Private enterprise in China will have its own pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo. Shanghai Fosun High Technology, a well-known privately-owned conglomerate, signed a contract with Shanghai Expo Bureau on May 8, planning to build a 6000-square meters?shared pavilion for Chinese private businesses.

According to Guo Guangchang, chairman of the Board of Fosun, a variety of China's top companies have committed to participate in building the joint pavilion. These companies include Internet-based business Alibaba.com.cn, commercial property specialist Dalian Wanda Group, Huayi Brothers Media Group, Suning Appliances, and real estate specialist E-House China.

A source from Fosun says many more Chinese companies have expressed interest in the joint pavilion and Fosun will invite more participants from industries such as computer hardware, IT, movies, electronics, commercial property, finance, animation, mobile phones, home furnishings, clothing, etc. "Fosun will play the role of aggregator," he said. "And all the participants will join forces to fund and build the pavilion."

The construction of the joint pavilion will start on June 26, 2009. Sun Jun, director of its planning team, confirms that everything is now going well. "The theme of this pavilion is 'boundless vitality'," he said. "We would like to see more inspirational companies joining us."

Up till now, all of the 16 planned business pavilions at Shanghai Expo have found clients, most of whom are state-owned Chinese businesses like China State Shipbuilding Corporation, State Grid Corporation of China, People's Insurance Company (Group) of China, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, China Railways Group Limited, China National Petroleum Corporation, China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation, China Mobile Communications Corporation, and China Telecommunications Corporation. Other foreign companies like the Coca-Cola Company and Taiwan-funded enterprises like the AURORA Group are participating in the establishment of enterprise pavilions. Some of them have already released their design plans and started construction.

(China.org.cn by Li Xiao, June 10, 2009)