Get to work, Expo exhibitors told

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-08 11:58

Countries taking part in the Shanghai World Expo need to hurry up and start work on their pavilions or risk being forced to move into an off-the-shelf location, organizers said.

Participants have been told they must break ground on their showcase pavilions by June 30. If they miss the deadline, one-off pavilions will not be built - although exhibitors can still occupy standardized pavilions or use a shared pavilion for an entire continent.

The deadline was imposed because of the time needed to carry out the work before the expo gets underway.

The Shanghai World Expo, expected to be the biggest ever, will start May 1, 2010.

"If work on a pavilion starts after June 30 this year, it can't be completed before May 1 next year. This will affect the operation of the whole world expo park and support facilities," said Zhong Yanqun, deputy head of the executive committee of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau.

A record number of attendees - 40 - have said they intend to build their own pavilions. So far, work has been started on half of them, making organizers anxious.

"It's imperative for work to start on the pavilions to be built by attendees themselves. I'm really anxious when I think of it," said Wu Zhiqiang, chief designer of the Shanghai World Expo park and president of the architecture and urban planning school of Tongji University.

According to expo organizers, among the 170-plus nations that have diplomatic relations with China, only Andorra and Colombia have not confirmed participation.

Among the 20 pavilions on which work must start soon, the one for the United States has drawn the most attention.

The US has not started work because it has raised insufficient funds. US laws prohibit the government from allocating money directly for such an activity.

Design of the US pavilion has reportedly been completed. Expo organizers, at the request of the US, have allocated a 6,000-sq-m plot for the US pavilion.

Some US companies, including 3M and Dell and the U.S.A.-China Education, Science & Culture Association have promised to grant funds. Some $85 million was being sought for the project.

The US team has cut the budget to between 56 and 60 million US dollars and agreed to accept financial support from corporations and institutions outside the country.

Zhong said: "We believe active progress will be made to allow the US to attend. But if the country is absent from the Shanghai World Expo, the biggest regret will be felt by the US government and people, for they will lose a great opportunity to display the image of the nation on the world stage."

The global economic downturn is understood to be one of the reasons why some countries have had difficulty raising sufficient funds.

"So far, no attendee has officially withdrawn citing the financial crisis. But some countries suspended their preparatory work after they signed exhibition contracts," said Hong Hao, director-general of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau. Organizers expect the Expo will attract 70 million visitors.

Xinhua