Yu urges careful planning of post-Expo development

Shanghai Party Secretary Yu Zhengsheng called on the city officials to utilize resources brought by the Expo 2010 and work out detailed plans for the city’s post-Expo development.

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Speaking at a two-day conference that concluded on Saturday, Yu pointed out that the city has spent eight years to bring about the World Expo, so it should not waste any opportunity brought to the city by the event.

He said the city is now drafting its 12th Five-Year Plan for social and economic development, which kicks off next year. It is essential to integrate the five-year blueprint with the city’s post-Expo plans.

Delegations from other provinces across the country have swarmed to Shanghai to learn from Expo 2010 and seek new urban development ideas as well as new industrial development opportunities. Shanghai government departments and local districts should take advantage of the fact that the Expo is being held right in the city to dig up all the “treasures” in the Expo and do their best to attract investment and absorb new ideas and technologies presented at the Expo, Yu added.

Special attention should be paid to the ideas and technologies involving new energy, information network, new materials as well as new industries of strategic significance, Yu said.

Shanghai should also tap the cultural resources brought by the World Expo to consolidate the city’s platform for international cultural exchanges and promote cultural creative industries, Yu said.

He urged the city officials to work out detailed plans for future utilization of those permanent structures at the Expo and new development of the site after the Expo closes. The new development may focus on tourism and the convention and exhibition industry by taking full advantage of the lasting influence of the Expo, Yu added.