Mayor Gong meets John Swire chief, pledges first-rate business environment

Ti Gong

Gong Zheng, mayor of Shanghai, met Guy Martin Coutts Bradley, chairman of John Swire & Sons (HK) Ltd, on Wednesday.

"The city is fully implementing the motifs of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. It is carrying out the strategic vision President Xi Jinping has pictured for Shanghai and building itself into a world influential socialist modern metropolitan city," said Gong.

"Shanghai's economy is recovering steadily from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We're fully confident about the city's future," the mayor added.

"John Swire & Sons has built a host of landmark architectures and internet celebrity places in Shanghai. We welcome the company to allocate more innovative business and functionality sectors in Shanghai, and actively participate in the city's commercial and health care sectors."

Shanghai will continue to build a market-oriented and international first-rate business environment for all types of firms in the city, he promised.

Shanghai has always been a strategic city for John Swire & Sons in its business expansion blueprint, Bradley pointed out. The company has never stopped its investing in Shanghai and a series of projects represented by the Taikoo Li Qiantan project is a reassurance of our confidence in the city.

John Swire & Sons will keep contributing to the city's fast economic recovery as a long-term investor, he added.

John Swire & Sons, with a history of more than 200 years, has invested more than 30 billion yuan (US$4.356 billion) in Shanghai. Its business scope covers realty, aviation, food, trade and health care, among others.