Expo invitation still open to Haiti

Haiti is expected to attend the 2010 Shanghai Expo despite having been ravaged by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake a fortnight ago.

Expo organizers have not received any cancellation notice from the Caribbean nation as it is preoccupied with recovery and rehabilitation efforts, said Hong Hao, director of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau.

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"We tried to make contact with the Haitian coordinator soon after the earthquake, but no answer has come yet," said Hong, who was speaking at a press conference on the 100-day countdown to the expo.

"What we can do at the present time is make every effort to preserve Haiti's presence in the expo, while paying special attention to its participation."

Member states of the Caribbean Community will share a pavilion from May to October, with 250 sq m reserved for the Haitian Hall. The structure was built and funded by the Chinese organizers and is now finished.

The changed landscape of Port-au-Prince before and after the earthquake may be displayed inside Haiti's exhibition hall, according to an earlier report by Xinhua.

But the first priority right now is helping the quake victims, Courtney Rattray, deputy chief representative of the Caribbean Community pavilion, told China Daily.

China pledged 683 million yuan ($100 million) of assistance to developing countries for their participation in this year's Shanghai Expo, the first World Expo to be held by a developing country in over 150 years. Of this amount, Haiti, which is currently in the throes of a humanitarian crisis, would receive $650,000.

"Apart from financial support, we will also provide additional labor help and coordination," Hong said. "We hope Haiti gets the chance to have a wonderful exhibition."