World Expo Attracts Record Number of Participants ����The worldwide promotion for the 1999 International Horticultural Exposition ended as scheduled on January 15, with organizers in the capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province announcing that gardening gala will host a record number of participants. ����"We have signed contracts with 66 nations, as well as 22 international organizations, a record in the 100-odd year history of the world exposition," according to Du Yong, deputy director of the Yunnan Exposition Bureau. ����The horticultural exposition will be held in Kunming from May to October. China has never before hosted a world exposition of its kind, but has participated in eight previous events since 1982. ����Du pointed to the fact that international giants in gardening and fresh flower production, including France, the Netherlands, Denmark and Israel, lead the list of participants. ����France is currently building a venue covering over 3,000 sq.m. and plans to host four grand shows during the six-month exposition. The shows will feature French horticulture, wine, perfume and cuisine. ����The French government also plans to invite French enterprises with investments in China to visit Kunming and participate in a joint press conference. ����Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen said the Finnish venue will provide his nation with "a window" for displaying itself to the world and will highlight the vast potential for Sino-Finnish trade and economic ties. ����Fresh flower consumption is rising sharply in China. Yunnan, which enjoys a mild climate the year round, produces over 500 million flowers annually, or close to a third of the annual national total. ���� TopNews 1999-01-16 Page2 Full Story in Chinese