Shanghai Expo experience should be used to push China forward, says president
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China's experience in hosting the Shanghai World Expo should be used to further the country's scientific and social development, said President Hu Jintao Friday.
Hu, also General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), made the remarks during a group study of the Political Bureau members of the CPC Central Committee.
Hu said the Shanghai World Expo, which ran from May 1 to Oct. 31, was a successful, wonderful and memorable event. The Expo's success was due to the support and joint efforts of all people across the country, he added.
"The fruits of the Shanghai World Expo should be transformed into new advantages to promote scientific development and social harmony," he said.
Developed countries brought their high-end technologies to the Shanghai World Expo -- the first of its kind staged in a developing country -- including intelligent cars, clean energy technologies, nanotechnology and smart medical devices.
President Hu said seeing these new advanced scientific and technological innovations first hand provided China with an opportunity to study the international trend and benefit from it.
Hu urged the country to master more important technologies, obtain more intellectual properties, and contribute more to developing the emerging strategic industries and building an innovation-oriented country.
The Expo, with the theme of "Better City, Better Life," has laid out a new criteria for future urbanization.
Hu said China should learn the advanced ideas of city construction and management shown at the Expo, while sticking to the path of urbanization with Chinese characteristics.
Hu said the country would explore new methods of urban living and seek coordinated development of urban and rural areas so to iron out social inequalities.
During the Expo, Shanghai witnessed the country's great efforts in the city management sector. Hu said effective city management skills were needed to safeguard the country's social stability.
Hu hoped China would comprehensively learn about world trends in economic, political, cultural and social development, and understand the world situation in scientific innovation and cultural progress.
"We should increase cultural exchanges with other nations, learn from their positive experiences, and make our own development strategy in accordance with our practical situation," he said.
The Shanghai Expo attracted 246 participating countries and international organizations and 73 million visitors. Both figures are records in the history of World Expo, the first of which was held in London in 1851.
