Preparations for the 2010 World Expo are going smoothly in Shanghai.
Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng says the city is eager to learn from the experiences of other cities who have held the World Expo.
He says the city will take more initiatives in preparing for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo with an open mind.
Xu Weiyi has the details.
 REPORTER: More than 150 experts from home and abroad attended the fourth Shanghai World Expo Forum to contribute their ideas to the expo.
The annual forum offers a good communication platform for Shanghai to learn from others.
Mayor Han Zheng says preparations for the 2010 World Expo are going smoothly with support from the Bureau of International Expositions, the event's governing body.
"Since the invitations for the Shanghai World Expo were delivered in March this year, the international community has responded actively. So far, 77 countries and international organizations have accepted invitations to attend the 2010 Shanghai World Expo."
The World Expo has a history of more than 150 years. It's considered the grandest expo in human history and the number of participant countries and organizations is always a decisive indicator to evaluate the expo.
One of the key targets of the 2010 World Expo is to attract 200 countries and regions, rewriting the record of 180 in 2000 Hanover World Expo.
Replies to invitations are due by the end of June 2009.
Mayor Han Zheng says the invitation work is going well. Other relevant preparations are also on the right track.
"It's our solemn commitment to the world that we are going to hold a successful, exciting and memorable 2010 Shanghai World Expo. With even more initiatives and an open mind, we will learn from experiences of past world expos and do our best in preparing for the Shanghai World Expo."
At the moment, infrastructure construction has started within the expo park. The construction of main venues will begin soon.
Meanwhile, expo organizers are planning to select a dozen partners and sponsors.
So far, China Eastern Airlines, China Mobile and China Telecom Corporation have become partners for the event.
The partners will have priority in constructing enterprise pavilions within the expo site in 2010.
In addition, to help developing countries attend the expo, China will offer them 100 million US dollars in aid for theme designing, exhibition setting, transportation of display goods and other events.
Xu Weiyi, CRI News.
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