Her observation is echoed by two Italians now living in Shanghai — Gabriele Fezia, an Italian architect, artist and curator, and Aldo Cibic, an Italian architect and designer.

"Everybody agrees that Milan and Shanghai have a special connection and there are many similarities — especially in the way that society and people act and think," said Fezia, who comes from Alessandria near Milan and moved to Shanghai in 2000.

On this day in 1979, exactly 45 years ago, Shanghai and Milan joined hands to become the first pair of sister cities between China and Italy. The friendship has been particularly enhanced in light of the passing of the baton between the two World Expos, namely the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai and the 2015 World Expo in Milan, thanks to a memorandum of cooperation signed between the organizing committees of both sides.

Shanghai and Milan have fostered more cooperation after 2015, Fezia said. "There have been a lot of initiatives on both sides. They are setting up exhibitions such as the Shanghai branch of the Salon del Mobile — a notable annual furnishing exhibition in Milan since ages ago. It has been a big success (since its inauguration in 2016) and we have seen Italian lifestyle elements promoted on many occasions in China."