EXPO Express

In Brief

* The New York Stock Exchange closing bell rings in the name of Expo 2010 and the USA Pavilion

* New Zealand Prime Minister Hon Jon Key bids farewell to an Expo-bound Maori Canoe

* Four Belgian chocolate producers plan a ‘Chocolate Corner’ at the country’s pavilion, with invitations to 70 chocolatiers

* Motorola announces its successful TD-LTE network deployment at the Expo Center and completes the first indoor over-the-air data sessions

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Participants

Xiamen to Display ‘Livable City’

3/1/10 – The construction, design and activity organization of the Xiamen Pavilion is nearly complete and ready for its opening on May 2. The pavilion, themed “Charming city, a garden on the sea”, will demonstrate Xiamen’s all-around practices in improving the living environment, creating a warm and livable city, and raising citizens’ living standard through showcases in the exhibition hall, the hosting of cultural activities, and promoting of a livable Xiamen, according to Mr. Zhu Jiangsi, Deputy Director of the Expo 2010 Shanghai China Xiamen Office and Deputy Secretary- General of the Xiamen Municipal Government.

[Xiamen Daily]

Macau to Feature Martial Arts

2/28/10 – The internal design and outfit of the Macau Pavilion will be unveiled by the end of March, as construction of the building has been completed, Expo officials said in Macau last Saturday. Statues of Haibao appeared at eight locations in Macau yesterday. Leong Pou Yee, director of the Office for Preparation of Macau’s Participation in the Expo, said the internal features of the pavilion will be “kept secret” and that visitors can explore “that kind of mystery on their own.” But she said traditional Chinese martial arts will play an important part, as Macau is famous for kung fu, and that martial arts works by Hong Kong writer Louis Cha, pen name Jin Yong, will be incorporated. Macau selected martial artists to play 10 popular characters from Cha’s works, who will be featured in a five-minute online film.

[Zha Minjie  / Shanghai Daily]

Chad Expresses Commitment

2/25/10 – Ahmed Soungui, ambassador of the Republic of Chad to China, said during a recent TV interview that the African country was committed to presenting the most splendid display in the upcoming World Expo in the country’s participation history. Soungui expressed his gratitude, on the Expo-themed program of Shanghai Media Group (SMG), for the sincere help and great support from the Chinese government, and said the upcoming Expo is especially significant for Chad because China is a good friend of Africa and has witnessed sound relationships and exchanges between the two sides. Chad’s presentation will be exhibited at the joint pavilion for African countries.

[Hu Min / en.expo2010.cn]

Czech Issues Expo Stamps

2/24/10 – The Czech Republic has issued a special Expo 2010 stamp featuring its national pavilion. The ceremony was held at the Main Post Office on Jindřišská Street in Prague on February 10, with Pavel A. Stehlik, commissioner general of the Czech Republic, and Marcela Hrdá, general director of the company Česká Pošta (the Czech Post Office), in attendance. The stamp has a face value of 35 CZK (US$1.84) and is being issued in an edition of 70,000. Envelopes from the first day of issue with a special seal are also available. The rented 2,000 square meter Czech Pavilion is themed “Fruits of Civilization” and will feature rubber ice-hockey pucks on its facade, as pucks are a significant Czech export and ice hockey is its national sport.

[Hu Min / en.expo2010.cn]

UK Pavilion Enters Final Stage

2/23/10 – Construction of the UK Pavilion is in its final stage of completion at the Expo site. The UK’s Expo contribution is a cube-like structure pierced by 60,000 slim transparent acrylic rods. Its centerpiece is the Seed Cathedral, where visitors can explore a variety of seeds and plants. The pavilion has been nicknamed “dandelion”, and its theme is “Building on the past, shaping our future.”

[Xinhua News Agency]

Bologna Shoots Video for UBPA Pavilion

2/22/10 – People gathered in central Bologna’s Piazza Maggiore to witness the formation of Italy’s outline in red cloth last Sunday. A video of the event will be used as a central element of the city’s Expo display in the Best Urban Practices Area (UBPA).

[Huang Xiaozhe / Xinhua News Agency]

Kiwis Bid Farewell to Expo-Bound Maori Canoe

2/18/10 – An official delegation including New Zealand Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism Hon John Key on Feb 18^th bid farewell to a piece of Maori art that will take center stage at the Expo. During a Maori farewell ceremony two days earlier, Mr. Key and Chinese Ambassador Zhang Limin together carved a small area of the artwork’s waharoa (gateway) at Te Puia Maori Village in the North Island resort town of Rotorua. The 10 meter-high, three meter-wide kauri waharoa, in the shape of a waka maumahara (ceremonial canoe), was then shipped to Shanghai the following week, where the carving will be completed on the forecourt of the New Zealand Pavilion. Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler said the waharoa will give visitors to the pavilion a chance to experience part of New Zealand’s culture firsthand.

