I have just returned from a visit to Shanghai where I spoke at the Shanghai International Printing Forum. This was the starting event of the Shanghai International Print Week. While at Print Week I was asked to present an award at the Fourth Shanghai Printing Awards. This was my third visit to Shanghai over the past ten years, and each time I am amazed at the developments that take place in this city. Over the past 15 years, I have also made a number of visits to Beijing, also for speaking engagements. In addition, I write a monthly column for the leading Chinese printing magazine, Keyin Print and keep in touch with the market through this publication. So I have had the opportunity to track the developments of the Chinese printing industry over an extended period of time.

Figure 1: Opening Ceremonies at Shanghai International Print Week in the New Shanghai Exhibition Center

Over these years I have seen massive change in both Shanghai and Beijing. When I first visited Beijing there were few cars and millions of bicycles. In fact recently in the UK there was a very successful popular song, Eleven Million Bicycles in Shanghai. Today there are still bicycles, but there are also many, many cars, which cause massive traffic jams. In fact over the past fifteen years the road network in Beijing has vastly increased, and there are now three peripheral motorways. Shanghai's network of roads is vast with a huge amount of major advanced road systems. The volume of building however is what really shows the change in China. Shanghai's building programme has totally changed the city with a vast number of major high-rise buildings of high quality. It is similar to Dubai in this sense, but the difference is Shanghai's growth has been built upon strong business foundations whereas Dubai's is built on sand and speculation. In fact, at present, the key event in China is the Shanghai World Expo, perhaps the largest world fair there has ever been. This is a truly amazing event, and following the Beijing Olympics in 2008, demonstrates the role China has taken on in the world.