Chen Wenjie – Chairman of the Guangdong office of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Deputy Provincial Head of the Expo Affairs Committee – is confident that Guangdong’s time to shine has come. In a recent interview with the local media, Chen admitted that Guangdong was already working through the official government channels to submit its bid for the 2020 World Expo. More importantly, Guangdong’s bid has the support of the central government, with Chairman Lan Feng of the International Expositions Bureau quoted as saying: “Guangdong is a dynamic, rapidly developing province, and I believe that it is perfectly capable of successfully hosting the World Expo.” Preparations for Guangdong’s bid are underway, and Chen reiterated his hope to see this dream fulfilled in ten years.
Guangdong Pavilion in 2010 Shanghai Expo is a Lingnan style architecture
But hosting an event as prestigious as a World Expo is not all pomp and glamour. Though Guangdong’s pavilions were undoubtedly some of the most illustrious highlights in the recent Shanghai World Expo, hosting the entire expo is a different ballgame altogether. Should Guangdong win the right to host the 2020 World Expo, the financial investment alone will be completely staggering, not counting the intangible impact on the ordinary citizens of the province. In this year’s World Expo alone, Shanghai poured in an estimated USD 44 to 60 billion in total direct investments and infrastructure. Although the Shanghai government is confident that it will be able to recoup its costs and even see significant profit, previous expos such as the ones in Spain, Portugal and Germany reported significant losses.
It appears that these concerns are already prevalent among the citizens of Guangdong. As such, news of Guangdong’s bid for the 2020 World Expo has not been met with much excitement or joy by the locals. A blogger using the name “Guangzhou Xiaoping” complains that Guangdong’s efforts at international prestige may be well and good, but it’s taking a toll on the ordinary citizens who have to put up with the increased infrastructure spending and the accompanying noise and air pollution. Apart from the constant “harassment” that the citizens are subjected to, the blogger also noted that Shanghai’s expo caused the building of several architectural feats that – unfortunately – will no longer be of any use after the exposition ends. In his opinion – perhaps a reflection of local sentiment – such wasteful efforts yield little to no return on investments. What’s the point to all the excitement then?
With less than 100 days before 16th Asian Games, Guangdong government is wrapping up the construction for this regional event. On the other hand, general public felt annoyed by so many developments going on in the city; will they support the 2020 World Expo? (Picture: Olympic Tennis Center)
Despite the massive amount of financial investment required and the toll that Guangdong’s constant search for international prestige is taking on the citizens, Chen Yang, of Southern Metropolis Daily (南方都市报), thinks bidding for the 2020 World Expo still remains a step in the right direction. Certainly, the public may be tired of the non-stop construction and the constant spending, but the 2020 World Expo is not just another event. It is an opportunity that would allow Guangdong to showcase itself and its prime cities to the world. The World Expo – as its name implies – brings the world into one city. In such an event, there are no losers, but the biggest victor is undoubtedly the host city. The expo is an opportunity to show one’s progress to the world, and this is an opportunity that Guangdong needs.
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