China plans to provide financial aid to developing countries
recognized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for
their attending the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, said sources with the
Shanghai bidding committee on Thursday.
If
Shanghai succeeds in its bid to host the 2010 World Expo, the
Chinese government will allocate 100 million US dollars to help
some of the participating developing nations cover the costs
incurred in renting, designing and constructing exhibition halls,
transferring exhibits and accommodating personnel.
The International Exposition Bureau will be fully consulted and its
views will be respected when China makes the list of recipients,
sources said.
China has also pledged to facilitate the construction of exhibition
halls in accordance with the requirements of certain participating
States. States which are unable to construct exhibitions may
benefit from renting halls at a relatively low price from the local
government.
Local sources say that the wishes of the recipients of China's aid
will be fully respected, and that contracts will be signed to
clarify details about participation, methods and funding.
The winner of the bid to host the 2010 World Expo will be selected
from five candidate cities, namely, Moscow, Queretaro, Shanghai,
Wroclaw and Yeosu, at a meeting to be held by the International
Expositions Bureau on December 3.
According to Wang Junyi, an official of the Shanghai bidding team,
the only criterion for choosing the host city of the 2010 World
Expo should be whether the winner can host the best expo.
Other factors, such as geographical location, should not be taken
into consideration in deciding the bid, Wang said.
It
is estimated that an unprecedented 70 million people would visit
the 2010 Shanghai World Expo and over 140 million tourists from
foreign countries and other parts of China would travel to the
coastal city in 2010.
The Shanghai bidding committee believes the city's theme of "better
city, better life" will influence global thinking about how to
build a modern and civilized city.
(Xinhua News
Agency September 6, 2002)