Ladies and Gentlemen,

It has been 159 years since the first World Expo was held. The past one and a half centuries saw two world wars and three important scientific and technological revolutions. Out world has undergone a sea change and achieved unprecedented advancement in science and technology and productivity. The Shanghai Expo has showcased the progress of human society, and also reflected the challenges, concerns and confusions that mankind faces, The Expo spirit means that we must all work together to meet challenges and pursue peace and development.

-- We should jointly promote harmonious urban development. More that half of the world population now live in cities. Urbanization has on the one hand enabled people to enjoy the achievements of modern civilization and on the other presented such unprecedented challenges as swelling population, traffic congestion, poverty, cultural clashes and financial crises. The Expo 2010 Shanghai is the first Expo that features city as its theme and seeks to make pioneering exploration on tackling the common problems facing mankind. We need to review the valuable ideas on urban development generated at the Expo, innovate urban development models, build harmonious cities of high economic efficiency, social justice and amity, cultural diversity and inclusiveness and sound eco-environment, and strive for an even better urban life.

-- We should advance modernization in the rural areas. The Shanghai Expo outlines a vision for a better urban life in the future. Yet we must not forget that a large part of the world, particularly the rural areas in developing countries, is still lagging behind and the majority of the poor population live in rural areas, Without the modernization of those areas, modernization of the whole society would not be possible. We should vigorously promote coordinated urban and rural development, work to eliminate the gap between urban and rural areas, promote equal access to public services, and build the vast rural areas into a beautiful homeland enjoying greater productivity and prosperity and a better environment.

-- We should help the less developed regions to achieve common development. We see from the eyes of speaker sat the Expo Theme Forums their concerns about uneven development and widening wealth gap in the world. All human beings are brothers and sisters of the big family of the Earth. We should work hand in hand for common development, and do our best to help the underdeveloped countries in developing the economy and improving people's lives so that people of all countries can share the fruits of human civilization.

-- We should cherish and take good care of mother Earth. We can see from the Expo exhibits that, while generation enormous wealth, industrialization, urbanization and globalization have also cost us dearly in terms of resource depletion, environmental pollution and ecological degradation. We should not only see the Earth as something that we have inherited from our forebears, but also, and more importantly, as something that we have borrowed from our children and grandchildren. We must respect nature, place importance on resource conservation and environmental protection, and accelerate the transformation of the development model and economic restructuring in order to achieve sustainable development and leave to the future generation a planet where they can survive and thrive.

-- We should jointly uphold world peace and stability. We have felt keenly from the enthusiasm of all countries to participate in the Expo that peace progress, harmony and a better life are the common desire of people all over the world. It is important that countries handle ethnic tensions, cultural frictions and regional conflicts and other hotspot issues in a sensible way, seek peaceful solutions to international and domestic disputes through consultations, remover ethnic estrangement and strife, and work together to build a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity.

The Shanghai Expo has offered the Chinese people a good opportunity to learn form the world. One day in Expo is more rewarding that ten years' reading. The Expo pavilions enabled people to witness the beautiful scenery, precious treasures, splendid cultures and folk customs of various countries. No TV program and book can give us such first-hand experience. The Expo has also shown the comprehensive national strength of each country. From the exhibits, one can see not only the strengths of others bit also the gaps one has to bridge. Only an open and inclusive country can become an advanced one and only by standing on the shoulders giants can one look farther. The success of the Expo has strengthened China's confidence and resolve to pursue reform and opening-up. China will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful developments of all civilizations, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries and make greater contribution to the progress of human civilization.

The Shanghai Expo is coming to a close, and you will leave Shanghai and return to your home countries. You came with the pride of your individual countries, and you will leave with the splendor of the whole world. The cultural spirit of the World Expo will live on and its stories will be told for years to come. I sincerely hope that the Expo 2010 Shanghai China has been a memorable experience for you all. May the Expo spirit thrive across the world, and may our world be an even better place.

Thank you.

(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2010)