SHANGHAI, CHINA-US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman visited the USA Pavilion under construction at the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai this week, and said that President Barack Obama is "very excited" about his upcoming trip to China. Huntsman's visit Oct. 14, his first to Shanghai since his ambassadorial appointment by Obama in August, comes just one month away from the president's first Asian tour, which will include stops in Shanghai and Beijing. The president's excitement at his visit will be more than evenly matched by that both of the Chinese people and of Americans living and working in China.

Huntsman visited the World Expo site for a "topping-off" ceremony marking completion of major structural work on the USA Pavilion following an aggressive 89-day building effort. At the ceremony Huntsman and Shanghai Expo Bureau director general Hong Hao signed their names in Chinese characters on the final steel beam to be put into place on the pavilion structure. Long delayed due to funding difficulties, the USA Pavilion is now among the first dozen national pavilions to have finished major structural work. When completed, the 5600-square-meter pavilion will be among the largest at the expo site. With an estimated budget of $61 million - more than $40 million of which has already been raised from private sponsors - it is certain also to be among the most expensive.

The US ambassador told reporters that the rapid progress on the construction of the USA pavilion was due to the "outstanding and patient" collaboration among the Shanghai government, the expo bureau, and the non-profit USA Pavilion team as well as support from the US government and sponsor companies, according to Shanghai Daily. "Our national pavilion will showcase American business and technology, as well as culture and values, to foster stronger friendship between the American and Chinese peoples as it also demonstrates America's commitment to a forward-looking, positive relationship with China," Huntsman quoted aptly from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Like other national pavilions at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, the USA Pavilion will provide jobs not only for local Chinese staff but also for US citizens residing in Shanghai (the number of which has grown of late owing to unemployment in the US). Together with President Obama's visit next month and the World Expo beginning in May, the coming months look to be exciting and promising ones for Americans in China. Despite recent trade disagreements between the US and China, Obama remains popular here, and is certain to receive a welcome from the Chinese people that will put smiles on the faces of expats. In Shanghai already, Chinese young people can be seen sporting Obama t-shirts, street vendors sell pirate DVD editions of Obama's speeches and pirate print editions of his books, and universities are planning special lectures coinciding with Obama's visit.

Obama will visit Shanghai and Beijing Nov. 15-18 during a four-nation tour that will also take him to Japan and South Korea in addition to his appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Singapore. While in China he will meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao on issues including trade, energy, climate change, and security. There is no word as yet whether the president's Shanghai stop will include a look at the USA Pavilion site.

Photo: US Consulate General, Shanghai (See also Expo 2010)