Shanghai Expo broadens China's int'l vision
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Shanghai bid adieu to the 2010 Expo, a six-month party for a booming China and the rest of the world.
The mega-event started with a few glitches, with suspicion and criticism ranging from excessive spending to poor preparation in facilitating services and crisis management, as well as visitors' behavior such as faking a disability to jump the line.
In the end, things were sorted out and people agree that this is one of the most successful Expos in history - the enthusiasm of the participating countries and regions and the surging turnout of visitors, on one day surpassing 1 million, are the best proof that the world wants to share with China their technological and cultural wonders, and the Chinese people are more eager than ever to embrace the world.
Historically, China thought of itself as the "Middle Kingdom" and was reluctant to look beyond its borders. The Opium Wars broke down the door and woke the nation. Since then the Chinese have tried to widen their horizons and be a strong member of the international community.
The Shanghai Expo has greatly strengthened the understanding between China and the rest of the world.
At first, the West thought of the Expo as a chance for China to highlight its outstanding economic achievements and display its ability to handle such a herculean event.
However, the record 73 million visitors, mostly Chinese, gave observers a different sense. The mega-event now looks like a presentation of the world to China, rather than the reverse. Avid Chinese visitors were fascinated by the cultures and products brought here from around the world.
Despite China's rapid ascend to the No.2 economy in the world, and China's leading position in some high-tech industries such as high-speed rail and space exploration, Chinese people have not become arrogant or ceased their enthusiasm to learn more about the outside world.
The Shanghai Expo enabled Chinese spectators to touch cutting-edge technology and learn about exotic innovative lifestyles, it also brought extraordinary diversity to the city.
The Expo made China more international, open-minded, and more likely to assimilate new ideas than ever. This is vital to China's sustainable development.
Through the Shanghai Expo, Chinese people realize that the world is more colorful than they may have thought it was. Many countries like the Ukraine and Oman, that most Chinese have no idea about, also amazed Chinese people.
Chinese have become convinced that a polarized and heterogeneous world configuration is more conducive to mankind than the monotone focus on a country's economic strength and its relations with a handful of major powers.
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