Shanghai has rolled out a series of initiatives to transform the ongoing 28th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) into an immersive citywide cultural and tourism extravaganza.
The film festival kicked off on Saturday, and this year's edition features a significant increase in global entrants and a strong lineup of world premieres.
In the city center, a former tourist information center has been transformed into a film-themed fair that blends fan check-ins, cultural and creative products, workshops, and exhibitions. At this venue, moviegoers can follow a film-themed handbook and passport to explore iconic landmarks and uncover cinematic memories scattered across the city.
"I'm planning to explore some of the film-themed routes in Xuhui District and relive the stories behind the movies. The sign-ups are incredibly popular. They sell out almost as soon as they're released," said Liu Chiying, a tourist.
During this year's film festival, Xuhui District has launched several walking routes connecting iconic film-themed landmarks. An online mini-program has also been introduced, allowing visitors to follow an e-map and AI-guided audio tours to discover the stories behind the city.
"This year, in alignment with the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival, we're focusing on a 'festival-city synergy' approach. We've integrated exhibitions, intangible cultural heritage activities, fan meet-ups, and multiple city-walk routes. We hope to weave cinematic elements into the very fabric of the city," said Chen Shen, Deputy Director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau in the Xuhui District.
Shanghai film festival combines film, tourism to offer visitors a richer experience
Multinational companies are deepening their footprint in China's high-tech industries, expanding research and production to seize opportunities from the country's ongoing industrial upgrade.
According to the latest Multinational Corporations in China report, Research and Development spending in the country accounted for 14.3 percent of global totals in 2025, while 14,000 new foreign-funded firms were established in scientific research and technology services, up 27.2 percent year on year.
At the 7th Qingdao Multinationals Summit, executives talked about how strong demand in sectors such as EVs, semiconductors, and batteries is prompting companies to expand capacity and embed innovation centers across China.
"Now we are opening our 4th product line, our 4th operating plant at the end of this year. So our investment will be around 25 million U.S. dollars. We will double the capacity in every product line that we make and we continue to advance and invest in new technologies, cutting-edge technologies and R and D equipment to advance our products for the Chinese market," said Charles Compson, chief commercial officer of Almatis.
Heraeus Group executives say China’s rapid development in emerging sectors have made the country a key base for innovation, with nearly all of the company’s divisions now operating research centers there.
"China is developing so fast and it is also leading in many aspects, be it robotics, be it electric vehicles, be it also some aspects of semiconductors that we really want to innovate in China. So virtually all of our units, divisions have an innovation center in China," said Klemens Brunner, managing director for Semiconductor, Electronics, and Industrials at Heraeus Group.
Gregor Idekeit, vice president and CFO for China at Claas, highlighted China’s push to modernize agriculture through electrification and smarter machinery.
"It's a big push for modernization of agriculture as we adopt more and more electric components in our machinery and more intelligent machinery. We will continue here to develop and bring products to the Chinese market here on the high end," he said.
In the first four months of this year, more than 3,000 foreign‑funded companies expanded investment in China. The country is also opening high‑tech and modern service sectors, creating new opportunities in areas such as culture, tourism, and digital industries.
"As China continues to expand its high-level opening up to the world, exciting opportunities are emerging across culture, tourism, creative industries and digital technologies. A greater openness will strengthen our cultural experiences and allow us to create a greater level of Chinese story that goes out to the world," said Richard Taylor, co-founder and CEO of Weta Workshop.
"Every time I come to China, I get quite energized and excited about the speed of change. So we're going to continue, of course, building and growing hopefully here," said Mike Doustdar, Novo Nordisk's president and CEO.
The three-day Qingdao Multinationals Summit, which drew 357 multinational companies from 44 countries and regions, concluded Wednesday in east China's Shandong Province.
Multinationals deepen investment in China's high-tech industries
