Prime Minister David Thompson admiring the Great Wall of China yesterday.

Prime Minister David Thompson says he is “immensely impressed” with what he has seen in China this week. He made the observation to the Mayor of Shanghai, Han Zheng, during talks today that brought down the curtain on a very busy four-day official visit to China.

Mr. Thompson, who was on his first ever trip to the world’s most populous state, noted that there were many good lessons that could be learnt  from China.  He said he was particularly struck by its “economic development, the quality of your architecture and infrastructure, the orderliness of your people and the quality of life overall; you have made tremendous progress,” he noted.

He also told the Mayor that Barbados was supportive of China’s hosting EXPO 2010, which will take place in his state of Shanghai. “It will give China the opportunity to showcase the enormous economic strides you have made,” he said.

Mayor Han explained that Shanghai, a municipality and key seaport city, with a population of some 19 million people, was the centre of economic activity in China, and he was therefore eager to accentuate to the world the relevance of EXPO 2010’s theme, “Better City Better Life” to Shanghai.

He said preparations for the big event in another two years were “going full speed ahead” and he expected Barbados and the Caribbean region to be represented at the exposition.

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