Foreigners of various countries and fields receive high honors for bringing innovation, development and connection to their 'second home', Wang Xin reports.

Shanghai, a global metropolis sharing China with the world, is on a fast track, and always making Simon Lichtenberg feel at home with its warm openness and acceptance. Lichtenberg, founder of Trayton Group and the all-China founding chairman of the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China, has been living in Shanghai for 33 years. On Sept 29, he was awarded Honorary Citizen of Shanghai, the city's highest honor for expatriates.

Lichtenberg describes himself as a "vibrant and adventurous "type and has been connected to China since his youth through learning Chinese. He says he has always felt the city's potential as a global hub, and witnessed its rapid economic and social development, as well as the country's.

"Shanghai has become a leading international city in so many ways: investment opportunities, business environment, technology, culture, education, innovation, social development. It is very well managed. The people of Shanghai are industrious, innovative and resilient. Shanghai is my home and it is a wonderful place for me, my business and my family," he says.

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However, he notes that Shanghai is not well understood by many people in the West. As an Honorary Citizen of Shanghai, he feels "a big responsibility in doing more in playing a bridging role" to foster understanding and friendship, and to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation between people and countries.

This year, the Shanghai Municipal Government bestowed the Honorary Citizen of Shanghai designation upon two expatriates and honored 28 foreign nationals with the 2025 Magnolia Gold Award in recognition of their positive contributions to the city's development and international exchanges.

The other Honorary Citizen of Shanghai was presented to Severin Schwan, chairman of the board of directors of the Swiss healthcare company Roche Group and the executive chairman of the International Business Leaders' Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai, also known as IBLAC.

Serving as the city's highest honors for expatriates, the Honorary Citizenship was established in 1997, following the launch of the Magnolia Silver Award in 1989(named for Shanghai's representative flower) and the Gold Award in 1992. To date, 1,907 expatriates have been honored by the city — 51 Honorary Citizens of Shanghai, 390 Magnolia Gold Award recipients, and 1,466 Magnolia Silver Award recipients.

This year's 28 Magnolia Gold Award recipients come from diverse fields, such as finance, trade, technology, shipping, healthcare, consumer products, education, research, and culture. Despite different expertise in a variety of sectors, they share the same love for the city and confidence in its future.

France's Yann Bozec, president of Tapestry Asia-Pacific, regards Shanghai as a globally "unique "city for blending its 5,000-year-old history and cutting-edge modernity. Seeing the city developing into a key fashion city worldwide, he is confident that more innovation and cool ideas will come from China, and especially Shanghai.

"The people here are incredible entrepreneurs and are very resilient. They embrace the changes, bring the newness, utilize new technology, and drive it as well. That's why I feel Shanghai is the most exciting city to live in," Bozec adds.

"Innovation" is one of the most frequently mentioned words by the 28 award recipients when talking about working and living in Shanghai. Bertrand Regnier from France, the global managing partner of the EY French Business Network, says Shanghai has been making efforts to facilitate innovation not only for China but also for the world's continuous growth.

Gary Knight from the United States, chairman of Invista Nylon Chemicals China, also highlights innovation and the Chinese people's spirit and will to succeed and grow.

"You can feel so much energy in the people who create new ideas and new things. Innovation will advance at an incredible rate over the next five years in China in sectors such as AI, robotics, pharmaceuticals, the biomedical, the automotive … China's future is strong — there's no doubt about it," says Knight.

Joost Vlaanderen from the Netherlands, president of Greater China at Mondelez International, has been living in Shanghai since 2018, and spends 10 hours per week studying Chinese. He is deeply impressed by the city's growth rate and believes such development will continue.

"The thing I like most about working and living here is the speed of change and development in China — it's addictive," he says. "Shanghai is my second hometown."

Several other award recipients share similar sentiments with Vlaanderen, taking Shanghai as their second home.

"Shanghai is the land of opportunities. It's my home not only now, but forever. I have a permanent resident card, and my family is here. I will not leave — it is where I will stay and retire," says Knight with a smile, who enjoys the city's welcoming culture, food, profound civilization, and especially the "irreplaceable" Chinese people.

Alexander Rhys Gregg-Smith, from the United Kingdom and senior vice-president at Bureau Veritas Marine (China) Co, has been in Shanghai for 13 years and became a permanent resident in 2020.Dedicated to the maritime sector, he feels he "belongs" to the city and especially loves the "can-do attitude" of the people.

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"Shanghai is like my home city. It's one of the best, if not the best city, in the world. It is vibrant, fantastic and brilliant — it has everything," he says.

It is this sense of feeling like home that may explain why these honored expats actively think of ways to contribute more to the community and the city.

Bozec is hoping to work with some friends to establish a mentorship to support students in better adapting into the working community. Masahiko Suga from Japan, general manager of the business design department at Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co, wishes to promote China-Japan cooperation in sectors such as fintech (financial technology), green growth, and digitalization. Michel Hossler, from France and founder and chief designer at Agence Ter, aspires to fill the city with more green landscape designs.

Contact the writer at wangxin2@chinadaily.com.cn