Yu Zhengsheng: Expo will lift nation´s economy

Expo organizers will soon launch a program to recruit college graduates to fill 13 categories of job vacancies.

Yu said to host the event successfully, it is important to speed up the integration of the Yangtze River Delta, and called on Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces in the region to work together in the preparations for the expo.

For example, Yu said, visitors to the expo may want to tour other cities within the Yangtze River Delta region and even other parts of China.

The Shanghai Party chief admitted that the global financial turmoil has brought up some "practical difficulties" for the participating countries and institutions, but so far, all participants remained quite active. He said the expo will become a venue for discussing ways to combat the economic crisis.

"The organizers will strive to provide all participants with high-quality and efficient services, and work to lower their costs," Yu said.

The $100-million supporting fund China pledged during the bidding process is in place and it is expected that more than 100 developing nations will benefit from it, he said.