Shanghai Welcomes the World at the China International Import Expo 2025: Journalists See a City Built on Connection

By Zenia Pearl V. Nicolas

The world looks at Shanghai and sees connection in motion.

“It’s an incredible city,” said Mojca Pišek, a journalist from Slovenia, her voice carrying the same curiosity shared by nearly a hundred reporters from around the world as they looked out across Shanghai’s skyline.

Ahead of the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE 2025), a delegation of 91 journalists from 85 countries toured Shanghai’s most emblematic sites from the Bund’s historic waterfront to the modern spires of Lujiazui, to witness how the city continues to redefine its global identity.

A City Framed by Contrast

Shanghai’s appeal lies not only in its skyline but in its rhythm, a place where old laneways meet electric innovation. During the journalists’ visit, guided by local hosts and cultural agencies, conversations often circled back to one theme: coexistence.

Shanghai’s identity lives in the space between memory and motion.

Here, traditional teahouses sit beside AI research labs; 19th-century shikumen alleys neighbor neon-lit smart malls. For many first-time visitors, it was a living lesson in how heritage and innovation can occupy the same space naturally.

The Global Lens on Shanghai

The world’s press arrives and leaves with the same headline: connection.

Established in 2018, the China International Import Expo has evolved into one of the world’s most significant trade and innovation showcases, drawing exhibitors and delegations from over 120 nations in 2025 (Xinhua, 2025). Beyond economic exchange, it positions Shanghai as a diplomatic and cultural bridge, promoting collaboration amid an era of geopolitical flux.

For international journalists, the visit offered an authentic preview of the city’s global dialogue, not confined to trade halls but evident in daily life. The group engaged with entrepreneurs, students, and urban planners, capturing Shanghai’s evolving story of modernization with inclusivity at its core.

Stories Beyond Statistics

What resonated most was not GDP figures or trade volumes but the texture of local encounters. 

Behind every headline lies a human observation — quiet, real, and worth reading.

One European reporter observed how the city’s public spaces

“invite participation—it’s built for people, not just business.”

From sustainable riverfront design to multilingual innovation hubs, Shanghai is writing a narrative that’s both futuristic and deeply human. It’s not a city chasing headlines—it’s a city curating them, through experience.

A Global Message from a Local Lens

In every conversation, Shanghai reminds the world that openness is its true export.

As CIIE 2025 opens its doors, Shanghai reminds the world that influence can be both economic and emotional. Its success isn’t measured solely in trade value but in the impressions it leaves on those who visit.

When journalists from 85 countries return home, their notebooks will hold more than data, they’ll carry a portrait of a city that listens as much as it leads.

References 

Xinhua. (2025, November 4). Global journalists praise Shanghai’s openness ahead of 8th China International Import Expo. https://english.news.cn 

China Daily. (2025, November 4). 91 foreign journalists visit Shanghai landmarks before CIIE. https://www.chinadaily.com.cn 

CGTN. (2025, November 5). Shanghai hosts media delegation as CIIE 2025 opens with record participation. https://news.cgtn.com