for other cities in China.
The article is adapted from a report by Weber Shandwick and KRC Research, titled “Engaging Cities: The Growing Relevance of Soft Power To Cities in Asia Pacific.” It covers eight cities including Bangkok, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney and Singapore.
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