China.org.cn: What expectations do you have for this event?

Yohannes Mengesha: Well I think it has been perhaps the best-attended conference. So far, from what I heard, I don't think we've ever had so many people to attend the conference. For us, as far as the UN is concerned, we have, with myself, eight UN staff to attend this conference. I think this is probably the biggest UN delegation at a FIT conference; so it shows we want to be included. Like any big meeting you find opportunities to meet bilaterally with other groups -- and just like I'm having this conversation with you I'm also meeting with a number of other Chinese entities when I'm here.

China.org.cn: This is your first time to be in China?

Yohannes Mengesha: No, it's not. It is my third time.

China.org.cn: So you are our old friend. What changes gave you the deepest impressions?

Yohannes Mengesha: The first time I came to China was in 1988 and the second time was 1995. When I went to Beijing in 1995, it was quite a different city than I had seen in 1988. This time I am not going to go to Beijing. But seeing Shanghai for the first time for me is a great pleasure. I can see the advances being made very rapidly in China. You see it the first time you arrive at the airport, and I'm sure it's the same thing in Beijing. And I think it's the openness of people. And that's another thing -- the exchange of ideas and cultures is expanding. And I welcome that very much.

China.org.cn: This is "China Talk". Thanks for watching. See you next time.

(China.org.cn transcript by Adriane Quinlan August 5, 2008)