The City of London and the 32 London boroughs constitute Greater London, the capital of the United Kingdom. The City is the historic core of London. Though it covers an area of just about 2.9 square kilometers, it contributes over 2% of Britain’s GDP. In the 19th century, the City served as the world’s primary business centre. Today it stands as an indisputable international financial center, leading the world in various financial services.

Since Shanghai and the City of London were officially twinned on 4 September 1996, the two sides have been developing extensive and effective exchanges in financial investment, financial services and training of financial professionals. In the past few years, Shanghai received high-level financial delegations led by the newly-elected Lord Mayor and the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee every year. During their stay in Shanghai, they had meetings with senior government officials of Shanghai, attended and addressed at financial seminars, and had conversations with their counterparts from the financial regulatory and supervisory authorities, Shanghai Stock Exchange and financial institutions.