U.S. Relations With the People's Republic of China (2008)

U.S. Department of State

Media Note
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
April 18, 2008

U.S. Department of State Signs Letter of Intent for World Expo Shanghai 2010

The Department of State has signed a Letter of Intent to work with "Shanghai Expo 2010," a non-profit group headed by Ellen Eliasoph, attorney with Washington law firm Covington & Burling, and Nick Winslow, leisure industry expert and theme park developer, to develop a U.S. Pavilion for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China.

The Letter of Intent will allow the Eliasoph and Winslow group to develop and implement its ideas for the project, and provides documentation for the group to use when approaching private sector donors. The Action Plan adopted by the Department of State for U.S. participation in the Expo requires that our non-profit partner (Shanghai Expo 2010) have all necessary funding in hand before the Department signs a Memorandum of Agreement, and, in turn, a Participation Contract with the Chinese Expo organizers. The Participation Contract commits the United States to present a U.S. National Pavilion at the Expo.

The Department of State is prohibited by federal law from spending appropriated funds to participate in expositions such as World Expo Shanghai 2010 which are registered by the Bureau of International Expositions. Therefore, working with a private sector partner is essential.

For additional details on the Shanghai Expo, please contact Nick Winslow at 626-584-1660 or Ellen Eliasoph at 202- 662-5777.

For information on the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and its programs, contact Darlene Kirk at 202-203-7616 or kirkdx@state.gov, or visit http://exchanges.state.gov/.

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Released on April 18, 2008