CHINA - The opening ceremony for Shanghai's US$57bn World Expo is likely to be badly hit by delays, the organisers have said.
Almost a fifth of the event’s 100 pavilions could be unfinished when the event officially opens in May, according to the Shanghai Expo coordination bureau.
More than 240 countries are participating in the Expo, which is expected to attract up to 70 million visitors to the city. However, some countries have failed to keep to the schedule laid down by the Chinese organisers, with some still seeking to raise the funding necessary to take part, according to a report in UK newspaper the Daily Telegraph.
The report claims that the US is among those still searching for funds, having missed every deadline to-date.
However, Shanghai organisers are drawing attention to the fact that the 2000 Expo in Hanover, Germany, opened with a tenth of exhibits incomplete.
A spokesman said that Shanghai would "do its best to help" any participants who were struggling, even taking over the construction of some pavilions. They added that the Expo bureau would ease the paperwork for some participants where circumstance called for it.
"Historically, there were participants who failed to attend the Expo in due time at every event for various reasons," they added.
