SHANGHAI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The United States signed here on Friday an agreement with the organizers on its participation in the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

    The accord was signed by Jose H. Villarreal, U.S. Commissioner General of Section of the United States Exhibition to World Expo Shanghai 2010, and Hong Hao, head of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau.

    The U.S. is the 212th party that has signed a contract to participate in the world expo from May 1 to Oct. 31 next year.

    "Different cultures and technological conceptions from nations and regions around the world will communicate at the World Expo," said Hong Hao. "This will be conducive to the convergence of cultures and promote common prosperity for different peoples."

    Hua Junduo, representative of the Chinese government on issues relating to the World Expo Shanghai, said the delay in the U.S. confirmation was due partly to the global financial crisis and domestic regulatory barriers.

    U.S. law prohibits the government from allocating money directly for an expo.

    Sufficient funds are yet to be raised and Breatrice Camp, consul general of the United States to Shanghai, said the financial crisis made fund-raising through non-government channels "even more difficult."

    "Today we can finally say that we are rising to the challenge. We are participating," she added.

    The expo was an opportunity to showcase the U.S. spirit of innovation and to share experience of city development, she said, adding the commitment to participate in China's first world expo was "opening a gateway to the next 30 years" of U.S.-China relations "with more engagement, more exchanges, more visits, and more dialogue."

    Villarreal said almost half of the 61 million U.S. dollars needed for U.S. participation had been raised. Sponsors included 3M, Dell, GE and Pepsi as well as the USA-China Education, Science and Culture Association.

    He said signing of the contract would inspire more companies to support construction of the U.S. national pavilion.

    "We are completely certain that we're able to raise the fund that is necessary to build a pavilion," he said.

    Ding Hao, deputy head of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau, said the bureau had allocated 6,000 square meters for the U.S. pavilion.

    Zhou Hanmin, deputy head of the executive committee of the Shanghai World Expo, said all participants were equally treated.

    Chen Jintian, the bureau's head of management of the pavilion for African participants, said it would accommodate 43 participants.

    "It's normal for people to pay attention to 'big' participants such as the United States. But 'small' participants should not be ignored, as they do not lack brilliance. Diversity is the attraction of a world expo."

Special Report:  Expo 2010 Shanghai China