#BocconiCorrespondents. From Shanghai, Stefano Ortolina and Pier Luigi Giraudi

Talking about an avant-garde city certainly cannot fully describe the general situation of a huge country that historically seen rapid , though not geographically balanced, average growth . For those who live in the Chinese business capital and are used to constant progress, it is evident (but not astonishing) to see how Shanghai has already started off well.

A quick transition from full lockdown to free movement for residents with code green QR is what we hope will be considered as an organizational example, if only because it is chronologically in front of all the world's largest metropolises and an indicator of what could also happen in Europe. The Chinese domestic market is rebooting, shopping centers have customers; there is caution for food & beverage with restaurants reopened but not at 100%; transport has resumed fully; schools, although they have always guaranteed continuous learning via distance learning to their students, are also reopening physically; people want to go out and want to spend more than before (a condition known as revenge spending).

There is still some slowdown for the tourism industry for the moment which, just to give an example, during the national holiday of this May saw about 115 million Chinese fly versus the 200 million of last year. However, it's a good sign of recovery given how recent the memory of the lockdown is. The general feeling is of desire for normality, of pride in having defeated the virus and willingness to recreate that Chinese dream that has been constant growth in the past 30 years. China is ready and is doing its part to return to what was a world that was certainly not perfect, but that at least was moving in the right direction.

Stefano Ortolina, Managing Director at Infinity Group International, and Pier Luigi Giraudi, Managing Director at HLD Shanghai