"Hosting the expo and improving the legal environment should be
two interactive processes," Zhou Hanmin, deputy director-general of
the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, told a forum on
legal issues surrounding Expo on Saturday.
Although China has a comprehensive legal system, there are still
areas concerning the expo that are not covered by the existing laws
and regulations, he said.
Zhou, a law professor who heads the bureau's legal affairs
department, said an event as big as the World Expo will undoubtedly
enhance legislation in related areas, such as intellectual property
rights (IPR) and customs regulations on exhibits.
He pointed out that hosting the expo requires efforts from the
whole country, not only Shanghai. Adjustments and improvements in
state-level laws will be necessary to ensure a successful
event.
He said that enacting comprehensive laws especially for expo is
neither practical nor necessary.
"During the preparation stage, we should make full use of
existing laws. During the expo period, there should be special
regulations in place, especially on IPR issues."
Shanghai has been lobbying the State Council to enact a
regulation to protect the Shanghai expo's logo and other marks,
because existing IPR regulations in China don't provide adequate
legal basis to protect expo-related titles and logos. The existing
regulations also fail to give sufficient protection to
exhibits.
Zhou also said thousands of contracts will be signed. This will
also require a great deal of legal work, which the bureau will
employ various law firms to handle.
Transparency is also critical for expo, he added.
"We are now studying a proposal to set up a consultancy to
answer questions on various legal issues concerning the expo for
countries and businesses that will participate."
The first World Expo was held in London in 1851. Since then,
expos have been organized worldwide to explain scientific and
technological innovations and discoveries for the benefit of
humankind to an interested, international audience.
(China Daily, china.org.cn May 10, 2004)