Shanghai's GDP will increase by about 13.5 percent year-on-year, Mayor Han Zheng told visiting Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker during a meeting Wednesday.

The mayor said through years of property development, more than 70 percent of local families now had their own homes.

He added the city will continue to offer some two-thirds of its annual GDP to the central government in order to help the country reduce the development gap between the different regions.

"It's our responsibility to support the development of the country's western regions." The mayor said he was very impressed by the developed ecomomy of Luxembourg, particularly in such areas as steelmaking, finance and media.

Jucker, who is on his fifth visit to China, said he appreciated the rapid economic advancement of Shanghai and expressed his country's interest to participate in the World Expo 2010.

"Luxembourg will build a beautiful pavilion in Shanghai when the World Expo is held," he said.

The Luxembourg leader is on a five-day working visit ot china through Friday. He is scheduled to leave for Hong Kong today.

(eastday.com November 11, 2004)