Welcome to Shanghai, China! Shanghai, a municipality directly under the central government of China, is a modern international metropolis with a spirit of inclusiveness, pursuit of excellence, broad-mindedness, and humility. Located at the estuary of the Yangtze River in East China and facing the Pacific Ocean, Shanghai forms part of the Yangtze River Delta, one of China's most robust, open and innovative regions.
As China's largest economic powerhouse and an important international financial center, Shanghai achieved a GDP of 4.72 trillion yuan in 2023, up 5 percent year-on-year. Shanghai is also a leading international trade and consumption center, with its ports' total throughput the highest in the world. In 2023, Shanghai's total imports and exports amounted to 4.21 trillion yuan, marking a record high, while the city's total retail sales of consumer goods surged by 12.6 percent. Shanghai is an important global shipping center and an open hub, implementing the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) agreement and accelerating the construction of the Waigaoqiao and Hongqiao national import trade promotion and innovation demonstration zones.
The city is also making significant progress in building an international science and technology innovation center. The proportion of research and development expenditure to the GDP was around 4.4 percent in 2023, while the number of high-value invention patents per 10,000 people was up to 50.2. Shanghai is developing toward an internationally influential digital city, strengthening the foundational support for urban digital transformation. It is one of the country's most international cities, with 956 headquarters of multinational companies and 561 foreign-invested R&D centers established by the end of 2023.
Shanghai is also a world-renowned cultural metropolis and international travel destination, with 239 public libraries, 162 museums and 100 art galleries by the end of 2023. In 2022, Shanghai hosted 46 major international and domestic sports events, as well as successfully organized heavy-weight cultural activities. The city's transport system is becoming more efficient, with its metro network reaching 831 kilometers. Shanghai has a complete education system, with 64 higher-education institutions, 888 secondary schools and 671 primary schools by the end of 2022.
Shanghai aims to enhance its urban soft power to match its ambition to become a socialist metropolis with global influence. In the future, Shanghai will showcase its character of "International, Innovative and Inclusive", focus on high-quality development, and turn itself into an international economic, financial, trade, shipping, and science and technology innovation center, as well as a global digital city with great influence.
