The Shanghai Committee of the Communist Party of China on Tuesday released a guideline aiming to enhance the city’s soft power and showcase Shanghai’s potential.

The announcement came a month after the city’s municipal government discussed plans to strengthen its soft power while serving as a model for other regions in China. A group of experts had gathered for a forum in May to talk about expanding the city’s influence at home and abroad.

Li Qiang, Shanghai’s party committee secretary, said during the forum that the city should find ways to promote its “humble and kind spirit” as well as “assert its open, inclusive, and innovative values.” He added that all residents in Shanghai should have access to a better quality of life.

China has been on a quest to increase its soft power abroad through various means, including language, media, culture, food, and even video games. The mission is on par with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s broader vision of establishing the country as “a reliable, lovable, and respectable China.”

(Header image: People Visual)