China offers strong support to help facilitate U.S. participation in the 2010 Shanghai Expo and hopes the U.S. side soon to confirm its participation, China's Ambassador to the United States said here Friday.

Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong told attendees at a breakfast with potential U.S. corporate sponsors of the to-be-constructed U.S. pavilion at the Expo that the U.S. participation will be a good opportunity for the United States to increase friendship, understanding and exchange with China and other participating countries.

Since the Expo will contribute to restoring confidence in the world economy, Zhou said he hopes U.S. corporations to look at things in a long-term perspective and provide active support to facilitate U.S. participation in the Expo.

So far 185 countries and 47 international organizations have confirmed their participation in the Expo, which will run from May1 through Oct. 31 in Shanghai, China.

Last year, the U.S. Department of State picked a nonprofit institution to prepare U.S. participation in the Expo and the basic floor design of the U.S. pavilion has been completed with joint China-U.S. efforts.

However, since U.S. laws prohibit direct governmental involvement in preparing such participation, fund raising and other preparations must be done by the private sector.

So far, the U.S. nonprofit preparation institution hasn't raised enough funds for the participation.

Source: Xinhua