Linda Painan, chairwoman of The Expatriate Center [Photo provided to China Daily]

Having lived here for 25 years, I have witnessed Shanghai grow from strength to strength, becoming more and more developed, both in terms of physical infrastructure and soft skills. Physical infrastructure is always the easiest to copy and build, but the speed at which Shanghai has developed in terms of services and its conduciveness of living has greatly surpassed most other international cities, too. For example, one can now leave the house comfortably without having to bring along physical cash－just a phone in hand will do.

Shanghai culture is uniquely cosmopolitan and yet deeply rooted in traditions. Though it is a large melting pot of Eastern and Western cultures, it also manages to stay unique in its own way. I would use words such as "fast-paced", "exciting", "open", "welcoming" and "international" to describe it.

Also, Shanghai is hungry to embrace other best practices by consistently holding dialogues with local expats to understand their needs, from religion to work to living in this city, and then refining policies based on those opinions. These are very clear signs of a welcoming city that is yearning to improve.