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FM AMCONSUL SHANGHAI
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RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 2135
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RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 1927
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 8831

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 SHANGHAI 000340 
 
(CORRECTED COPY) 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE ALSO FOR S/GPI/BALDERSTON, AMB. BAGLEY 
STATE ALSO FOR EAP/PD - STOLTZ, GALT 
TREASURY FOR OASIA - DOHNER, WINSHIP 
COMMERCE ALSO FOR ITA/MAC/OCEA - MELCHER 
AIT ALSO PASS AIT/K AND CLASS 
DIRFSI FOR SLS/CHINESE/CROCOLL FOR CHINESE STUDENTS 
NSC FOR LOI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV BEXP SENV KPAO CH
SUBJECT: EXPO FEVER AND THE CULT OF HAIBAO:  SHANGHAI GOES ALL OUT 
FOR 2010 WORLD'S FAIR 
 
REF: SHANGHAI 148 (ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS ON "BETTER CITY, BETTER LIFE" 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  Feverish preparations for Shanghai's World Expo 
2010, due to begin next May 1, have taken over every corner of 
this city of 20 million people. The authorities have mobilized 
government, media, community, cultural, environmental and 
engineering resources to ensure a successful and "harmonious" 
event for 70 million expected visitors.  Secretary Clinton's 
personal commitment to ensuring a USA Pavilion won us big 
points, while the pavilion groundbreaking on July 17 attracted 
nationwide media interest.  End Summary. 
 
---------------------- 
U.S. Joins the Party 
---------------------- 
 
¶2. (U)  Official U.S. participation in the May 1 - October 31 
2010 World Expo has been an open question for nearly two years, 
thanks to restrictions on the use of government funds that mean 
all money must be raised from the private sector.  By this 
spring over 190 countries had signed up to be present at the 
party; we were regularly reminded that only the U.S. and Andorra 
remained as holdouts. 
 
¶3. (U) Secretary Clinton's July 1 appointment of a U.S. 
Commissioner General gave the signal that the U.S. was committed 
to moving ahead, a commitment confirmed two weeks later with a 
ceremonial groundbreaking for the USA Pavilion.  Coverage of the 
July 17 ceremony resulted in a record 2,000 media placements, 
many quoting from Secretary Clinton's letter of congratulations 
that "The Shanghai Expo represents all that the nations of the 
world can accomplish when we work together, the global 
challenges we can meet through collective action, and the 
progress we can achieve through international cooperation." 
 
¶4. (U) By hosting the first world's fair ever staged in China, 
Shanghai hopes to achieve some of the infrastructure 
improvements and garner some of the magic that famous fairs of 
yesteryear were known for.  The Expo Bureau points out that the 
United States itself has hosted a number of historically 
significant world fairs, and that now is China's turn. To 
emphasize the event's national significance, a clock installed 
at Beijing's Tian'anmen Square on May 1 counts down the days 
left.  Many news broadcasts around the country now open with the 
number of days left in the countdown and no official speech is 
complete without a nod to Expo. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Great Expectations, Great Expenditures 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶5. (U) To host the largest Expo in history, the Chinese have 
budgeted more than $4.2 billion, including $2.6 billion for 
basic infrastructure construction and $1.6 billion for Expo 
operations. This is nearly twice the $2.3 million budget for the 
2008 Beijing Olympics. 
 
¶6. (U) City officials predict the Expo will break even and 
possibly make a profit from Expo construction bonds, ticket 
 
SHANGHAI 00000340  002 OF 004 
 
 
income and sponsorship, as well as re-use of the land after the 
Expo is finished.  Advance tickets are on sale for $24, with 
over six million already sold.  The Expo expects to sell an 
 
SHANGHAI 00000339  002 OF 004 
 
 
additional 10 million tickets before the end of 2009 and is 
considering opening the fairgrounds one or two hours earlier 
than the planned 9 am start to accommodate the expected huge 
number of visitors. 
 
