Both China and India had populations over billions. Shanghai and Mumbai, as megacities with dense and diversified populations, should be fully prepared for the post-COVID era. Now it is time to lay out a long-term plan for upgrades in urban planning and governance of the two cities.
On May 29, Associate Professor Zhang Zhijie from Fudan’s School of Public Health participated in an online seminar titled Post-Covid Urban Planning and Governance in Mumbai and Shanghai to share Shanghai's experience of COVID-19 prevention and control with Mumbai.
The seminar featured talks by Tang Guocai, consul general of the People's Republic of China in Mumbai; Chen Dongxiao, dean of Shanghai Institute of International Studies; and Manjeet Kripalani, executive director and co-founder of Gateway House, an independent Indian foreign policy think tank.
Also participating were Liu Youfa, former ambassadorial consul general of China to Mumbai; Yang Xubo, head of Foreign Investment Administration, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce; Sifra Lentin, Bombay History Fellow, Gateway House; Nitai Mehta, founder of Praja Foundation, an Indian research institute working towards enabling accountable governance; and Pankaj Joshi, executive director of Urban Design Research Institute, a Mumbai-based organization dedicated to the protection of the built environment and improving urban communities.
Chinese officials and scholars gather to communicate with Indian attendees via video conferencing.
The Chinese attendees spoke about the current situation in China in terms of COVID-19 control, urban management, public health, and economy and trade, explaining in detail the strategies and policies adopted in Shanghai for the resumption of work and production.
Associate Professor Zhang Zhijie from the School of Public Health of Fudan University shares with Indian attendees Shanghai's COVID-19 experience.
The two sides agreed they should adapt the lessons drawn from each other to their own needs.
Looking into the future, the Indian attendees believed the economic ties between China and India would meet both challenges and opportunities, but exchanges and cooperation would continue to benefit both countries. They looked forward to seeing the friendly relations between the two countries be strengthened further.
Source: Office of Global Partnerships
Editor: Li Yijie
