Multinational companies that wish to achieve long-term success in China are riding on the North Bund development wave, a new engine for Shanghai's growth.

"Over the years, Shanghai's excellent business environment, strong policy support and convenient enterprise services have helped the development of our business and global vision expansion," said Zhai Jingli, vice-president of paper products manufacturer Asia Pulp and Paper, which is a subsidiary of the Sinar Mas Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Indonesia.

The company was among the first multinational companies to enter the Chinese market. It was also the first foreign-funded enterprise to establish headquarters in Shanghai.

Seeing the unique geographical advantages and unlimited potential of North Bund in Hongkou district in 2006, APP China began to lay out the planning and development of various industries in North Bund, according to Zhai.

"With the support of Hongkou district and using our international investment vision and rich industrial development experience, we successfully built a world-class urban complex, Sinar Mas Plaza tower, also a new benchmark for government-enterprise cooperation," Zhai said.

Independently invested and developed by APP China, the 320-meter-high building is currently the tallest in Puxi. It is also an important step for the group to expand its new real estate business, she said.

So far, the office building has attracted a number of multinational companies, such as BMW, American Express, Kose and YKK.

It is also among the first pilot areas for Shanghai to test 5G technologies.

Another project, Shanghai Landmark Center, which is located in Hongkou has started to attract businesses.

In the future, Shanghai Landmark Center and Sinar Mas Plaza tower will form a linkage, supporting North Bund to become the city, even the country's core area for innovative development, Zhai said.

In the post-pandemic era, APP China will cope with the changes of lifestyle and upgrade its business model, Zhai said.

"We will focus on product innovation, combined with our core competitiveness, to accelerate the research and development of medical and health products such as masks and protective clothing," she said.

To promote its digital transformation, it will restructure its business processes, product services, business model and customer experience, so as to achieve long-term development, according to Zhai.

Miyata Yasuhiro, general manager of Kose China shares this view.

"Since Kose China moved to Hongkou in May 2013, district officials have regularly provided us with cordial services and suggestions when there have been new government policies or revisions to the tax laws. Hongkou district has become the support for our strong business here," Yasuhiro said.

Yasuhiro said he particularly appreciated the "gentle and powerful service system" from the Hongkou government since the outbreak of COVID-19 earlier this year.

"The government has given us strong support and care after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. In addition to regular visits, they gave us detailed suggestions for the working conditions of employees and measures to prevent infection. They told us that if there are any difficulty, we can discuss it with them at any time," he said.

The pandemic also brought many changes in the market. For Chinese consumers, their values, hobbies and lifestyle have changed a lot, according to Yasuhiro.

"We need to pay attention to this 'change', take measures that are in line with the needs of consumers," Yasuhiro said. He noted that enterprises can seize the opportunities brought by the change and improve their performance.

With reliable product quality and stable online sales channels, the business of Kose in China has improved greatly, he said.

So far, more than 90 percent of Kose's products are imported from Japan, according to the company.

"Employees of our company are proud to work in this place. We will continue to take Hongkou district as the source of communication and constantly transmit a message of beauty. We hope to grow together with Hongkou district," he said.

Clockwise from top left: A cruise ship docks at Shanghai International Convention Center in Pudong New Area. The Landmark Center in Hongkou district stands above its surroundings with 147-meter tall twin towers. Evening twilight glows over the North Bund. CHINA DAILY