¶7. (U) As part of the preparations, the city government is 
funding large scale infrastructure projects, including eight new 
metro lines, new roads, parks and residential areas. Shanghai 
officials say that the Expo will help increase Shanghai's annual 
GDP growth by 2 percent from 2004-2010, bring 1 million jobs and 
attract another $44.1 billion of investment for other Expo 
related development.  By issuing preferential reallocation 
policies, the government has relocated more than 18,000 local 
households and 272 companies from the Expo site to newly built 
locations. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Expo Mascot Invades Shanghai 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) "Haibao" or "sea treasure" is the trademarked mascot for 
the Expo and a ubiquitous component of the current Shanghai 
street scape.   Although reportedly based on the Chinese 
ideograph for person (ren), Haibao reminds most Americans of a 
chubby blue Gumby figure, especially when plastered across huge 
billboards all over the city.  Haibao comes in many forms and 
many places, from two-meter tall statues to cuddly toys, from 
video screens in buses, taxis, and subways to interactive online 
portals.  A campaign calling for Haibao fans to create pictures 
of Haibao around the world has already attracted more than 
20,000 entries, while a quote from Secretary Clinton noting that 
the Haibao mascot in her office is "looking forward to reports" 
on the progress of the USA Pavilion scored nearly 2,000 
references in Chinese media coverage of the groundbreaking 
ceremony. 
 
--------------------- 
Media Saturation 
--------------------- 
 
¶9. (U) Chinese media run multiple Expo stories daily, with 
Shanghai print media creating special pages to cover the 
seemingly inexhaustible subject.  An "Expo Documentary" screened 
during prime time on China's most influential news channel 
(CCTV-1) in May; a shorter version now plays all over Asia in 
malls, on large screen LCDs and through the mobile handset 
advertising network.  Hundreds of Expo-themed books, 
publications, brochures and CDs are available at every Shanghai 
bookstore and newspaper booth. 
 
¶10. (U) SINA and QQ, China's two most influential web portals 
 
SHANGHAI 00000340  003 OF 004 
 
 
and social networking sites, have established special pages to 
promote the Expo. Mobile phone subscribers receive daily Expo 
news through their mobile phone service. Shanghai buses also 
broadcast information on the Expo every day to more than 12 
million bus commuters.  Global marketing includes the 
appointment of three famous Chinese stars - NBA giant Yao Ming, 
actor Jacky Chan and classical pianist Lang Lang - as Expo 
Ambassadors. 
 
------------------------------------ 
 
SHANGHAI 00000339  003 OF 004 
 
 
A Campaign for Every Season 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶11. (U) Every week brings a new Expo-focused campaign aimed at 
spurring citizens and officials to prepare for next year's big 
event: 
 
-The "Shanghai World Expo Civilization Plan of Action" seeks to 
eliminate bad habits such as queue-jumping, smoking in public 
places and jaywalking. 
 
-An "Expo Pioneer Team" action plan calls for the 1.6 million 
Shanghai Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members to play a 
"leading role for preparing Expo". 
 
- "Everyone should be responsible for Expo, should participate 
in Expo and share Expo with each other" seeks to build a 
"harmonious society", a current political focus of the Chinese 
Communist Party. 
 
- A "Wish Words to Expo via Mobile Phone SMS" campaign has 
inspired thousands of mobile phone users to send messages, 
including Chinese poems, expressing their best wishes for the 
Expo. 
 
-The "Three-Fives Days of Each Month" campaign focuses on 
customer service on the fifth of every month, "Environment 
Clean-Up Day" on the fifteenth and "Public Order Day" on the 
twenty-fifth. 
 
-"Be an Expo Volunteer" attracted more than 270,000 applicants 
during the first month that applications were accepted. 
 
- "Welcome EXPO, Study English" aims to make at least 50 percent 
of local citizens able to have simple English daily 
conversations with Expo guests. More than 100,000 Shanghai taxi 
drivers have been encouraged to study English. 
 
--------------- 
Going Green 
---------------- 
 
¶12.  (U) In line with the "Better City, Better Life" focus of 
the Expo (reftel), the site features environmental installations 
 
SHANGHAI 00000340  004 OF 004 
 
 
that will save energy and lower pollution, including rainwater 
collection, alternative energy facilities, and eco-vehicles. 
Beyond the Expo zone, Shanghai has created a traffic plan to 
encourage flexible working hours and implement traffic controls; 
the city has also announced a move to phase out 90-octane 
gasoline to ease air pollution and create a cleaner Expo. 
 
----------- 
Comment 
----------- 
 
¶13. (U) The 2010 Shanghai World Expo will be the largest Expo in 
history and the first ever hosted by China.  The USA Pavilion at 
the Expo provides an unprecedented opportunity to showcase 
American innovation and green technologies to tens of millions 
of visitors.  In a recent Chinese public opinion survey, 
respondents named the U.S. pavilion as the place they most 
 
SHANGHAI 00000339  004 OF 004 
 
 
wanted to visit after the Chinese national pavilion.  The 
much-heralded U.S. confirmation of participation on July 17 
bought us a ticket on what China intends to be an unforgettable 
ride to the future. 
CAMP 
B T 
 #0339 
CAMP