Expats awarded for commitment to global city

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.

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.