Background:
Expo 2010, officially Expo 2010 Shanghai China will be held in the city of Shanghai, China from May 1 to October 31, 2010 and is a scheduled World Expo in the tradition of international fairs and expositions. The theme of the exposition will be "Better City – Better Life" and signifies Shanghai's new status in the 21st century as a premier global economic and cultural center. It is expected to generate the largest number of visitors in the history of the world's fairs. It is also the largest World's Fair site ever at 5.28 square km.
More than 190 countries and more than 50 international organizations have registered to participate in the Shanghai World Expo. China expects to receive almost 100 foreign leaders and millions of people from across the world to come and visit the World Expo. More than 70-100 million visitors are expected to visit the expo, the largest in history (wikipedia.com).
Microblog comments:
The investment in the site construction for Shanghai Expo is 18 billion Yuan and the management expenses are expected to be 10.6 billion Yuan. In total, the direct investment of Shanghai Expo has reached 28.6 billion Yuan. As estimated by experts, the indirect investment is astonishingly high if we include the construction of the Expo-related railways and other major infrastructure. The government spending has been over 300 billion Yuan, equivalent to 44 billion dollars. The most expensive Expo ever in its history!
-- awwi
Shanghai Expo Drinking Fountain Instructions for Chinese: 1. Don’t directly touch the tap with your mouth or hand. 2. Don’t throw trash on the drinking fountain. 3. Don’t gargle using the water from drinking fountain. 4. Don’t detach the water tap and bring it home.
-- lengxiaohua
It is almost a joke that America, as the richest country, does even have enough budgets to build its pavilion in Shanghai Expo because American taxpayers don’t allow their government to spend money on something irrelevant to taxpayers’ interests. Thanks to some Chinese companies, American committee received donations to finish the construction of its pavilion, which allowed Shanghai Expo become an unprecedented event.
-- explorer
I suggest that China should display our “Great Fire Wall” in the Chinese pavilion at Shanghai Expo. We should even provide an internet-connected computer for foreigners to experience how it feels to not be able to visit Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Blogspot, MySpace, etc… This should be our proudest exhibition.
-- zj8nb
I just asked a friend how she felt after she came back form Shanghai Expo. She said: “one word -- exhausting. All you could only see three things: people, people and people.”
-- MML
Last Saturday I went to Shanghai Expo’s trial opening, oh my god, too many people. You had to wait in line for every pavilion. I waited six hours for the Saudi Arabia pavilion, four hours for the Japanese pavilion, two hours for the Thai pavilion. I spent all day waiting in lines…
-- Flowing
Some Journalists asked me what Shanghai Expo could bring to China. I told them that they should ask what China could bring to Shanghai Expo. Honestly, Expo is not an event that is worth such big scale of preparation. With globalization and free flow of information, the Expo has become less and less essential today than it was. It is China that overstated the importance of Expo. Maybe we are a bit so eager to show off in front of the world.
-- Han Han
Shanghai Expo, it makes every citizen to sacrifice in order to guarantee its success. Yesterday, I flew from Beijing to Hangzhou. My flight was delayed for three and half hours because of the traffic control for the Expo. Today, I’m still waiting for my already delayed flight back to Beijing, not knowing when it can take off. Thousands of passengers and I “warmly” welcome the opening of Shanghai Expo at the sacrifice of our time and convenience.
-- Zimo Zeng
My point of view:
In 2008, the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics sent a convincing message to the world that China is rising. China is no longer a weak state that can be easily bullied by other powers. During the Beijing Olympics, Chinese people for the first time felt extremely proud of the development China has achieved over the past twenty years. Having been used to living condescendingly for three hundred years, Chinese people can no long wait for any second to declare to the world that the dragon is awake. When people gradually calmed down after the Olympics, the upcoming Shanghai Expo again stimulated a prevalent and vibrant nationalism. However, some rare but thoughtful voices are not submerged under the nation-wide enthusiasm for Shanghai Expo. This blog entry selectively chose the rare voices that have cast some doubts on China’s hosting of the 2010 Expo. All it seems is that China is well prepared to show its muscle to the world but not ready to show its mind. The Chinese government is able to burn a huge amount of money on the physical plant for the Expo, but Chinese people are not yet able to behave as responsible and educated citizens. The governmental decision to prioritize Shanghai Expo over the daily convenience of Chinese citizens is another controversial tropic regarding the Expo.
After growing large muscles, China also needs to develop a sound mind.
I think the expo is cool :)
ReplyDeleteCheck out this slideshow of some of the larger pavillions: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/24/shanghai-world-expo-2010_n_550107.html
I agree that these expos are not as important as they used to be, because of the access people have to information regarding different countries and cultures. Still, I always dreamed of visiting one of these expos myself, knowing the great history behind the World Expo and the many national monuments that were created for it in the past.
I have a theory. China is showing off, and it should :) China is increasing its social capital by hosting huge expos like this one. Tons of people are employed in construction. infrastructure, which benefits everyone, is improved. And China is in a better place to attract investments, continue to grow its economy at home and abroad so it can have the capital needed to invest in better social programs. That's another way to look at it, I guess.
I think China already has a sound mind, just not one exactly geared toward the "daily convenience of Chinese citizens." I feel like they made a very strategic decision to host the expo, having calculated that the long term benefits would outweigh the short-term costs.
