Shanghai's expatriates support city's Expo bidding
( 2002-11-28 10:57 ) (7 )

Many local expatriates support the city's bid for the 2010 World Expo.

William Hall, general manager of the Hotel Equatorial Shanghai, a British national who has worked in Shanghai since May 2000, said he has faith that the city has capabilities to host the Expo.

"Shanghai has already made many major achievements in hosting international conferences and events, including APEC (Asian-Pacific Economic Co-operation) meetings, ADB (Asian Development Bank), Tennis Master Cup, and the future F1," Hall said. "They all suggest (that) the city has enough strength to host 2010 World Expo."

He added that Shanghai has hosted many events and is developing into a world-famous city and the hotel industry here has high hopes.

If Shanghai wins the bid, existing rooms at hotels will be barely enough for the travellers all over the world in the next five years, he said.

"The boom of the hotel sector is inevitable," Hall said.

The city will also take on a new look as many major projects will be launched along the Huangpu River, he added.

"The whole city will be beautified and will become more comfortable for its residents, whether they are local or expatriate," he said.

Hall is also vice-secretary-general of International Branded Hotels Shanghai (IBHS).

"After discussing with other IBHS members, we think, as hotel managers, we can make our contributions to Shanghai's bid by flying a World Expo flag at each hotel," added Hall.

Hall also said he and his staff members are planning to install some laser lights on the roof of the hotel. "If Shanghai wins the bid on December 3, they will turn on the lights to express their happiness," he said.

Sarah Boot, an Australian who moved with her husband and two children to Shanghai two years ago teaches English at the Shanghai French School.

Boot also believes that Shanghai is turning into a renowned travel destination in the world with its bid for the 2010 World Expo.

"More and more tourists from other parts of the world are coming to know (that) the city is a safe place for travelling," she said.

Luigi Novelli, an architect from Italy who has been working in Shanghai for two and a half years, said: "The World Expo will give the city more reason to change. With careful urban planning, Shanghai will develop many areas other than downtown to shape a new image for the city."

He said that when Rome was chosen as an Expo host city, the local government began building infrastructure in several new districts.

While the Expo was not held in the end because of World War II, the new districts became fully developed with many wonderful buildings, he said.

Novelli said he believes Shanghai will have more quality architecture following this bid for the World Expo.

Novelli said that whenever he can, he always tries to tell his friends about the changes in Shanghai.

"Though probably my effort is indirect, I always want to tell my friends abroad what is happening here and I am working on books to introduce the city's architecture to my readers," he said.

Thomas Abbott, a visiting scholar from Britain, also hopes that "all the areas of the city will grow at a similar speed and the gaps between the downtown areas and the suburban ones will dwindle."

Plans for the city show that more trees will also be planted along with construction along the Huangpu River.