Julian Blissett, General Motors Executive Vice-President and GM China President, has lived in Shanghai with his wife and three sons for 15 years.

He loves playing football every week and strolling along the city's roads in his spare time. He regards Shanghai as the best place to live in the world and one of the leading cities in China's evolution.

GM recently announced that it will become carbon free by 2040 as well as invest over $27 billion in electric vehicles globally in the next five years. Blissett said that 40 percent of the new models launched in China will be electric vehicles. The realization of these ambitious goals, he said, will hinge on Shanghai's friendly business environment, government policies and intellectual property laws.

He said that the China International Import Expo will also help showcase products to Chinese customers and act as a testing ground for the company to engage with potential customers and respond to their needs.

The company has attended the CIIE for three consecutive years and will again participate in the fourth this year.