An encounter between China and the world

Known as the Olympics of culture, economics, science and technology, the World Expo, with a history of over 160 years, enjoys great popularity around the globe. Speaking of the reasons for this, Mr. Loscertales believes that Expos offer a program of urban renewal, the possibility of international dialogue, and offer citizens the possibility of seeing the world in one place around one theme.

China took part in the first World Expo which was held in London in 1851, when the Qing Dynasty ended its closure to the world because of the war. However, it was not until the late 20th century that China really opened its door to the outside world. In 1999, China hosted the 1999 World Horticultural Exposition in Kunming. Then in 2010, it hosted the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, the first ever World Expo held in a developing country.

From 1999 to 2010, China’s experience in hosting Expos is a mere moment compared with the long history. However, in that short moment China created two new landmarks in organizing expos, said Mr. Loscertales. “China organized at that time the best horticultural expo in history, and also a model of how horticultural expos should be in the future. In 2010, Shanghai was a landmark also in the history of world expos.”

(On July 5, 2009, Mr. Loscertales visited an exhibition in Beijing featuring the World Expo 2010 to mark the 300-day countdown of the event. Source: Internet)

The World Expo 2010 set a number of records: the largest number of participating countries, the most visitors, and the largest number of visitors on a single day. “It was an encounter of a great nation with 5,000 years of history and the rest of the world that allowed the countries to understand China and to see how China was progressing. How the citizens were becoming more and more environmentally conscious, how modernity was present in China, and how China was becoming one of the most innovative and active countries in the world,” said Mr. Loscertales, believing the Expo was an opening of China to the world and the world to China.