Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin said that Expo promotions would give Taiwanese people a better understanding of the Expo and the Chinese mainland and attract Taiwanese visitors.

The Expo Taiwan promotion also featured two conferences, one in Taipei and the other in Kaohsiung. They provided more information about the Expo and opportunities for participation. City officials, leading figures and business people took part.

Terry Gou, president of the Foxconn Technology Group, said at the Taipei conference that the Shanghai World Expo was the pride of both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. He said he hoped many Taiwanese people could visit.

Expo enthusiasm is already running high in Taiwan.

In June, Taipei Mayor Hau visited Shanghai to sign the participation contract for its two Urban Best Practices cases - its wireless city and its recycling program. He said Taipei would spare no efforts in preparing splendid exhibits.

Aurora Group, Taiwan's leading manufacturer of office equipment, will build one of the 16 Expo corporate pavilions. Chinese jade culture will be the centerpiece and pavilion theme.

The 3,000-square-meter Aurora Pavilion will be shaped like a globe and stand on the Puxi side of the Expo site, according to Danny Chan, chairman of the Group.

In 2007, about 70 groups of more than 800 people from Taiwan visited the Shanghai Expo Bureau. Many students among them said they hoped to become volunteers.

(Shanghai Daily October 13, 2008)