Expo 2010 hailed at latest BIE meeting

The Bureau of International Expositions' latest conference (146th) hailed Expo 2010 preparation Tuesday morning (Paris Time).

Representatives listen to Expo 2010's latest report on preparations. [en.expo2010]

This was the last BIE conference before the opening of Expo 2010. Yang Xiong, Shanghai Executive Vice Mayor, member of the Organizing Committee of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai and executive deputy director of the Executive Committee of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai, Wang Jinzhen, a member of the National Organizing Committee of the Expo and Vice-Chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Hua Junduo, China's commissioner general for World Expo 2010, introduce the conference to the latest Expo 2010 preparations.

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With the support of the BIE and Expo 2010 participants, Expo 2010 preparation has been smooth, Yang said. Up to 10 million Expo ticket have been sold and more than 500,000 people have applied to be Expo 2010 volunteers, Yang added.

Up to 242 countries and international organization have confirmed participation and 224 participants have signed participation contracts. Shanghai has newly built and improved infrastructure including roads in and outside the Expo site, tunnels across the Huangpu River, Metro lines and a transportation hub, most of which will be completed by the end of this year.

The Expo Boulevard, Theme Pavilion, Expo Center, Expo Performance Center and China Pavilion will be completed by the end of this year. Twenty-six of the 42 pavilions to be constructed by foreign countries have completed their structure; 37 of 42 rented pavilions are completed and the rest will be completed by the end of this year. All 11 joint pavilions are completed.

Expo 2010 is expected to stage 20,000 performances and up to 200 countries have handed in their special day applications; more than 630 performances involved with participants have been registered.

Expo 2010 will stage one summit forum, six themed forums and several public forums. The summit forum is under preparation with BIE and United Nations' Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

A transportation plan for the event has been drafted. Fifty-four visitor service stations, about 100,000 square meters of commercial facilities, bathrooms, water supply area, shading facilities and sign systems are under construction.

BIE officials, including Vicente Loscertales, secretary general of the International Expositions Bureau, and representatives from countries hailed the report.

Shanghai Executive mayor Yang Xiong and Hong Hao, director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, were interviewed by French mainstream media.