The first foreign company to become a partner of the World Expo
2010 Shanghai is General Motors (GM) Corporation. GM and Shanghai
Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC) have signed an agreement
with the World Expo 2010 Shanghai Executive Committee to become the
event's exclusive "automotive partner".
"GM is pleased at becoming the first multinational company to
join with a local company as a partner of World Expo 2010
Shanghai," said Nick Reilly, GM Group vice president and president
of GM Asia Pacific.
The two automakers have agreed to jointly provide products and
services related to automobiles including hire cars and vehicle
maintenance. GM and SAIC operate seven joint ventures in China.
The Shanghai World Expo has four other global partners: China
Eastern Airlines, one of the country's biggest airlines, China
Mobile, China Telecom and the Bank of Communications.
The event's sponsorship has a two-level structure: partner and
senior sponsor levels. The marketing campaign and partnerships are
expected to cover some of the 30 billion yuan (US$3.75 billion)
cost of the event.
The marketing campaign was formally launched in March with China
Eastern Airlines as the first partner.
World Expo 2010 Shanghai, from May 1 to October 31, 2010, is the
first registered world exposition in a developing country. The
organizers are seeking to attract 200 nations and organizations to
participate as well as 70 million visitors from China and abroad.
This would ensure the widest possible participation in World Expo
history.
(Xinhua News Agency November 30, 2006)