The number of participating countries and international organizations to the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 has reached 172, overtaking the previous record held by Germany's Hanover, an official in charge of the event said Tuesday during the ongoing 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

"This means the number of participants to the Shanghai event will for sure set a new record," said Zhong Yanqun, a delegate of the Shanghai delegation. She is also deputy head of the executive council of the Shanghai World Expo, to be held from May to October 2010.

The figure has surpassed estimations made by Shanghai party chief Xi Jinping, who said in August the number of participants would reach 170 by the end of this year. Xi estimated the figure would reach 200 by the end of 2008.

"The Shanghai Expo will stage more than 20,000 activities and will draw 70 million visitors, an average of 400,000 a day," Zhong said. "It will be the first time for the 156-year-old event to be held in a developing country"

Shanghai won its bid for the World Expo 2010 in December 2002, two years after the Hanover Expo.

(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2007)