Shanghai Daily news

The organisers of World Expo 2010 Shanghai reviewed the preparatory work for the event they had completed last year and anticipated the tasks to be done in 2007, during the Mobilisation Conference for the World Expo 2010 held today in Shanghai.
"We should move into top gear with the preparation work for World Expo 2010," Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng told the meeting.

Zhang Xuebing, standing deputy director of World Expo Shanghai 2010 Executive Committee, informed the audience of the discussions at the Fourth Meeting of the Organising Committee on January 12 about preparations for the Expo.

Zhong Yanqun, another standing deputy director of the committee, reported on the latest progress of the preparation work and the key works to be done in 2007.

Han said the preparatory work for the event would enter a new phase in 2007.

"We have set up the goals for the work, so it is more important to make specific plans and set out the requirements for every task to ensure the work will be finished on time," Han said.

Han said the organisers would be able to carry on with the theme development while the pavilions were being constructed.

"We should start the recruitment of volunteers in advance and the preparations of international forums and activities should be accelerated," Han said.

"And we should attract more countries and organisations to attend the event and we also need to improve our services for the participants."

According to the Expo master plan, there are seven categories and 96 key tasks involving theme development, participants services, construction work, pre-Expo preparation, marketing, promotion, information, technology and security work to be done.

Six government departments delivered speeches covering their work last year and their plans for 2007 during the meeting.