Attendees at the Shanghai World Expo who intend to build their own pavilions for the six-month event must start construction before June 30 this year, organizers told Xinhua on Thursday.

If they miss the deadline, no pavilions of their own designs will be built, according to the organizers, who added that such exhibitors could still rent standardized pavilions provided by the organizers or use a common pavilion for an entire continent.

The deadline was set with reference to the time needed for the work to be done.

The Shanghai World Expo, the largest in history, is due to open on May 1, 2010.

"If work on a pavilion starts after June 30 this year, it can't be completed before May 1 next year. This will affect the operation of the whole world expo park and support facilities," Zhong Yanqun, deputy head of the executive committee of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau, told Xinhua.

About 40 would-be attendees have expressed their intention to build their own pavilions, the most in world expo history. But work has started on only half of those structures, which is making organizers anxious.

"It's imperative for work to start on the pavilions to be built by attendees themselves. I'm really anxious when I think of it," said Wu Zhiqiang, chief designer of the Shanghai World Expo park and president of the architecture and urban planning school of Tongji University, based in the metropolis.

Among the 20 pavilions on which work must start soon, the one for the United States has drawn the most attention.

The United States has not yet confirmed its participation in the Expo as insufficient funds have been raised. US laws prohibit the government from allocating money directly for the activity.

Besides the United States, according to the expo organizers, among the 170-plus nations that have established diplomatic relations with China, only Andorra and Colombia have not yet confirmed participation.

It is reported that the design of the US pavilion has been completed. The expo organizers, at the request of the US side, have allocated a 6,000-square-meter plot for the pavilion.

Some US companies, including 3M and Dell, and the USA-China Education, Science & Culture Association have promised to grant funds to the US pavilion project. But they've offered much less than the US$85 million needed for the project.

The U.S. side has cut the budget to US$56-60 million and agreed to accept financial support from corporations and institutions outside the country, so as to start the project as soon as possible.

Zhong said: "We believe active progress will be made to allow the US to attend. But if the country is absent from the Shanghai World Expo, the biggest regret will be felt by the US government and people, for they will lose a great opportunity to display the image of the nation on the world stage."

It is believed that the delay in putting up pavilions reflects the global economic downturn, as well as insufficient funding and perhaps neglect by those responsible. To have a pavilion built, a prospective foreign attendee must confirm participation, sign a contract, determine the theme, and take care of design, construction, exhibition arrangements and operations. The process involves different government departments, institutions and companies of a country.

"So far, no attendee has officially withdrawn citing the financial crisis. But some countries suspended their preparatory work after they signed exhibition contracts," said Hong Hao, director-general of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau, declining to cite the countries.

World Expo organizers will step up negotiations with would-be attendees who want to build their own pavilions in the coming weeks, Hong added.

The organizers forecast that the Shanghai World Expo, which is due to end on October 31, 2010, will attract 70 million visitors, 5 percent of whom will be overseas visitors.

(Xinhua News Agency May 7, 2009)