[Xinhua News Agency]

Belgium Chocolate Producers to Invite 70 Makers

2/12/10 – Four Belgian chocolate producers will set up a “Chocolate Corner” at the country’s pavilion. Top chocolate brands Godiva, Guylian, Neuhaus and Callebaut, will invite 70 Belgian chocolatiers to the pavilion to showcase their craft and special designs, officials told a press conference in Brussels February 11. The Belgian artists will also contribute special chocolate designs that will combine Chinese cultural elements. Never before have so many top Belgian chocolate manufacturers taken part in a World Expo.

[Hu Min / en.expo2010.cn]

NYSE Bell Rings for Expo, USA Pavilion

2/10/10 – Officials of China and the United States as well as USA Pavilion staff rang the New York Stock Exchange closing bell on Feb 9th, sending their best wishes for the USA Pavilion and the upcoming World Expo. Those who rang the bell included Duncan Niederauer, CEO of NYSE Euronext, Peng Keyu, Chinese consul general in New York, Jose Villarreal, US commissioner general to the Expo, Frank Lavin, chairman of the steering committee of the USA Pavilion, Ellen Eliasoph, co-chair of the pavilion, and representatives of global sponsors. Villarreal noted that “sponsorship of the USA Pavilion by NYSE Euronext, the exclusive sponsor for equities and derivatives exchanges and markets of the USA Pavilion, serves as a powerful signal to American business that the Expo is an important platform for promoting Sino-US commerce.”

[Hu Min / en.expo2010.cn]

Sponsors

Motorola Deploys TD-LTE Showcase Network

2/24/10 – Motorola, China Mobile Communications Corporation’s (CMCC) primary TD-LTE solution partner for providing indoor coverage for all major pavilions, announced last Wednesday that it had successfully deployed a TD-LTE network at the Expo Center and completed the first indoor over-the-air (OTA) TD-LTE data sessions at the site. “We are pleased that our high quality technologies and services can support CMCC in bringing a TD-LTE experience to Shanghai Expo, which provides many possibilities for a new media mobility lifestyle,” said Dr. Mohammad Akhtar, Vice President and General Manager, Networks, Motorola Asia Pacific.

[www.motorola.com]

General Info

Wen Jiabao Chats on Expo Hope, Hellen Keller

2/28/10 – During an online chat with citizens, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said the Expo will showcase the latest achievements of civilizations around the globe. Premier Wen cited the story of Helen Keller, a famed blind American author who toured the Chicago World Expo in 1893 with the touch of her hands, to convey that world expos can give hope to the world. He also said the Chinese government attaches great importance to the Shanghai World Expo, since the event boosts mutual understanding between China and the rest of the world.

[Xinhua News Agency]

10,000 Journalists Apply for Expo Coverage

2/25/10 – Almost 10,000 journalists from across the world have applied to cover the Expo, according to the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination. The figure includes about 2,000 journalists from overseas media outlets, such as The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, CNN, European Photopress Agency, The Times, Das Erste, NHK, Asahi Shimbun, TVB Hong Kong and ETTV Taiwan, said the Bureau. The Shanghai World Expo News Center and the International Broadcast Center will be open to journalists in April.

[Xinhua News Agency]

Shanghai Confirms First Batch of Expo Families

2/22/10 – To welcome Expo guests, the city has confirmed the first community for family hotel services. A total of 47 families from Zhabei District’s Linfen Community have become the first batch of Expo Families who will provide their rooms for visitors during the Expo. The selected families are all said to be warmhearted and good at cultural communication; many householders have voluntarily bought new furniture and prepared gifts for the upcoming foreign visitors.

[Liu Ying / Xinhua News Agency]

Policy Report

Shanghai to Ensure Clean Air During Expo, Beyond

2/26/10 – Shanghai and its neighboring regions are implementing a string of measures to guarantee good air quality and a healthy environment for the Expo. The Shanghai environmental protection bureau told Xinhua last Friday that the measures mainly target coal-fired power plants and other polluting sectors, boilers, furnaces and kilns, volatile organic pollutants, dust, motor vehicles and agricultural burn-off. The measures will have long-term effects and continue after the Expo, said bureau chief Zhang Quan.

[Xinhua News Agency]

Dogs Expected for Pre-Expo Vaccinations

2/24/10 – Local police gave out a notice last Tuesday announcing that all dogs need to be vaccinated before the Expo to ensure public safety. An officer surnamed Feng said, “We also encourage owners of the unlicensed dogs to come and get the pets officially registered to get the shots for their dogs.” Only those with a legal police-issued ID are elligible for a vaccination.

[Ashley Shen / shanghaiist.com]

Expo Transport Plan Sees Support

2/21/10 – Expo transport plans, including more use of public transport, have received positive responses from the public, according to the result of an online poll released on Feb 20. Around 49 percent of respondents to a poll on www.eastday.com expressed willingness to take public transport to the Expo site. The Expo transport plan was put online for public comment from January 8 to 18, and encourages the use of public transport while limiting driving and motorcycles under certain circumstances. The most controversial aspect of the plan, the possible banning of cars on certain days, will only be put into effect in case of extreme and widespread traffic congestion, officials said. They added that the Expo site should be accessible from anywhere in the city within 90 minutes by bus, subway and special taxis.

[Hu Min / en.expo2010.cn]