(Yicai) April 23 -- The leader of the Shanghai municipal government visited the 21st Shanghai International Automotive Industry Exhibition to meet with the executives of foreign companies attending the event.

Chen Jining, secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, yesterday had a tour of booths of several international automakers at the Auto Shanghai 2025, including Mercedes-Benz, Toyota Motor, and Volkswagen, according to a press release.

The Auto Shanghai 2025 kicked off yesterday at the National Exhibition and Convention Center and will run until May 2. Over 1,000 exhibitors from 26 countries and regions will participate, setting a new attendance record. More than 100 new vehicle models will debut at the event.

During his visit, Chen held talks with executives of overseas carmakers on how to optimize China’s business environment and improve its industrial ecosystem.

Shanghai’s Mayor Gong Zheng also met with executives of global automotive parts suppliers yesterday.

Shanghai is a vital window to China, and this auto show offers companies global opportunities and future investment chances, said Ola Källenius, chairman of Mercedes-Benz’s management board. Mercedes-Benz will continue refining its business layout in China, he added.

Executives from foreign auto parts suppliers, such as France’s Forvia Group and Germany’s Webasto Group, said they have continuously upgraded their capabilities in Shanghai, with research, development, and production shifting their strategies to ‘in Shanghai for China and the world’ from merely ‘in Shanghai for Shanghai.’

They also pledged to keep investing in Shanghai and deepen engagement in the Chinese market.

In the first quarter of the year, Shanghai’s gross domestic product grew 5.1 percent to CNY1.27 trillion (USD175 billion), according to the latest official data. Retail sales of new energy vehicles in the city surged 10.6 percent in the period.

Editor: Futura Costaglione