China Tries to Put Best Foot Forward With Shangai World Expo

This week, News Hour is dedicating a whole series on China, including this segment which focuses on the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. I’ve been to Shanghai only once, back in 2002 and I remember seeing billboards for this event. I wouldn’t be surprised if Shanghai has quadrupled (or more) in size since I last visited! China has spent over TWICE the amount they did on the city than they did in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics! The United States almost didn’t have a pavilion there, since U.S. government policy prohibits direct funding for such events. But Secretary of State Hillary Clinton opened her rolodex and helped raise over $60 million for the United States to be represented at the Fair. Most of the visitors of the World Expo will be local Chinese residents, making up an estimated 95% of all attendees. With all the grandeur and the incredible crowds of the exhibits, I’m tempted to make another trip to Asia to check out the World Expo myself.