SHANGHAI (AFP)--General Electric Co. (GE) has given U.S. efforts
to raise the $60 million needed to ensure a national pavilion at
the 2010 Shanghai World Expo a massive boost, organizers said
Monday.
Fundraising problems have meant the U.S. is one of only three
countries - along with Andorra and Colombia - that have diplomatic
relations with China but haven't confirmed participation at next
year's World's Fair.
GE and USA Pavilion committee officials declined to say how much
the company would contribute, but USA Pavilion spokeswoman Page
Wang said it was the largest donation yet.
GE "joins as a founding partner for the USA national pavilion
during the 2010 Shanghai Expo, which injects a cardiac stimulant
towards the USA pavilions' fundraising," Wang said.
Previously the largest known donations were from computer maker
Dell Inc. (DELL) and manufacturing group 3M Co. (MMM), which
offered $1 million and $250,000 respectively.
Shanghai is preparing to hold the biggest-ever World Expo in a
year's time, which, alongside the Beijing Olympics, aims to show
China's rising global clout.
The event is expected to draw 70 million visitors - 95% of them
Chinese - and despite the financial crisis, most major countries
have seized it as one of the biggest public diplomacy opportunities
in decades.
But U.S. law prohibits using taxpayer dollars to pay for such
events and private fundraising got off to a shaky start last
year.
Frank Lavin, a former U.S. ambassador to Singapore who heads the
private USA Pavilion steering committee, said before the GE
announcement that his group had raised $2.8 million, but needed to
drum up $60 million more.
GE will also provide environmentally-friendly technology for the
pavilion's construction, Wang said.
The Expo's Chinese organizers last week raised the pressure on
the U.S., announcing construction on national pavilions must begin
by June 30 or spaces will be reallocated, the official Xinhua news
agency reported.
Expo organizers suggested last month the USA pavilion's spot
could be given to Kentucky Fried Chicken, the official China Daily
reported.