Xi Jinping (right) shakes hands with Vicente Loscertales.

Xi talks with Loscertales.

Xi sends a gift to Loscertales.

Xi Jinping Party secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, today met with Vicente Loscertales, the secretary general of Bureau of International Expositions in Shanghai.

Xi extended a warm welcome on behalf of the municipal government and thanked Loscertales for his help in the preparations for World Expo 2010 Shanghai.

Xi said Chinese government attached great importance to the Expo and it was also vital to Shanghai.

"The preparation work has entered a crucial phase. We are now concentrating on the theme development, attracting participants and construction of the Expo Site," said Xi.

"We are confident to host a successful, splendid and unforgettable Expo under the direction of the central government and the BIE."

Loscertales praised the preparation work for the Expo. He said the BIE would step up its cooperation with the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination and give the organisers all the support and help they needed.

Shanghai Vice Mayor Yang Xiong, Zhong Yanqun, fulltime deputy director of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai Executive Committee and Hua Junduo, commissioner general for World Expo 2010 attended the meeting.