A co-ordination bureau to help plan the Shanghai World Expo 2010 will be set up at the end of this month, authorities said yesterday.

"The new bureau, approved by the central government, will replace the World Expo 2010 Shanghai Office and take full responsibility for preparing for the event," said Jiao Yang, a spokesperson of Shanghai municipal government.

A special company and a land reserve office will also be established to carry out infrastructure and exhibition facilities construction through a market-oriented operation, Jiao said.

The expo land reserve office will be responsible for requisitioning and approving expo land while the expo company will take charge of business development via public bidding.

Meanwhile, the company will deal with other expo-related business development, such as introduction of investors, operation of the exhibition halls and ticket sales, according to local government officials.

Jiao noted that the expo company welcomes various shareholding investment from private and overseas businesses.

Shanghai authorities yesterday pledged to "combine global minds" to present a "best-ever" World Expo in Shanghai in 2010.

Jointly sponsored by the city government and the Bureau of International Exhibitions, a Shanghai World Expo 2010 forum will be held on October 30 and 31, with more than 200 World Expo officials and experts from home and abroad attending.

The forum, the first of its kind conducted by the bureau, will be held every year until 2010, to discuss different topics that will be required in the planning process.

In addition, this year's annual Shanghai Mayor's International Entrepreneurs' Consulting Meeting, due to open on November 2 in Shanghai, will focus on "How to hold a successful World Expo."

Bureau Secretary-general Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales will speak at the meeting.

In another development, the Shanghai government is working on a new Shanghai Urban Development General Plan.

Under the new document, the city will stick to the principle of simultaneously encouraging economic and social development by further encouraging the development of its suburbs, accelerating the process of co-operation with neighbouring cities in the Yangtze River Delta and strengthening the protection of the environment and historical buildings.

The details of the new development planning will be released after the closure of the work conference, said Jiao.

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