Expo offers chance to reshape China's image

• Source: Global Times
• [21:42 April 28 2010]
• Comments

Western countries took around a century to go from 13 percent to 50 percent urbanization, but China is moving at a far greater speed. In 1978, only 18 percent of Chinese population lived in cities, but this rate may reach 50 percent next year, when 650 million Chinese will live in the cities.

The Shanghai Expo is also a chance to show how different nations, ethnic groups and cultures can come together harmoniously despite their different political and economic backgrounds. That is the charm of the Expo.

NFC: Does urbanization in China come along with problems of environmental deterioration and a shortage of resources?

Zhou: The speed of urbanization in China is really fast, and we need to emphasize sustainable development. There are about 660 cities in China, but most of them are suffering from constraints of resources.

One important question is whether we should be trying to bring everyone from the countryside into the city, or build brand-new towns with all the features of a modern city in rural areas?

I think we should take the second approach. The key point here is that cities should bring more opportunities for working and studying. There are many problems here waiting for solutions.

NFC: Wang Daohan, the mayor of Shanghai from 1981 to 1985, said the difference between World Expo and the annual Canton Fair is the difference between strategy and tactics. He claimed that the influence of the Expo will last 50 years, rather than the one year of the Canton Fair. Was he right?

Zhou: Wang was a leader with a firm passion for the Expo. In the 1980s, he started the development of the Pudong New Area, and I was one of the team members. At that time, he had the idea of hosting an Expo in Shanghai.

Generally, what Wang said refers to the impact of the Expo on China, which includes the promotion of modernization, the improvement of civilization and communication with the world.

The 2010 World Expo is not only an event for 70 million people to visit, but also an opportunity for national diplomacy. It needs to provide a platform for communication at many levels.