Total media personnel at World Expo exceeds 127,000

In the past three months, the number of Chinese and foreign media personnel covering Shanghai World Expo has exceeded 127,000, according to news from the Xinhua News Agency.

The News Center of the Shanghai World Expo has issued 12,334 registration certificates to Chinese and foreign media personnel on July 31, the half-way point to the end of the World Expo, said Zhu Yonglei, deputy director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, on July 31.

Zhu released these figures when he attended the changing of the guards and handover ceremony of the volunteers in the News Center. The News Center was officially launched on April 27 and was serviced by a total of 474 volunteers during the first-half of the Expo. The second batch of 209 volunteers will begin providing regular service in the News Center starting Aug. 1.

According to Zhu, the next peak period for news coverage will be when major activities are held including China's National Pavilion Day on Oct. 1, the Summit Forum for the Expo and the closing ceremony at the end of October.

According to sources, 3,500 foreign reporters from 589 media organizations have applied to cover the Expo, including reporters from the Associated Press, Agence France-Press, CNN and The Times.

By People's Daily Online