Public Fervor for Shanghai's World Expo Bid

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, December 02, 2002

Public Fervor for Shanghai's World Expo Bid

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Shanghai Residents Support World Expo Bid

With the decision on which city will host the 2010 World Expo due on December 3 at the 132nd General Assembly of the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) in Monaco, public fervor is running wild in China's candidate city Shanghai and nationwide.

Well-decorated floats are touring Shanghai's downtown areas, trumpeting the country's World Expo campaign following last year's successful bid to host the 2008 summer Olympics.

An exhibition has been displaying 4,927 works on the World Expo designed by local campus students, including posters, sculptures, gifts, prize cups and diplomas.

Most of the works have a Chinese flavor and some try to blend Chinese and Western culture.

Over 10,000 Internet-surfers in a hour flocked to join a recent online chat over China's World Expo bid, demonstrating their confidence that Shanghai would win the race.

Meanwhile, people from all walks of life nationwide have been highly supportive since China launched its expo bid on May 2, 2001.

Retiree Yang Genming pedaled some 7,000 km across nine provinces and cities in 88 days to show his support.

Some 2,000 employees with the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche signed their names to wish Shanghai good luck.

A Gallop poll shows that over 90 percent of Chinese citizens want to see Shanghai host the 2010 World Expo.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin said in a letter to the BIE chairman and secretary-general that a fast-developing China was eager to host the event.

A World Expo held in China would not only help popularize the event in the country but also strengthen communication and cooperation among countries and regions across the world, according to Jiang.

After two decades of economic boom, China is on its way to realizing its goal of "building a well-off society in an all-round way" by notching up greater achievements.

Shanghai's per-capita Gross Domestic Product has increased from 1,000 US dollars in 1977 to 4,500 US dollars in 2001, laying a solid foundation for the coastal city to help drive the national economy as well as become a world economic, trade, financial and transport hub.

Mayor Chen Liangyu said a World Expo held in Shanghai would benefit not only Chinese people but also the global population through business opportunities surrounding the event.

The expo venue covers 400 hectares and a total of 3 billion US dollars would be poured into developing the area.

Companies providing financial, commercial, tourism, management and legal services would be in high demand if China wins the bid.

Some 12 million Chinese tourists visited foreign countries and spent 20 billion US dollars last year, statistics show. The Shanghai World Expo will help foreign countries showcase their tourist attractions and lure more Chinese visitors.

Meanwhile, the Shanghai Municipal Government has vowed to improve its public transport system and improve the city's environment for the World Expo.

It is estimated that a record 70 million visitors from across the world would attend the Shanghai World Expo, making it an international event of considerable influence.

The Chinese government plans to provide aid amounting to 100 million US dollars to help developing nations attend the Shanghai event in terms of venue rental, exhibition design and accommodation costs.

Frank Richter, President of the World Economic Forum Asia, said recently that Shanghai was demonstrating an inherent "New York-style" of entrepreneurship, which was attracting an increasing number of foreign visitors as well as helping the Chinese city become well-known worldwide.

Shanghai was becoming a link connecting Asian and European markets as well as initiating worldwide changes, he said. The city would be a suitable choice for hosting a World Expo and the decision would benefit investors worldwide.

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