Chen Liangyu, mayor of Shanghai and vice chairman for the
Expo 2010
Shanghai China State Bidding Committee, said on September 12
that China was "100 percent" confident of winning the tender for
exposition.
Chen made the remark at a news briefing for foreign diplomats and
the Chinese and foreign press corps, held in Beijing. He also
detailed Shanghai's latest developments in preparations for the
bid.
He
said, "Shanghai, promoting the theme Better City, Better Life,' is
keen to share with other countries the experience and insights
gained from pluralism in urban culture, prosperity in the urban
economy, innovations in urban science and technology, the
remodeling of urban communities, and the interactions between
cities and villages."
According to Chen, the EXPO site will be located on both sides of
the Huangpu River, in Shanghai, covering an area of 4 square
kilometers. After the closing of the World Exposition, the Shanghai
municipality plans to turn the EXPO site into a "global village,"
which will serve as a center for economic, scientific,
technological and cultural exchange between China and other
countries.
The project requires a direct investment of over US$3 billion, with
extended investment reaching anywhere from US$15 billion to US$30
billion. The event will provide enormous business opportunities for
enterprises around the globe.
"We are working on a more detailed plan to improve our selection
chances," the mayor added. The Chinese government has pledged to
provide US$100 million to assist developing countries participate
in the event. In addition, preferential taxation treatment will be
granted to Exposition organizers, participating countries,
enterprises and staff if China hosts the 2010 World Expo.
Mr. Chen went on to emphasize the benefits of holding the event in
Shanghai. "About 90 percent of the Chinese population and 93
percent of Shanghai residents support China's bid for the 2010
World Expo, while 86 percent of those polled in Shanghai expressed
willingness to participate in the world exposition," he said
quoting an opinion poll conducted by the Gallup Research Co.
Strong support from Chinese people is expected to guarantee a high
level of attendance at the event. Shanghai forecasts that the
exposition would attract over 70 million visitors, breaking the
record set by any previous World Expo.
Other officials echoed Chen's remarks. Senior officials from State
Council, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Ministry of
Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation and China Council for the Promotion of
International Trade, stressed that they will stand firmly
behind Shanghai in its bid for the 2010 World Expo.
Xu
Shaoshi, deputy secretary-general of the State Council and vice
chairman for the Expo 2010 Shanghai China State Bidding Committee,
reaffirmed the central government's full support.
He
noted that China, with a population of 1.3 billion and an area of
9.6 million square kilometers, will raise the profile of the World
Expo, since no developing countries have ever been asked to host
the event.
Wei Jianguo, vice minister of foreign trade and economic
cooperation and vice director of Shanghai Expo 2010 Bidding
Committee, believes that the strong Chinese economy will assist the
success of the bid.
According to Wei, in terms of aggregate economic output, China
ranked No.6 in the world in 2001. Its foreign trade exceeded US$500
billion. In addition, China, among developing countries, has been
the largest recipient of FDI for nine consecutive years.
"If Shanghai wins, the exposition will not only contribute to
promoting China's economic development, but will also set a good
example for other developing countries, making the Expo truly
international gathering," he said.
Yu
Xiaosong, president of the China Council for the Promotion of
International Trade and vice chairman of the Expo 2010 Shanghai
China State Bidding Committee, said China's 10 million businesses
and industrial enterprises all support Shanghai's bid for the 2010
World Expo. Accordingly, a business support council, composed of 50
domestic and foreign-funded companies in China, has been
established.
Mayor Chen Liangyu said, "Shanghai was greatly encouraged by the
successful hosting of the 1999 Kunming International Horticultural
Exposition." He hoped that more and more countries would support
Shanghai's bid for the 2010 World Expo.
Currently, Shanghai is competing with four other cities in the
Republic of Korea, Russia, Mexico and Poland. A final decision will
be made in the 132nd Member Nations Assembly of the Bureau
International des Expositions (BIE), which will be held in Monaco
on December 3 later this year.
(china.org.cn by staff reporter Tang Fuchun, September 13,
2002)