Shanghai Daily news

The preparatory work of the World Expo Shanghai 2010 is running smoothly and the progress is well on its way, top Expo organisers said today in Beijing during an Expo-related press conference.

Wang Jinzhen, vice chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, also a member of Shanghai 2010 Exposition National Organising Committee, and Zhu Yonglei, deputy director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, attended the meeting.

The meeting was set to report the progress of the Expo to the public, including theme developing, national and international participation, media promotion, legal issues and the construction of the Expo Site.

World Expo 2010 Shanghai is a grand international gathering for advanced technologies, global culture and civilisation. In the 184-day event, countries and people from all over the world will exchange their ideas on the theme "Better City, Better Life," discussing a brand-new living pattern for people to create an ecological, harmonious society and promote the sustainable development in the world.

Since Shanghai won the bid for the World Expo 2010, the Chinese government built an organising committee to arrange the preparatory work. The committee held its fourth meeting in January.

During the meeting, Vice Premier Wu Yi urged the organisers to continue preparations for the Expo and told them "the work will be arduous" in 2007.

On theme development, Shanghai is further defining the content, structure and manifestation of the theme. The "Best Practices Regions," a highlight of the Expo, is widely recognized by the international community and the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE). The region will gather cities that can bring advanced technologies and innovative ideas displaying "better life."

Regarding international participation, Shanghai has had rewarding results until now. General Secretary of the BIE Vicente Loscertales commented that so many countries and international organizations have confirmed participation in such a short time, which is a great success. Shanghai will place more emphasise on attracting international organisations and countries that haven't established diplomatic relations with China.

On national participation, the organisers promoted the Expo in provinces and domestic companies. The promotion in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan will start this year.

About the construction of the Expo site and relocation work, the organisers finished the basic groundwork of the site and 18 other projects through international bidding and absorbing the ideas of the experts' team. The construction and designs of important projects and supplying facilities are in full swing.

The organisers also wrote a guide on the protection of Intellectual Protection Rights (IPR) during the World Expo 2010. Other regulations on medical care, customs, taxes, food security and insurance support the event with a strong legal framework. In 2007, nine special regulations will be submitted to the BIE for review.

Regarding media promotions, the organisers are taking full advantage of press conferences, newspapers, TV, websites and magazines to improve the media coverage. The Shanghai government website launched an Expo column and the official website of the event was revamped last September.

During the preparation process, the organisers have been in discussion with the BIE actively and are following other international conventions.

With the support of the Chinese government and the BIE as well as the participation of the international community and media, Shanghai will make the event "successful, extraordinary and unforgettable."