Representatives of the more than 220 countries, cities and organizations that have signed up for the 2010 World Expo attended an update meeting in Shanghai on Thursday.

As of Friday, 182 countries and 45 international organizations had confirmed their participation in the global showcase, exceeding the total at the 2000 World Expo in Hanover, Germany, organizers said.

The Shanghai Expo will run from May 1 to Oct 31, 2010, and is being viewed as an economic beacon for the Yangtze River Delta amid the global economic crisis.

Preparations for the event are progressing well, and construction is now under way on all pavilions and auxiliary facilities, organizers said.

A ceremony was held on Friday for the handover of the two lots on which Germany and France will build their pavilions.

On Thursday, Dutch Consulate-General Walter van Weelden said: "We are always impressed by the efficiency and completeness of information provided by the Chinese.

"As governments and businesses attempt to tackle the global financial crisis, we should be optimistic that the Shanghai Expo will draw people from around the world to celebrate societal and technological achievements," he said.

Yang Xiong, Shanghai's executive vice-mayor, said the city is delighted to present the Shanghai World Expo 2010 as an engine for economic growth, social progress and technological advancement.

Vicente Loscertales, secretary-general of the International Expositions Bureau, said on Thursday that the event is expected to attract about 70 million visitors from home and abroad, and that the event's success was dependent on their shared vision.

"The Chinese government showed outstanding organizational skills at the Beijing Olympics, but we need to push the limits even further because the World Expo is even more complicated," he said.

(China Daily November 15, 2008)