The 2010 World Exposition in Shanghai will be the first registered one in a developing country. Officially known as “Expo Shanghai 2010,” it will last 184 days and provide China an opportunity to show off its remarkable economic growth. The expo will also give foreign nations and companies a chance to further develop business partnerships with China and Chinese companies. This is the fourth in an ongoing series that will look at the upcoming expo, from country pavilions to trade development. In this article, we take a look at the French Pavilion.

SHANGHAI, Aug. 10 - France was the first country to accept China’s invitation to join the World Expo 2010 and because of that was able to secure a good location for its site. It was also the first country to begin the construction of its pavilion called “Sensual City.”

The design for the pavilion was the winning entry chosen by French authorities and will be 6,000 square meters big. Despite the pavilion’s seemingly simple design, the budget allocated for the structure amounts to RMB552 million.

With that budget, it is “the highest among all participants” says Mr. Xu Bo, director of the International Participation Department of the Bureau of World Expo Coordination. According to French president Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy, the pavilion will present, “France’s contribution in the sustainable urban development for one of the biggest economic metropolises in the planet.”

CONTINUE READING Shanghai Expo 2010: The French Pavilion on China Briefing.

Read China Briefing's series of stories about the Expo Pavilions:

The German Pavilion [Aug 4]
The American Pavilion [July 22]
The Spanish Pavilion [ July 10]