Corporate leaders of 35 multinationals have thrown their support behind China's bid for Shanghai to host the 2010 World Expo, a local official said Sunday.

In a letter to the Shanghai Municipal Bidding Committee for the2010 World Expo, Daniel Vasella, board chairman and CEO of Novartis of Switzerland, said he and another 34 heads of multinationals would honor their commitment to help Shanghai stage the exposition if it won the bid.

The letter is a copy of one mailed to the Bureau of International Expositions by Vasella, and G. Richard Wagoner, CEO and president of General Motors, Serge Tchuruk, board chairman and CEO of Alcatel, Akishige Okada, president of Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, and other corporate leaders.

The bureau is scheduled to decide which city will host the 2010 World Expo through ballots in exactly one month's time.

Shanghai is competing against Moscow of Russia, Queretaro of Mexico, Wroclow of Poland and Yeoso of the Republic of Korea to host the World Expo in 2010.

The successful staging of the 2001 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting in Shanghai has proved the city's capability, according to the letter.

The corporate leaders were in Shanghai for the 14th International Business Leaders' Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai.

(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2002)