"We now see a huge number of possibilities from South-South trade and a lot of our effort is being deployed there," [Trade and Industry Minister Rob] Davies told a news conference. The weakness of the euro and the European economy in general was encouraging this process, he said.

Most people hadn’t even heard of the expo before it came to China. The verdict is clear – The Expo needed China as much as China needed the Expo. It has been described by the Chinese government as “a great gathering of world civilizations”, and is an excellent opportunity to improve ties between two of the oldest – India and China.

Several masterpieces from Musée d’Orsay are on display at the French Pavilion.  Here the Pavilion director discusses how culture is presented to the Chinese public and the Chinese image of France.

After patient and persistent diplomacy and a few perks, Russia and China, Iran's powerful trading partners, finally fell into line. But divisions have emerged elsewhere in the Security Council, signifying concerns about a strategy that appears to stress pressure over engagement with Iran.

[President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo] also highlighted that the Philippine participation to the global exhibit provides the country the opportunity to further strengthen political, economic and cultural relations with China, in which the nation celebrates 35 years of diplomatic relations.

In this age of globalization and social networking, a World Expo might seem a quaint throwback to a bygone era. But for many countries, including, notably, China, it offers a global platform to present strengths and salient characteristics to the world.

Co-author: Hailey Woldt

Let’s begin with the positive: the United States is present at the World Expo in Shanghai. The Secretary of State deserves praise for making this possible, by launching an eleventh hour fundraising drive, after the previous administration had done virtually nothing (besides rejecting a proposal that included Frank Gehry as architect). The Chinese cared enough about the U.S. presence to have contributed both public and private funds to guarantee that the U.S. showed up for Expo Shanghai 2010.

Now that the once strait-laced communist country has adopted a capitalist economy, it has become a major world business player. China’s rise into a world power came at a time when the US was beginning to wear crutches...