Lin Ning, deputy director of Exhibition Department of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, who is in charge of the bidding work in Beijing, said the holding of the World Expo 2010 in China, the most populous country in the world, would also help expand the influence of the World Expo itself.

With a history of 151 years, the World Expo, the leading international showcase of economic, scientific and technological developments, is a global, non-commercial event to promote the exchange of ideas and world development.

The Chinese government announced in December 1999 it would support Shanghai's bid for the right to hold World Expo 2010, with the winner being decided in a vote by the 132nd General Assembly of the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) on Dec. 3.

Shanghai filed its application under the theme of "Better city, Better life" to the BIE in 1999, competing with the Russian capital of Moscow, Queretaro of Mexico, Wroclow of Poland and Yeoso of the Republic of Korea.

With a history of more than 5,000 years, China is famous for its profound and diverse culture, featuring such world-renowned works as the Great Wall, the Imperial Palace and the terracotta warriors and horses in the Tomb of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor in China.

And, playing a leading role in the development of east China, Shanghai is a famous international metropolis, with an annual economic growth rate of more than 10 percent for the past ten years.

"A world expo in Shanghai will give the world a chance to know more about China's culture, and greatly expand the influence of the World Expo in different nations," Lin said.

First held in 1851 in London, the World Expo has never been held in a developing country.

If Shanghai won the bid, the event would attract more people from developing countries as China was the largest developing country in the world, said Lin.

China had extensive experience in hosting large-scale events and it successfully held the 1999 International Horticultural Exposition in southwest China's Yunnan province.

More recently, Shanghai hosted high-profile events such as last year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Statistics show that with an annual increase of 20 percent on the number of large international exhibitions, Shanghai held almost one event per day following China's entry to the World Trade Organization.

The Chinese government fully supported Shanghai's bid. It has promised to provide sufficient funds for the exposition and US$100 million for developing countries to attend as well as to reduce advanced countries' attendance costs.

"In 2010, China will be more prosperous and stable," Lin said.

Statistics show that 90 percent of the Chinese people support the city's expo bid, and in Shanghai, supporters account for 93 percent, with 86 percent of its residents willing to be volunteers for the expo.

Meanwhile, many multinationals and famous domestic enterprises have thrown their support behind Shanghai's bid to host the World Expo 2010.

(Xinhua News Agency November 22, 2002)