Thanks to JaJa for posting the link to the photos of the different pavilions. Two things struck me: 1) the various architecture is very cool, and 2)America doesn't seem to have invested much energy into their pavilion--it looks like any old office building. In any case, the event is clearly designed to impressed. I wonder, however, if it's going to succeed. Nothing can touch the Olympics, and so maybe it's a mistake to try. Perhaps China needs to seek new ways to impress the world? Events like this can start to seem like a distraction...
ReplyDeleteEvents like this are what keeps the party in power. I read recently (I wish I could remember where!) That Russian citizens were more concerned with Russia being a great, respected, powerful nation than with it being a democratic nation. By that, I mean, in the polling data, a majority of the citizens felt that way.
ReplyDeleteI suspect China is in some ways similar. As long as China continues to grow the economy, and demonstrate their power and organizational capacity, Chinese citizens aren't going to agitate strongly enough for sweeping changes.
Instead, I suspect it will be a slow, and incremental process. Already in the villages local democracy has taken root, and certain aspects of the rule of law are growing. Maybe a slow move towards democracy is the right path for China, rather than a quick shift to democracy that could be destabilizing and portend a violent backlash.
What do you think?
What an interesting collection of microblog comments, particularly the one about the “Great Fire Wall”.
ReplyDeleteThe expo seems to be a part of China’s effort to put forth a powerful master narrative, for an audience that is both domestic and international. The theme choice is interesting -- “Better City, Better Life.” At the expo website, it says this theme represents the common wish of the whole humankind for a better living in future urban environments (http://en.expo2010.cn/expo/expo_english/oe/theme/userobject1ai48697.html).
But couldn’t this also be interpreted a global sense, to assert China’s “betterness” in the international arena? I don’t know.
As for the “Great Fire Wall” comment, it seems to imply that the expo is sweeping some important issues under the carpet.
The expo... I lived next to a huge square of pavillions which was designed to be an expo of all the nations of Russia. A pavillion for each people to show off what makes them them. Do you know what is inside the behemoth buildings today? Nothing more than random trinket junk as weekend markets.
ReplyDeleteIf China wishes to show, do so, impress the world, blow us away, BUT do it in a way which provides something useful for yourselves and/or the world. An expo that lasts about 6 months and then leaves a bunch of giant buildings provides a small blimp in your nations economic growth with a few jobs and tourists traveling for it, but then what? Then you have a 5mile squared area of huge ass buildings which no longer serve a purpose.
I want to see China flexing its muscles, but do so wisely in a way which actually provides longterm benefits.
I looked at the Russian pavilion. The official website states: "The City of Flowers will exhibit environment-related technology. The City of Sun will showcase new clean energies."
ReplyDeleteRussian oil/gas/nuclear power is not only consumed domestically, but also exported to EU countries. Is there much of environmentally friendly technology? Does it represent, to quote vman24, "what makes them them"?
It is interesting how this exhibition is held in China, in which many countries brand themselves. On the one hand, if we have never been in a country, let's say Russia, but we visit the Russian pavilion in China, we might end up accepting the positive image that Russia presents for herself.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I wonder if China is in a disadvantage in this regard. In other words, as much as China tries to present glamorously herself through her own pavilion, people can still see the "real" place around, such as people living in poor conditions etc.
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ReplyDeleteI found Karen's comment about the American pavilion to be intriguing. On the Huffington Post slide show, it does indeed look like any old office building, but it looks much cooler on the official website. In looking further, it seems the pavilion is designed to present a subtle counternarrative, maintaining American exceptionalism even at an event designed to showcase Chinese power.
ReplyDeleteIts website states, "Thematically, the bold and simple shape of the USA Pavilion shadows that of an eagle with open wings, a creature that is uninhibited by boundaries. It also serves as the national emblem for America, a country that offers limitless opportunities. Beyond the expression of opportunity, the eagle has been designed with its wings open as a gesture to welcome guests into the Pavilion."
As an American, the official website for the American pavilion provides an interesting look at how America hopes to brand itself. Check it out here: http://www.usapavilion2010.com/usapavilion2010/index.php
While I agree that China should develop a sound mind in addition to its muscle, I have my doubts as to any nation has really reached that envisioned level of development. Whose homes were bulldozed for the new Yankee Stadium? Whose homes were destroyed for this year’s World Cup games in South Africa? I believe that most affluent nations tend to sacrifice their citizens for international recognition.
ReplyDeleteOn a micro level however, I believe the listed negative comments surrounding the World Expo represent a split between China and its citizens, particularly in regards to specific issues such as Internet moderation. The World Expo seems to be a vessel by which many of China’s citizens are able to highlight their country’s problems. Perhaps it is a bit patriotic of me to believe this, but I feel that if America were to have a World Expo of this magnitude, we would for at least a brief period, let this international spectacle cast a shadow over conflicts we have with our government (health care, immigration, etc), albeit I know a few people who would grumble about the amount of traffic that would occur.
I especially enjoyed the "Great Firewall" comment. The sarcasm emphasizes the gap between the interests of the government and some of these microbloggers. The Chinese Olympic efforts were recognized to be among the most impressive ever, but were also recognized to be a facade attempting to cover up the problems just outside of Olympic venues. This seems to be another case of the Chinese government attempting to make the country look good by distracting us from the real, common problems by showing us the extravagance of the World Expo. Since the Olympics I've come to expect this kind of presentation by the Chinese government. I wonder if the voices of the microbloggers will ever become powerful enough to cut through the facade erected by the government of China?
ReplyDeleteThanks to Doug for posting the link to the American pavilion. Much more impressive than the Huff Post photo shows -- and more revealing re: how America wishes to be perceived.
ReplyDelete