Shanghai has set the date for the 2010 World Expo from May to October of that year, the city's Vice-Mayor Jiang Sixian revealed yesterday, adding that Hong Kong companies could benefit from the event.
Just days before the end of the year, Mr Jiang also forecast that Shanghai's economy would show growth of at least 11.5 per cent in 2003, the fastest since the Asian financial crisis.
The city's economy expanded 10.9 per cent last year, and officials had targeted growth of 9 to 10 per cent for this year.
'There is still a gap between Shanghai and Hong Kong. There are important opportunities for co-operation with Hong Kong,' the vice-mayor told a delegation of journalists led by the Better Hong Kong Foundation.
Hong Kong and Shanghai recently signed a broad co-operative agreement to complement the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (Cepa) that Hong Kong signed with the mainland. It takes effect on January 1.
Although Shanghai officials have called for more co-operation, the city has made no secret of plans to create an international trade and finance centre, which could present a threat to Hong Kong.