China plans to provide financial aid to developing countries recognized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for their attending the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, said sources with the Shanghai bidding committee on Thursday.

If Shanghai succeeds in its bid to host the 2010 World Expo, the Chinese government will allocate 100 million US dollars to help some of the participating developing nations cover the costs incurred in renting, designing and constructing exhibition halls, transferring exhibits and accommodating personnel.

The International Exposition Bureau will be fully consulted and its views will be respected when China makes the list of recipients, sources said.

China has also pledged to facilitate the construction of exhibition halls in accordance with the requirements of certain participating States. States which are unable to construct exhibitions may benefit from renting halls at a relatively low price from the local government.

Local sources say that the wishes of the recipients of China's aid will be fully respected, and that contracts will be signed to clarify details about participation, methods and funding.

The winner of the bid to host the 2010 World Expo will be selected from five candidate cities, namely, Moscow, Queretaro, Shanghai, Wroclaw and Yeosu, at a meeting to be held by the International Expositions Bureau on December 3.

According to Wang Junyi, an official of the Shanghai bidding team, the only criterion for choosing the host city of the 2010 World Expo should be whether the winner can host the best expo.

Other factors, such as geographical location, should not be taken into consideration in deciding the bid, Wang said.

It is estimated that an unprecedented 70 million people would visit the 2010 Shanghai World Expo and over 140 million tourists from foreign countries and other parts of China would travel to the coastal city in 2010.

The Shanghai bidding committee believes the city's theme of "better city, better life" will influence global thinking about how to build a modern and civilized city.

(Xinhua News Agency September 6, 2002)