U.S. Pavilion in Shanghai Expo Confirmed
The United States today signed the participation contract with the 2010 Shanghai World Expo organizer to officially confirm it will attend. The US Pavilion will showcase sustainability, teamwork, health, and struggle and achievements.
The commissioner general, Jose Villarreal, was appointed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton beginning of July, and this was widely regarded as a strong indication that the US would attend.
The US had actually begun efforts to attend the 2010 event in March, 2008 when the State Department signed a letter of intent with the US Pavilion non-profit group, Shanghai Expo 2010 Inc, to raise funds privately for its Expo showcase. Because of a 1991 bill passed by Congress, the U.S. government is effectively barred from funding national pavilions, leaving it to the private sector to foot the bill.
Recent sponsors including Pepsi, Yum Brands(YUM)and 3M which are ponying up several million dollars each to help pay the $61 million budget.
