The Shanghai World Expo will provide Wellington with a unique opportunity to position New Zealand in a market that is increasingly critical to New Zealand and the world's prosperity, a New Zealand diplomat has said.
China was throwing enormous resources into the Shanghai World Expo, which will be the country's most important event after next year's Olympics in Beijing, Philip Gibson, New Zealand ambassador to Indonesia, was quoted as saying by Tuesday's National Business Review, an Auckland financial newspaper.
Gibson, who is hoping for a double-header with his decision to take on New Zealand's involvement in the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, will hopefully move to Shanghai within the next year.
Gibson became commissioner-general of the 2005 Aichi Expo while he was the ambassador in Japan.
"Shanghai is a much, much bigger proposal than Aichi," said Gibson.
"Aichi had 22 million visitors but Shanghai will have 70 million," he said.
"At Aichi, our pavilion was under 400 sq meters while at Shanghai it will be 2,000 sq meters. In addition to being creative and innovative, we need to have an operation that functions 12 hours a day, seven days a week continuously for six months," said Gibson.
The Shanghai World Expo's theme is "Better City, Better Life," a continuous environmental emphasis of Aichi.
To date, 147 countries and 17 organizations have confirmed their participation in the Shanghai World Expo, which will be held from May 1 to Oct. 31 in 2010.
Source: Xinhua
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