Milan ready to follow lead of Shanghai

More than 20 million visitors from around the world are expected to pour into Milan, Italy, for the World Expo next year. [Photo/China Daily]

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Milan, Italy's business and fashion capital, will be in global spotlight this year and next. And China will be taking part in many of its events as well as supporting the city, officials say.

Italy began its half-year rotating presidency of the European Union in July, which will draw related events to Milan. In mid-October, about 50 leaders, including Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, will gather in the northern Italian city for the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit.

Then, starting in May, millions of visitors are expected to pour into Milan for the 2015 World Expo.

China not only plans a country pavilion and two corporate pavilions, it is also the biggest single foreign investor at the expo and is providing lots of advice garnered from the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Milan is expected to attract about 20 million visitors during the May 1-to-Oct 31 event, including up to 1 million from China. Some 500,000 expo tickets have already been sold to Chinese tour operators.

"President Xi (Jinping) and other Chinese leaders have clearly stated that China is willing to share its experiences in hosting the World Expo with Italy, hoping to use the event as an opportunity to boost bilateral cooperation and exchanges," says China's consul general in Milan, Liao Juhua.

Milan Mayor Giuliano Pisapia, taking time from a hectic schedule to sit down with China Daily, says China is "of great importance for us", adding that when it comes to holding the expo, "we must learn from Shanghai".

Officials from Shanghai, which logged a record attendance of 72 million at its expo, told Milan organizers that attendance would grow as the expo goes on.

"They told me … there is no need to worry about the number of visitors at the beginning if it is not big," says Pisapia, 65, whose office is a stone's throw from Milan Cathedral, a gothic landmark that took nearly six centuries to complete.

While the event site is in the northern suburbs of Milan, Pisapia plans to also bring an expo presence to downtown, where streets around the cathedral are adorned with expo posters and advertisements.

Pisapia says he met with Shanghai officials when he visited China in 2013.

The Shanghai officials urged him to think about how to use the expo area after the event is held and to make preparations for that in advance, he says.

They also urged him not to dismantle the more important pavilions, which can be used as symbolic centers to promote foreign affairs and bilateral relations between Italy and other countries.

"All these ideas were very helpful," Pisapia says.

The China Pavilion, with a surface area of 4,590 square meters, will be second only to Germany's in size. Shaped like rippling wheat, it is inspired by the values of harmonious coexistence, and the core exhibition concepts will be "heaven, earth, humanity and harmony", Xinhua News Agency reported.

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