US to attend World Expo in Shanghai

[FT_news]

US representatives are preparing to break ground as soon as next week on the American pavilion for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, ending months of speculation over whether the globe’s leading power might be a no-show at what is being billed as the largest ever world’s fair.

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[forum_admin]

Shanghai, China’s largest city and financial centre, has latched onto the Expo as its chance to establish its global profile as a dazzling metropolis in the same way last year’s Beijing Olympics turned the world’s attention to the nation’s capital.

Originally Posted by FT_news US representatives are preparing to break ground as soon as next week on the American pavilion for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, ending months of speculation over whether the globe’s leading power might be a no-show at what is being billed as the largest ever world’s fair. More...

This article restates the US pavilion project's state of affairs as it was a month ago and remains today: 1/3 of the funding completed, no official commitment from the US Government to participate, and precious little time to get the project done well (less than 10 months, including completing fundraising, building the Expo, preparing a six-month program, etc., etc.).

The article misstates US law pertaining to Expos. There is no prohibition on US Government funding of Expos. There is only a regulation that the State Department must spend only that amount of money appropriated by the Congress. Since neither the Bush nor Obama Administrations have asked Congress to appropriate funding, Congress hasn't.

That aside, there are other, more fundamental reasons why the process has been so halting. For more details including the whole befuddled history of this project, visit the "A US Pavilion for the Shanghai Expo" Facebook Page at BH&L Group: Creating a US Pavilion at the Shanghai 2010 World Expo! | Facebook.