Shanghai to swap working days for expo

SHANGHAI yesterday announced the closure of schools and non-essential government offices for two days next month to ease road traffic and ensure the smooth run of the China International Import Expo.

On the first two days of the expo — November 5 and 6 — students and employees of some government departments and institutions will be given “days off,” the city government said. With November 4 being a Sunday, it effectively becomes a three-day holiday.

But the students and the employees will have to compensate for the break on November 3 and November 11.

Enterprises and other organizations, other than securities trading institutions or those involved in the expo, are encouraged to follow the schedule as well.

About 2,800 companies from over 130 countries will exhibit their flagship products and advanced technologies at the National Exhibition and Convention Center from November 5 to 10.

Shanghai has already renovated all the roads around the convention center, added eight new bus routes, and put 100 buses on standby. About 5,000 volunteers will provide services, including language translations.

The city government has also opened green channels at all ports for quick passage of products of foreign exhibitors. It will greatly cut the time needed for unloading and storing at local warehouses.

The six-day expo, the first of its kind in China, aims to support the trade liberalization policy pursued by the national government. More than 100 products and technologies will make their debut at the event.