Shanghai Expo

THE Shanghai Expo is just eleven days away.It opens on Saturday next week. Everything isset for welcoming visitors from all parts of theworld. However, it has transpired that its theme song"2010 Welcomes You" is allegedly a copy of a songthe Japanese singer Mayo Okamoto wrote fifteenyears ago. That has caused the Bureau of ShanghaiWorld Expo Coordination great embarrassment. Notonly has the Bureau been victimised, but China haslost face too. What concerns us is in what light thebiggest ever world expo will present China to the restof the world.

The Shanghai Expo has yet to open, but it hasbrought shame on China. The blame lies squarely atthe door of the "composer" of the theme song.Furthermore, yesterday, Chief Secretary Henry Tangused a touch touch--screen device in Hong Kong's pavilion atthe Shanghai Expo. It was out of order and failed torespond. That happened during the Shanghai Expotrial run. Such things have happened that people wouldwonder whether the huge event would see otherblunders. Nevertheless, the purpose of having a trialrun is to identify problems and promptly deal withthem. We hope Expo 2010 will, after it has opened,adequately embody its "Better City, Better Life" themeand demonstrate to the world China's new outlook.

As China is the most populous country in theworld, the Shanghai Expo will draw an even greaterattendance than the Osaka Expo. The attendance at itwill be a first in the world. The organisers expect thenumber of visitors to total 70 million in its half half--yearduration. Ninety Ninety--three percent of them will come fromthe mainland. Every day on average half a millionpeople will visit the Shanghai Expo. That will certainlypose the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordinationand the Shanghai municipal government very oneroustasks. Visitors need meals, accommodation andtransport services. Whether Shanghai will pass the"Better City, Better Life" test depends on whether it canensure that the large numbers of visitors will feel athome. More than 60 million mainlanders will visit Expo2010. Are they prepared to refrain from yelling at thetop of their voice and spitting where they please? TheShanghai Expo will be a place where the world will findout whether Chinese people are well brought up.

The Chinese government regards the ShanghaiExpo as a major event after the Beijing Olympics andhas given it precedence over other issues. We gatherthat, when the National People's Congress and theChinese People's Political Consultative Conferencewere in session last March, Guangdong officials saidin Beijing explicitly and implicitly that reporters shouldavoid mentioning the Asian Games (scheduled for theend of the year in Guangzhou) lest attention should bediverted from the Shanghai Expo. It is good for theChinese leadership to attach great importance to Expo2010. However, it is doubtful that it needs to be givenabsolute precedence. To be blunt, if the ShanghaiExpo stands to be a success, it will be given extensivecoverage. Officials' will to direct attention to it is indeedat odds with the humanistic spirit the World Expo issupposed to represent.

Four years after it had embarked on its reformdrive, China took part in the Energy Expo in Knoxville,the US. In China's pavilion, solar energy technologieswere displayed. However, what impressed visitorsmost was artefacts and national treasures. Visitorswere most interested in bricks from the Great Wall, QinDynasty terra cotta warriors and suchlike. A USnewspaper then said, "China is using Great Wall bricksto build its friendship with 1982 World Expo visitors."Twenty Twenty--eight years has quickly passed. Now China ishosting a world expo. Let us see how China will rise tothe test. Here we wish the Shanghai Expo will prove atotal success.

明報社評 2010.04.20

上海世博會將展示一個怎樣的中國？？？？

上海世博會還有11 日、下周六開幕，在萬事俱備歡迎各方來客之際，傳出大會宣傳歌曲《2010 等你來》涉嫌抄襲日本著名歌手岡本真夜15 年前的舊作，使上海世博局非常尷尬，此事的受害者不僅上海世博局，中國的顏面也受到損害。我們關心的是，這次史上規模最大的世博會，將向世人展示一個怎樣的中國。

上海世博出師未捷，卻落筆打三更，先使國家和國人蒙羞，直接責任唯作曲者是問。昨日特區政務司長唐英年參觀世博香港展覽時，曾按動一個輕觸式屏幕裝置，不過，裝置失靈，沒有反應。雖然試運行階段，但是一些大大小小事故，使人驚覺上海世博還有沒有其他「蝦碌」事情，使人關注。試運行就是要找出問題，及時改善，希望開幕迎客之後，上海世博能夠成功演繹「城市，讓生活更美好」主題，繼兩年前北京奧運之後，向世人展示中國和中國人的新精神面貌。

上海世博在中國這個人口大國舉行，參觀人數肯定會超過大阪那一次，成為世界第一。主辦當局預期在半年展期內，會有超過7000 萬人參觀，其中93% 是內地民衆。每日要接待約50 萬人，對於上海博覽局以至上海市政府，肯定是一個沉重任務，要使這麼多遊人、旅客在起居交通餐飲感到賓至如歸，正是考驗上海朝野能否做到「城市，讓生活更美好」的考卷。至於6000 萬以上參觀上海世博的國人同胞，你們的表現，樂意排除不隨地吐痰、不隨便高聲叱喝？也是世人認識中國人是否文明有教養的場合。

中國視上海世博為北京奧運之後的國家盛事，許多事情都要讓路。據知今年33 月在北京舉行的全國人大和政協「兩會」，廣東方面曾經明示或暗示，希望記者不要提及年底在廣州舉行的亞運會，以免分散對上海世博的注意力。中國領導層重視上海世博，是好事，不過，一切要就此讓路，是否有必要，值得斟酌。老實說，若上海世博有成功的條件，自然成為報道重點，現在長官意志主導甚為濃烈，反而與世博會所標榜的人文精神有所扞格了。

中國再次參加現代形式的世博會，是改革開放44 年之後的美國諾克斯維爾（ Knoxville Knoxville）世界能源博覽會。）當年，中國館雖然展示了一些太陽能科技，參觀者最印象深刻的是大批美術工藝品和國寶，包括長城的磚塊、秦兵馬俑，都是觀衆最感興趣的展品。當年美國媒體評論說， 「中國正在利用長城磚同1982 年世博會的觀衆建立友誼」；倏忽28 年，中國舉辦世博會了，中國將會怎樣答考卷，且拭目以待。在此，預祝上海世博會圓滿成功。

Glossary

onerous //''?ʊ ?ʊnn ??rr ??s/ s/needing great effort.

precedence //''pres presIIdd ??ns/ ns/priority in importance, time or order.

in session

assembled for business.