Chile shrugs off economic chill to strike out alone

With Chile set to invest up to $7 million in the first stand-alone pavilion from South America next spring, the country's expo chief hailed the move as one of the best investments his government has made.

"I have been asked many times why, during a global financial crisis, Chile is investing in a pavilion. My response is that it is an investment rather than an expense," said Hernan Somerville, Chile's commissioner general to the Shanghai Expo.

"This investment will pay very high intangible dividends in terms of image, connections, and cultural and human relationships (with China)."