An open door to all for Shanghai World Expo

The mainland is welcoming pariah nations as well as allies of rival Taiwan to participate in the Shanghai World Expo, in a display of soft power for the cultural event.

The 161 confirmed countries and international organisations attending the 2010 world's fair include Myanmar and Zimbabwe, both of which have been criticised for authoritarian rule and their lack of human rights.

Iran, which is under fire for its nuclear programme, and Sudan, which some have accused of genocide in its Darfur region, will also attend, according to the official website of the Shanghai World Expo.

'As organiser, we invite all foreign countries in the world, which means we invite the member states of the United Nations. We also invite countries with which we have diplomatic relations,' Xu Bo, of the Shanghai World Expo Co-ordination Bureau, told a news conference yesterday.

China had offered financial assistance to some countries to allow them to attend, he said, without specifying who these were.

So far, 45 African countries have confirmed their participation. The continent has been the focus of a diplomatic push by Beijing.