David Ferguson: Thank you for that frank answer. I'd like to just continue on that theme for a moment – there is one notorious case, which I'm sure you are aware of and were referring to – a lady called Pan Rong who was not happy with her compensation and who occupied her home until the bulldozers came to remove it. And I would just point out that my colleagues and I in looking at that case found our access to some information was not available. Now, incidents like that will be used by some elements or the western press as a means of attacking China or Shanghai or the Expo on a much wider scale, as was done with the Olympics. Are you conscious of the fact that is likely to happen and do you have a strategy for dealing with questions from the media about specific incidents like that?
Zhou Hanmin: Firstly, I haven't heard too much about this case myself at this moment. Secondly, if it is a case, if it is a fact, we'll take it very seriously. We never try to let it be an excuse for other people, as you say, to attack the overall project, and even to expand the attack to the city, or to the nation. Because the very core value for this Shanghai World Exposition is "people first". If some people don't feel very satisfied with this or that reason, we need to do our best work to make them satisfied, that means to correct part of work and to make things in a nicer way, because the very true reason for us to have this world exposition is to make people happy, to make it a carnival for people, not to make it as a big excuse, or to let some very bad things happen, to jeopardize the whole mechanism or the momentum. So thank you very much for this reminder, I will ask my colleagues, in a very serious way, to see through the whole case and to see if we can do something else to satisfy this project.
David Ferguson: You've already referred on a number of occasions to environmental issues, would you like to say a little more about that because clearly environmental and green issues are very much to the forefront at the moment. A number of speakers at the NPC and the CPPCC have talked about these issues. Again, how have you used the opportunity of the Expo to address environmental concerns, to make sure this is a green Expo, and to use it as an opportunity to develop environmental progress?
Zhou Hanmin: Thank you very much for this wonderful question. We try to make Shanghai Expo an ecologically friendly exposition.
First, we have moved all those factories away to nice areas with new renovation by themselves. Secondly, in the whole area of 5.28 square kilometers, one third of the total area will be covered by green, and green forever to leave as a legacy "a green land for the city of Shanghai". And third, all constructions by the host are eco-friendly constructions. We have very well selected the technology and the materials for the construction itself, to try to make it a zero-waste Expo.
I just give you one example. We are now constructing a main theme pavilion in the area of Pudong. The solar power system we are going to use is the largest so far in China, to strongly demonstrate solar is another kind of very important energy people need to use for their life. So we are going to demonstrate that kind of technology. How many pieces of solar system we are going to use to make it as large as it could be? 13,000 pieces of solar, I mean 13,000 solar panels. And secondly, we are going to construct a green wall, a whole wall – in total 5,000 square meters – to make all kinds of flowers to live and to bloom in the whole period of Shanghai Expo, and to try to let people know this is the energy-saving and eco-friendly Exposition. It is a kind of solution we can offer for other cities in the world at large and in China in particular to follow.
David Ferguson: Thank you. I'd like to ask you to move on to slightly wider political and economic issues.
If western countries do struggle to participate fully in the Expo, either as participants or in terms of a number of visitors, would you consider that to be a disappointment, or would you consider that to be an indicator that economic power and influence is moving away from the west and towards Asia and China in particular?
Zhou Hanmin: Frankly, on big issues like this, different people will have different expectations together with different explanations. I will say, this joint effort will benefit all, both the west and the east.
Let me tell you. Almost forty countries are going to have their own design and build their own pavilions – almost all big countries from the west. They are continuously to be the highlights for the world exposition – just because they are there, just because they work so hard for their national pavilions, even for some corporate pavilions, especially those cases in UBPA. It could be a strong attraction for those people from those countries to come down to China. On one hand, they come to China to see the development of China, on the other hand, they are to have their respect for their own achievement in those pavilions and even culture or entertainment performances or events.
So I will use a term, it's just a win-win solution, people can take a part from this and take a part from that. All in all, this world exposition will leave a very strong legacy for the future, not only in abstract terms, but in very real terms. This is my understanding.
David Ferguson: Thank you for that very considered answer, Professor Zhou.
As a recognized authority on international trade and commerce, how do you expect the economic climate to change between now and the opening of the Expo in 2010?
Zhou Hanmin: The financial crisis is going on and on in a much deeper way. The situation for the west and that of China are quite different. In most part of the western countries, the financial sector is in a big loss at this moment – in China, almost not the case, however, just because China is a country driven so hard by two forces.
The first is direct foreign investment into China. Last year, we observed over 90 billion US dollars as foreign direct investment. I was worried about the continuation of this mechanism or momentum.
Second, China is a country very heavily driven by its import and export, especially its expeditions. Now I have seen so many countries, especially big ones are going to take very special measures for the protection of their own market, own economy, own territory or own union. It's very harmful because it is totally against the overall doctrine adopted 60 years ago, actually, 61 years ago, when GATT was founded, let alone the new doctrines of free trade and free investment by WTO.
So I will say China, as well as the world, will still have gloomy pictures for the first two quarters of this year. Different countries will have different situations. However, I personally predict the third quarter of this year to be turning point. People can have some nice views of the statistics of the economic development from here and there.
However, the one thing I need to say at this moment, is never to lose confidence and trust. If everyone is talking about crisis, crisis is there. It's very dangerous – just like to cut down a tree in winter because you don't see anything green from that. However you couldn't predict just a few days, weeks, or months later it could be a blooming tree before you, just like this situation.
I came this time to Beijing for the CPPCC annual meeting. On March 2, the grass in the hotel I stayed was just yellow. Now it is a totally different situation, I could see lots of green dots everywhere in the garden in our hotel. This is a very natural phenomenon.
We never lose confidence, that's why we work so hard for Shanghai Expo because we try to make it as a symbol for the re-bounce of the world economy, likewise the US did in 1933 – they held an Exposition in Chicago, it could be very important, I would say not redundant but necessary repetition for Shanghai to carry on this tradition to draw upon the attention of the world, to lay a strong foundation of confidence and trust.
Last night, we held a reception for ambassadors and diplomatic envoys in Beijing. Over 160 countries came to our gathering last night. I did my presentation. I expressed my gratitude to the whole world. Because of what? Confidence and trust. Confidence means people are feeling so confident that Shanghai Expo could meet its call. Trust is that people understand during this period of difficulties, we need to have joint efforts to work – however the organizers take the main responsibility to carry on. If you trust us then we just go out together in the same boat.
