Australian Chinese looking forward to World Expo

by Cao Yang, Yang Lin

CANBERRA, April 11 (Xinhua) - "As Shanghaiese I am full of honor and responsibilities to my birthplace's upcoming Expo." Shi Zhongze who has lived in Australia for over 20 years is planning his tour route of the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

"I have contacted a big group of friends, it is like a small ' Home for World Expo' tour, and the size of the tour is still growing!"

During the afternoon, the sunrays penetrated into a finely designed, east meets west style cafe, Shi as the boss wrapped up his work, and talk with Xinhua tirelessly and eagerly about his emotions to the Shanghai World Expo.

"I was only in my twenties when I first came to Australia, I studied first then worked, and that's how I had been for 20 years. " Shi recalled.

"For 20 years, I witnessed the upheaving status of overseas Chinese, now we are not only as better off as locals, many are in senior positions in public service."

"Chinese in the Australian societies have a bigger voice, apart from their hardworking, the motherland's prosperity is a more important reason." Shi said.

"Eight years ago, Shanghai succeeded in bidding for the World Expo, a handful number of people around me knew what was about it, but now, almost all newspapers advertize about the Expo! the Shanghai Expo is the most popular topic at the moment."

Shi was randomly picking a newspaper next to him, one was with an eye-catching headline entitled "Shanghai Expo to-see Spots".

Shi said he cannot keep in his proudness, and i

ntroduce the World Expo and Shanghai to foreigners when they dine-in, "We are in overseas and should try our best to do some promotions as the efforts for our home's World Expo."

Shi thought many foreigners misunderstand that Chinese culture is seemingly only about martial arts.

He said however World Expo is a good chance to promote our history, culture and national image as well as rapid development.

In 1988, Australia's third biggest city of Brisbane had hosted the World Expo, with 38 countries and regions participating and 80 Pavilions built, becoming the largest World Expo ever in the Southern hemisphere.

Shi recalled his memories about the Brisbane World Expo, "The China Pavilion was graded as a five-star as it showed a traditional and unique Chinese culture, many Chinese in Australia were proud of it."

"Going back for the Expo?" It is now the greeting phrase when overseas Chinese meet, Shi smiled, "After the Olympics, it is what the overseas Chinese await for."