Corporate leaders of 35 multinationals have thrown their support
behind China's bid for Shanghai to host the 2010 World Expo, a
local official said Sunday.
In
a letter to the Shanghai Municipal Bidding Committee for the2010
World Expo, Daniel Vasella, board chairman and CEO of Novartis of
Switzerland, said he and another 34 heads of multinationals would
honor their commitment to help Shanghai stage the exposition if it
won the bid.
The letter is a copy of one mailed to the Bureau of International
Expositions by Vasella, and G. Richard Wagoner, CEO and president
of General Motors, Serge Tchuruk, board chairman and CEO of
Alcatel, Akishige Okada, president of Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, and
other corporate leaders.
The bureau is scheduled to decide which city will host the 2010
World Expo through ballots in exactly one month's time.
Shanghai is competing against Moscow of Russia, Queretaro of
Mexico, Wroclow of Poland and Yeoso of the Republic of Korea to
host the World Expo in 2010.
The successful staging of the 2001 Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation leaders' meeting in Shanghai has proved the city's
capability, according to the letter.
The corporate leaders were in Shanghai for the 14th International
Business Leaders' Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai.
(Xinhua News
Agency November 3, 2002)