Speaking in Chinese, she added: "Development is not only for the economy, but also for the people."

Orlando Ochoa, an economist from Venezuela who last visited Shanghai a decade ago, highlighted the city's continued progress.

"You can clearly see improvements in infrastructure, the financial sector, and technological innovation, which is now something that is leading the economy," he said. "The '15-minute community life circle' concept of keeping people with services around you is really interesting… I think it's a very people-centered approach."

"This is the kind of thing we should do everywhere — integrate communities and ensure they share in the benefits of economic progress," he added.

Lucas Gomes Chen, cultural director of the Advanced Center of Studies of Brazil-China, noted the comprehensive planning behind the neighborhood's transformation.

"It's really interesting to see how such a large society functions and functions well," he said, emphasizing the involvement of residents in the planning process.

At a seminar on South-South cooperation and China-Latin America relations held at Fudan University on June 10, Weeberb Joao Requia Junior, an associate professor from Brazil, highlighted opportunities for academic collaboration.