Croatian Parliament Speaker visits Expo Bureau

Luka Bebić, the Speaker of Croatian Parliament, talks during the meeting.

Zhong Yanqun, fulltime deputy director of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai Executive Committee, talks during the meeting.

Zhong Yanqun, fulltime deputy director of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai Executive Committee, yesterday afternoon met the visiting Luka Bebić, the Speaker of Croatian Parliament.

Zhong first introduced the background of Expo 2010 and introduced the latest development to Bebić. She said that she believed the visiting of the delegation will promote Croatia's participation in Expo 2010. She said she is also expecting a wonderful exhibition of Croatia Pavilion in Expo 2010 next year.

Bebić thanked the Expo 2010 organizer's help for Croatia. He said that Croatia will stick to the promise to participate the Expo 2010 despite the international financial crisis. He also hoped that Croatia and China will enhance cooperation in fields such as trade and culture via Expo 2010.

Zhong also accompanied the Croatia delegation to visit the exhibition hall and went atop the Expo mansion to have a bird's view of the Expo site.

Participants well covered at Expo 2010

China has created a three-tier insurance policy frame work to meet the requirements of China's law, Bureau of International Expositions regulation and specific demands of participating countries and organizations, a senior insurance industry official told Shanghai International Insurance Forum for Expo 2010 Shanghai China yesterday. Up to 70 million people are expected to visit the event where hundreds of national treasures will be displayed.

Participants will have to follow Chinese laws to be covered by mandatory policies, such as vehicle mandatory liability insurances, employee work injury insurances and employee health insurances, said Deng Xionghan, deputy head of China Insurance Regulatory Commission Shanghai Bureau.

BIE has traditionally required several policies, which were not readily available in Chinese insurance product frame, to be in place to cover participants. The Chinese industry has worked out the issue and is ready to offer policies under the categories as general liability insurances, construction and erection insurances, property insurances, exhibits and artworks insurances.

Insurers are also going to provide customized policies for Expo participants to buy, industry officials said at the forum.

National treasures such as Denmark's Little Mermaid, Japan's Monk Jianzhen statue, and paintings by Van Gogh and Paul Cezanne from the Musee d'Orsay will be displayed during Expo 2010.

Expo forum opens in Lhasa

Expo 2010 forum on Tibet starts in Lhasa today.

Wan Jifei, executive director of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Executive Committee, delivers a speech.

Wu Yingjie, executive vice chairman of Tibet Autonomous Region, delivers a speech.

Doje Cezhug, Mayor of Lhasa, delivers a speech.

Zhou Hanmin, deputy director of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Executive Committee, delivers a speech.

scene of forum

scene of forum

Many Chinese ecological and environment experts today gathered at an Expo forum in Lhasa City to discuss the ecological system and urban development of the capital city of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Tibet, the "roof of the world," hosts the origins of many important rivers in Asia. The global warming has affected the ecological system in Tibet, experts said. The glacier and plateau permafrost are thawing, desertification is spreading in the region while erosion situation gets worse every day.

"Lhasa is striving to develop itself into a beautiful and ecologically sustainable city and we attach great importance to protect historic relics and environment," Mayor of Lhasa Doje Cezhug said.

Trees have been planted along railway lines and up to 26 natural reserves have been set up, including three national-level reserves, Doje Cezhug added.

Lhasa will keep developing a recycle economy, improve the ecological system of the city and promoting environment protection ideals among residents, he added.

Zhou Hanmin, deputy director of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Executive Committee, and Wang Yi, Chief Scientist of sustainable development of China Academy of Science, also delivered key-note speeches.

Expo Shanghai Forums are categorized into a summit forum, theme forums and public forums. The Lhasa forum is one of the public forums. Public forums intend to discuss specific issues for urban development and promote the Expo's theme of "Better City, Better Life" among the public through various events.

Expo promotion week starts in Tibet

Expo 2010 promotion week opens at the Potala Palace square in Lhasa today.

Wan Jifei, executive director of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Executive Committee, and chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, delivers a speech.

Hao Peng, vice chairman of the Tibet regional government, delivers a speech.

Zhou Hanmin, deputy director of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Executive Committee, delivers a speech.

Tibetan girls pose for a photo with Expo Mascot Haibao.

Expo 2010 promotion week in Tibetan Autonomous Region began this morning at the Potala Palace square in the regional capital Lhasa City.

Chinese government and Communist Party of China have put Expo 2010 as their top priority and the Expo will display a glamorous Tibet to the world, said Wan Jifei, executive director of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Executive Committee.

With the leadership of regional government and the regional party committee as well as the efforts of Tibetan people, Tibetan exhibition in China Pavilion will be a bright spot during the event, Wan added.

Hao Peng, vice chairman of the Tibet regional government, said that Expo 2010 is a good opportunity for Tibet to showcase itself and boost its economy.

Tibetan people will participate in the Expo to thank Shanghai people's contribution to Tibet's development, Hao said. He also said that the promotion week will let more Tibetan people know about Expo.

Zhou Hanmin, deputy director of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Executive Committee, said that Tibet and Shanghai were like brothers and were cooperating in economic, social, educational and cultural aspects, which have been productive.

This promotion will further improve the cooperation and help both to capture the Expo opportunities to make further contribution to each other's development, Zhou said.

The Expo promotion week in Tibet includes an Expo exhibition, an Expo forum and Expo-related activities in Tibet University. The week from September 1 to 5 in 2010 has been set as Tibet Week in Expo 2010. During that week, glamorous culture shows from Tibet will be staged.