Preparations for the 2010 World Expo is progressing smoothly despite the challenges that range from daunting relocation jobs to refining people's manners, Shanghai Party chief Xi Jinping has said.

In an interview with China Daily on the eve of the 1,000-day countdown to the expo, Xi said the six-month event in Shanghai will not only showcase state-of-the-art achievements from across the globe, but also accelerate China's growth.

"To host the expo is a tremendous test - just think of accommodating the 70 million-odd visitors to the six-month fair in the heart of such a densely populated city."

Citing a Chinese adage, he said: "If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail."

Shanghai is studying the experiences of former expo host cities and taking steps toward making the 2010 expo a successful "world gala".

"So far the preparatory jobs are moving along efficiently, with the resettlement of residents completed, infrastructure construction accelerated and the expo themes for presentation specified," Xi said. Also, the relocation of factories is nearing completion.

Construction of the planned 5.28-square-km expo park has led to the largest relocation project in Shanghai that involves about 18,000 households and 272 factories, including the 142-year-old Jiangnan Shipyard, the cradle of China's modern industry.

The participating countries will get their land lots in November where they can start building their pavilions for the expo that will open on May 1 and continue till October 31, 2010, Xi said.

Opinion polls conducted among relocated families have been positive, he said. Residents have been given new houses that are twice as big as their old ones, with the much improved neighborhood environment coming as a bonus.

The focus of the next 1,000 days will be on inviting participating countries and organizations, building the expo park and presenting themes, Xi said.

Apart from constructing hundreds of miles of new highways and subways that will turn Shanghai into one of the world's most sophisticated transport hubs, the city is also focusing on educating its residents on proper manners.

Since last year, the municipal government has sponsored several programs encouraging millions of local people to learn English, to acquaint themselves with the Internet and refine their manners.

"I believe that by 2010, Shanghai will have a more amiable face and warmer arms to welcome guests from everywhere."

The benefits arising out of the expo will be shared by the entire country, Xi said.

"Although the expo's venue is one city, it needs the entire country's effort (to host it). Likewise, we feel the rare opportunities that the expo has thrown up should be shared by different areas of the country."

Xi and senior Shanghai government officials visited the neighboring Jiangsu and Zhejing provinces last week to discuss regional cooperation in organizing the expo and sharing business opportunities.

"Shanghai is making all out efforts to make the world expo a platform to serve the entire country and allow the provinces and other municipalities to share its development opportunities and achievements."

The expo will showcase the participants' economic and social strengths and cultural and scientific achievements, Xi said.

(China Daily August 6, 2007)