The Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, traveled to China this week as part of a working visit to Beijing and Shanghai.
In Beijing, the Secretary General met with H.E. Mr. Han Zheng, Vice President of the People’s Republic of China. The Secretary General and the Vice President exchanged views on the legacy of Expos organized in China, the country’s involvement in the BIE and in Expos, current and future initiatives, and multilateral cooperation through these global platforms.
The Secretary General also met with senior officials including Ren Hongbin, Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), and Li Qingshuang, Vice Chairperson of CCPIT, to explore China’s long-standing engagement with the BIE and opportunities for further collaboration.
In this context, the Secretary General highlighted that China’s participation in Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, currently taking place in Japan, is a clear demonstration of China’s commitment to sustainability and global cooperation. China is represented at the World Expo with a pavilion themed “Building a Community of Life for Man and Nature — Future Society of Green Development,” showcasing its vision for a greener and more inclusive future.
As part of his visit to Beijing, the Secretary General also attended the opening ceremony of the China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) hosted by CCPIT.
In Shanghai, the Secretary General met with the Vice Mayor of Shanghai, Liu Duo. He was welcomed at the World Expo Museum (WEM), where he met with the Co-Chairman of the WEM Board, Gu Honghui, and Liu Wentao, Director of the museum. Discussions focused on current and upcoming WEM initiatives, including its participation in Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, and upcoming temporary exhibitions.
He also visited the Pudong side of the former Expo 2010 Shanghai site. Once a heavily industrial zone, the area was transformed for the World Expo and has since evolved into a vibrant urban district featuring expansive green spaces and cultural venues. The visit included recent developments such as the central SOE headquarters, the Shanghai Grand Opera House, and the Shanghai Expo Cultural Park, which now includes the newly opened Greenhouse Garden and several former Expo pavilions integrated into the renewed environment.
China has a long history of participating in Expos and became a member of the BIE in 1993. As an Expo host country, China organized the most visited World Expo in history – Expo 2010 Shanghai – as well as Horticultural Expo 1999 in Kunming and Horticultural Expo 2019 in Beijing.