In the centre of Shanghai, on either side of the Huangpu River, there is digging and drilling going on. The building site is 20 times bigger than last year’s Expo space in the Spanish city of Saragossa. Once again, China is hoping to convince the world it is a modern, open country. Hong Hao is the director-general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination. He is upbeat despite the financial crisis:

"The crisis has hit Shanghai in a critical phase of Expo preparations. Many countries are affected across the world. But not one country or international organisation has officially cancelled as yet."

Cutting down on costs

However, the 180 participating countries and other exhibitors are cutting down on costs. It is still unclear who will fund the American pavilion because sponsors are few and far between and public funds cannot be used for such events. Brazil and Argentina are not building their own pavilions. Siemens -- one of Expo’s 13 official "global partners" -- has suspended construction of its pavilion.

But nonetheless Hong Hao remains optimistic:

"Talking with participating countries, it is clear they all hope to represent their creativity and strengths at Expo Shanghai. They perceive it as a platform for boosting the confidence of people worldwide that the global economy can recover."

Counting on 70 million visitors

The organisers expect some 70 million visitors from May 2010, mainly Chinese. The city is gearing up for the masses -- there is construction going on everywhere. A new six-lane car tunnel is being built under the Bund -- the famous waterfront with its colonial architecture. The subway network will be extended by 200 kilometres.

"The hotels, sights, businesses and restaurants are going to benefit hugely from Expo," says Dao Shuming from the Shanghai tourist board. "We think the city will make 50 percent more next year than it did last year."

However, Dao Shuming has to admit that today the tourism and hotel industries are suffering as never before. There is no guarantee that the visitors will have more money next year.

"Better City, Better Life"

Another problem is that the organisers are struggling to bring life to the official theme "Better City, Better Life". So far, China’s first eco-city exists only on paper. Officially, the project has been put on the backburner. The chief planner for the Expo site, Wu Zhiqiang, is vague:

"The most important thing about Expo is that we bring together experience and expertise from all over the world, that we discuss how to create the cities of the future together. These questions cannot be answered by the host country or by the organisers alone. We have to bring together the experiences of people all over the world. We can hopefully find answers together."

But nothing can dampen the enthusiasm of Shanghai’s residents. A pensioner puts it this way: "It is very good for our country. We can see that our country has opened the doors for reform. The world can learn more about China and about Shanghai. Shanghai is a great city!"

The 10,000 construction workers will continue to dig and drill until next May so that visitors can confirm the truth of this statement at Expo Shanghai 2010.

Authors: Ruth Kirchner / Anne Thomas
Editor: Thomas Bärthlein