On April 2, the Shanghai Municipal Government convened a forum with foreign financial institutions to gather their opinions and suggestions on accelerating the development of the city as an international financial center. The meeting was attended and addressed by Wu Wei, Member of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Committee and Executive Vice Mayor. Liu Jian, Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal Government, presided over the forum.

During the discussions, representatives from the foreign financial institutions shared cutting-edge information from the global financial sector, new trends and concepts in the operation of foreign businesses in China, along with relevant practical cases. They expressed strong approval for Shanghai's efforts to deepen financial reform and opening-up, optimize the business environment, and maintain financial market stability. Suggestions were put forward regarding areas such as cross-border data flow, business qualifications, and cross-border finance. Wu Wei listened carefully to the feedback and engaged in in-depth exchanges with the attending institutions on issues of concern.

Wu Wei expressed gratitude for the contributions made by foreign financial institutions to Shanghai's economic and social development and to the construction of its international financial center. He emphasized that the national outline for the 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly calls for accelerating the development of Shanghai as an international financial hub. He expressed hope that foreign financial institutions would leverage their global networks, professional services, and risk management expertise to actively participate in high-level financial opening. He encouraged them to serve as bridges connecting the Chinese market with international markets, establish more regional headquarters and global functional headquarters in Shanghai, and contribute to the city's goal of becoming a leading financial center. Shanghai will continue to foster a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized, facilitating foreign financial institutions in deepening their roots in Shanghai and expanding their presence across China.

Heads from 11 foreign financial institutions attended and spoke at the forum, including Morgan Stanley Bank, Barclays Bank, Natixis, Bank of New York Mellon, Allianz Insurance, Manulife-Sinochem Life Insurance, MetLife CITIC Union Life Insurance, Neuberger Berman Funds, Temasek, Warburg Pincus, and KKR. Relevant responsible officials from the Shanghai Municipal Office for Financial Work, the People's Bank of China Shanghai Headquarters, the Shanghai Local Financial Regulatory Bureau, and the Shanghai Securities Regulatory Bureau also participated in the meeting.