Shanghai Has Great Expectations of World Expo 2010

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, February 27, 2002

Shanghai Has Great Expectations of World Expo 2010

This report written by People's Daily correspondents Rong Xiao and Li Lihui focuses on the following three points: Chinese people's new expectations; a theme full of new ideas; and having both strength and capability.

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Chinese People's New Expectations

Last year, one of the happiest things for the Chinese people was Beijing winning the right to host the 29th Olympic Games in 2008. At present, China is applying for hosting the World Expo 2010. It is people's fervent hope that nine years later, the event, known as the "Olympics" in the fields of economy, science & technology, and culture, can be held in Shanghai.

Wu Yi, state councilor and chairwoman of the committee for application for hosting the Shanghai World Expo, 2010, said, "Hosting the Shanghai World Expo 2010 is the common aspiration of the 1.3 billion Chinese people. The Chinese government will make unremitting efforts to support Shanghai's application for hosting the World Expo; similarly, the Chinese government will exert its utmost to present to the world a superb and unforgettable World Expo."

China has comprehensively started the activity to apply for Shanghai's right to host the World Expo 2010. At 9:00 May 2, 2001 a.m., Wu Jianmin, Chinese ambassador to France, presented to Vicente Conzalez Loscertales, secretary-general of the International Bureau of Exhibitions (BIE), a letter of application, signed by Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan, for holding the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. This is the first official letter of application, received by the International Bureau of Exhibitions, for hosting the World Expo 2010.

Shanghai Mayor Chen Liangyu said, "The 2010 World Expo, if held in China's Shanghai, will be an event to take place in a suitable country, in a suitable city and with a suitable theme. Shanghai and China as a whole need the World Expo, similarly, the international exhibition undertaking also needs Shanghai and China at large."

A Theme Full of New Ideas

The theme for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo is defined as "Better City, Better Life". This theme, adopted for the first time in the history of the World Expo, gives expressions to the characteristics of the sponsor Shanghai.

Shanghai has a history of more than 700 years since it was opened as a port city. At the beginning of the 1990s, Shanghai, taking the development of Pudong as an opportunity, has made leaping progress in urban construction and social and economic development, becoming a big, modern internationalized city that integrates Eastern and Western cultures, and displaying its unique metropolitan graceful bearing. Taking a comprehensive consideration of its diverse economic, social, cultural and environmental factors, Shanghai has finally chosen the areas on both sides of the Huangpuiang River as the cite for hosting the planned World Exposition.

William R. Keller, general manager of Switzerland's Roche company (China area), said at the 130th meeting of the BIE: What will Shanghai look like 10 years later? My daughter and thousands upon thousands of Shanghai children will know the answer. He said: I firmly believe that under the leadership of a far-sighted and highly efficient government and with highly qualified and open-minded citizens as well as increasingly perfect urban infrastructure facilities, Shanghai will score still greater achievements 10 years later. He said "Shanghai needs the World Expo 2010 and it is entitled to have this opportunity." He called for giving one's vote to Shanghai, to "Better City, Better Life"."

Loscertales, who has visited Shanghai several times, once said to People's Daily correspondent: "Shanghai has notable superiority, for instance, its vigorous economy, very open atmosphere, as well as its very attractive traditional factors." It can be predicted that the World Expo, if held in Shanghai, will enable the world to have a full understanding of the diversity and compatibility of Chinese culture and will help strengthen the exchanges and links between various peoples around the world.

Wang Junyi, director of the office of the leading group for the work of applying for hosting the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, makes the following remark, "Applying for hosting the World Expo represents a process, an internationalized process of learning from various other countries, a process of upgrading Shanghai's industrial structure, a process of improving citizens' qualities and a process of demonstrating China's determination to go globe and establish a good image."

Having Both Strength and Capability

Nowadays, Shanghai citizens, in the posture of being masters of their own destiny, are taking an active part in the activity of application for hosting the World Expo. The office in charge of application is collecting from society slogans and playbills for the application. In the past two months, upwards of 4,000 people have handed in over 6,000 slogans and 400-odd playbills.

Shanghai has to hold several hundred international conferences and cultural activities annually, and an international exhibition every two days on average. It is drawing closer to international metropolitan standards in terms of economic strength and organizational capability in holding large-scale activities, for example, the 32nd ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) annual meeting in 1997, the Fortune Global Forum in 1999 and the Shanghai Five-nation Summit in 2001, particularly the APEC meeting-all were very successful. Shanghai has had rich experiences in holding high-class, large-scale international meetings and exhibitions.

A Chinese authoritative organization predicts that the number of visitors to the 2010 Shanghai World Expo will not be less than 50 million persons/times. Shanghai currently possesses a large batch of guesthouses and hotels, it is estimated that in the next decade, the city's receptive capability will grow 20-30 percent, fully capable of meeting the needs for the World Expo.

By 2010, Shanghai's international aviation passenger handling capacity will have reached 38 million people/times annually; its railway passenger transport capacity 45 million people/times annually; and its expressway passenger transport volume 45 million people/times each year.

In addition, Shanghai will build a 650-km expressway network. Its city traffic consists of transits, in addition, Shanghai embraces five tourism collecting and distributing centers and 98 lines, the city will open special tourist lines for the World Expo.

Shanghai expects of hosting the World Expo, and it is fully capable of making the event a success.

By People's Daily Online

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