A prominent U.S. businessman said Friday that the Shanghai Expo is better than any similar previous event.

Chairman and CEO of the U.S. Greater China Corporation, John W. Allen, told Xinhua in an email interview after watching the opening ceremony of the Shanghai Expo that "like the Beijing Olympics, the Shanghai Expo is bigger and better than any previous such event and will definitely set the standard for the future."

"It will be a hard act to follow," he added.

Allen has been involved in Asia and China for over 30 years. He was assistant to James D. Wolfensohn, former head of the World Bank, and served as a Trustee of Soros's Open Society. He was also one of three Trustees of the International Science Foundation along with George Soros and Nobel Laureate James Watson.

As an American who loves and knows China well, Allen attended the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, an event that made a profound impression on him.

Commenting on the Shanghai Expo that opened on April 30, Allen echoed Chinese President Hu Jintao's remarks that the event is a "showcase of the best achievements of human civilization."

"It serves as a beacon for peace rather than a capacity for war," he said.

Speaking of the Expo's benefits for Shanghai, "it clearly restores Shanghai to its prominence as one of the world's greatest and most exciting cities," Allen said.

"What also impressed me was that the Shanghai Expo has been integrated into the life-blood of the city, unlike previous sites that were mostly in isolated locations," he said.

After having followed the preparatory work for the Shanghai Expo over the years, Allen said the Expo played an important role in making the metropolitan city even more modern than it was before due to the huge sum of money invested in its infrastructure.

"Much of the 45 billion dollars that is estimated to have been spent has gone to constructing the world's most modern and extensive subway system, restoring the beauty and prominence of the Bund and other historic sites, and clearing a major ship-building facility for use as part of a modern, dynamic city," he said.

"In an increasingly interconnected world, the Shanghai Expo brings people and ideas together in a peaceful and constructive setting -- in President Hu Jintao's words, it has 'pooled the wisdom of the world,'" he added.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics are still a hot topic for Americans although they are past, Allen said.

"The Shanghai Expo will probably become an even hotter topic among Americans as China has once and again stunned the world by showcasing its might and skills of handling such big events."

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