Let the World Experience China's Enthusiasm and Charm

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

Let the World Experience China's Enthusiasm and Charm

In one week's time, China will discover whether the Bureau of International Exhibition, or BIE, has deemed the country worthy of hosting the 2010 World Expo. If China wins the bid, it will be the first developing country ever to host the prestigious international event.

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The 132nd Congress of the Bureau of International Expo. (BIE) will be held in Monte Carlo, Monaco on December 2-3, 2002, representatives of various member states will vote the host city for the World Expo 2010 from among the five cities of China, Russia, Mexico, Poland and the ROK.

The bid for Shanghai World Expo 2010 is a historical necessity of China's persistence in the reform and opening up policy over the past 20-odd years, and the rapid rise of China's overall national strength, is the magnificent decision of the Chinese nation with a 5,000-year-long history and culture to shake off its long-term poverty and weakness in modern history and to advance toward great rejuvenation, as well as a all-win choice made by the rapidly progressing contemporary China which is opening its mind and devoting its active efforts to exchange and cooperation with various other countries around the world and to the development of the world expo undertaking.

As we look back on the course China has traversed over the past three years in its bid for Shanghai's World Exp 2010, we come to see that the enthusiasm and determination of the Chinese people and the charm and prospect of the Chinese market are moving and attracting the whole world. Just as President Jiang Zemin said while meeting with the investigation group of the Bureau of International Expo in March this year, "The Chinese people are fully able to hold a most successful, most wonderful and most unforgettable World Expo."

Wishing to Fulfill Its Century-Old Dream

The BIE accepted China as a member state in 1993. On December 8, 1999, the representative the Chinese government announced at the BIE Congress that the Chinese government supports Shanghai's bid for being the host city for the World Expo 2010. On March 17, 2000 the Shanghai World Expo 2010 Bidding Committee with State Councilor Wu Yi as its chairman was established by the Chinese government, and on May 2, 2001, Chinese Ambassador Wu Jianmin to France formally submitted China's application to the BIE.

As a matter of fact, some far-sighted people in modern China had begun writing books on the World Expo more than a century ago and advocated that China should hold the World Expo, so as to promote the progress of technology, the growth of production and the development of business, but due to weak national strength and frequent foreign aggression in old China, the concept and suggestions of these men of vision were only a far-off dream.

Last year, China's GDP reached US$1.16 trillion, its financial revenue stood at US$197.96 billion, the proportion of its export to GDP reached 23 percent, or 5 percentage points higher than the world average level. It is an indisputable fact that China has the ability and conditions to bid for hosting the World Expo. Shanghai, as China's largest economic center with a population of over 13 million people, registered a per-capita GDP exceeding US$4,500 and its comprehensive economic strength reached the level of a moderate-income country. After over 20 years of unremitting efforts, Shanghai has made great headway in municipal infrastructure construction, renovation of old urban districts and the adjustment of industrial structure, the city's overall qualities have greatly improved. Particularly after the '99 Fortune Global Forum and the 2001 OPEC Conference were respectively held in Shanghai, the metropolis' ability to host large-scale international activities has been further enhanced

The Chinese government has solemnly promised that it will conscientiously implement the various stipulations of the "International Expo Convention, pledging that it will adopt all measures to provide safety guarantee and entry conveniences for all exhibitors and exhibits and provide preferential treatment for the exhibitors of developing countries, and that it will give financial support to the Shanghai International Expo 2010. All this demonstrates the solemn posture and great strength of China as a large responsible country.

Popular Confidence, Utter Sincerity

At present, Playbills on China's bid for the Shanghai International Expo 2010 can be seen everywhere in the country Wang Junyi, director of the office of the leading group for the bid for the Shanghai World Expo 2010, said, "This is the most vivid portrayal of the Chinese people's earnest expectations of the World Expo."

As early as August 2000, the poll conducted by the urban and rural sample surveying team under the Shanghai Statistical Bureau in 50 cities across the country indicated that 89.4 percent of the people deemed it necessary for China to bid for the World Expo, 94.4 percent supported China's bid for the World Expo, 92.6 percent maintained that China has the ability to host the World Expo, and 78.6 percent believed China can succeed in its bid. The Bailianjing living quarters on the bank of the Huangpu River, located in the planned area for the site of the Shanghai World Expo 2010, is inhabited by over 3,000 people. With the bid for the World Expo entering its final sprint, the more than 3,000 residents have made a paper ship by hands, inside which are 3,000 glittering stars symbolizing luck, the ship is wished to have a plain sailing.

Chinese people supporting and participating in various activities related to China's bid for this world event are countless in number, more than 6,140 slogans embody the wisdom and enthusiasm of the residents in 26 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions across the country.

The staunch leadership of the central government, the support and coordination of various social sectors and the enthusiastic participation of the general public throughout the country have become a strong driving force for and a continuous push to the process of China's bid for the world event. Although Shanghai faces intense competition, the various departments are operating with high efficiency and various items of work are proceeding in an orderly way. Over the past two years, the Chinese delegation has repeatedly appeared and spoke at the Congress of the BIE member countries and won the high praises of the BIE and personages of various countries. State-level theatrical performances displaying China's image and its enthusiasm in the bid have been successfully staged many times in Paris, the seat of the BIE

World Expo-the Best "Home"

In March this year, when the BIE conducted an on-the-spot investigation in Shanghai taken as the first bidder by BIE, the planned site for the world event and the design scheme caught the attention of the members of the investigation group who expressed the hope that Shanghai's blueprint for hosting the world event would turn into reality at an early date.

"Better City, Better Life", the theme of Shanghai's bid for hosting the world event, flashes like a lightning before people's eyes. Chinese and foreign experts commented that this original theme that reflects the eternal pursuit of humankind demonstrates the characteristics of Shanghai, applying for the status as the host city.

Construction of the Shanghai World Expo park area needs direct investment of US$3 billion and investment in communications, commerce, renovation of old urban districts is about 5-10 times the expense for hosting the World Expo. At the same time, The World Expo needs professional services, such as high-level fund-raising, commerce, tourism, management and law, this has created a vast market and space for Chinese and overseas clients to participate in the planned construction for hosting the Shanghai World Expo. With the rising temperature in the atmosphere of the bid, many well-known international enterprises including the US General Motors and Coca Cola, Japan's Toshiba and France's Carrefour, all expressed their blessing for China in its bid for hosting the World Expo.

On the voting day, December 3, of the BIE, we expect China to succeed and wish everything would go smoothly with Shanghai. As the secretary-general of BIE, who has visited Shanghai many times, said: If the World Expo is held for the first time in a developing country, it will be of great significance. Because a developing countries are more enthusiastic and interested in hosting the World Expo and they all hope by means of which to promote infrastructure construction, improve people's living standards, let the world have a better understanding of their own countries, conversely, the world should also have a deeper understanding of the achievements gained by developing countries.

By People's Daily Online

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