BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Wal-Mart, the NYSE Euronext and Intel Thursday announced sponsorship of the United States Pavilion for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo with the encouragement and support of the visiting U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.

    The announcements came on the eve of the ground-breaking for the pavilion in Shanghai, bringing the total number of sponsors to 12.

    The announcements also came after Locke encouraged all American companies to donate money to the country's Expo showcase during a speech to the American Chamber of Commerce-China in Beijing on Wednesday, Friday's Shanghai Daily reported.

    The Chinese-American Locke will attend the ground-breaking ceremony for the U.S. Pavilion Friday, the last day of his four-day visit to China, according to the U.S. Department of Energy Website.

    Wal-Mart announced the sponsorship during Locke's visit to its flagship "High Efficiency" store in Beijing Thursday.

    "It is important to see Wal-Mart and other leading American companies embrace this effort. Their support will help ensure that our national pavilion will offer all who visit it an unforgettable experience and make America proud," Locke said.

    Ed Chan, president and chief executive officer of Wal-Mart China, said the company is delighted to partner the pavilion and to have Locke's support.

    The giant supermarket chain's support will include cash and in-kind commitments.

    NYSE Euronext, the U.S.-based global operator of financial markets, said it will be the pavilion's "exclusive sponsor for equities and derivatives exchanges and markets."

    "China is a focal point of our company's global vision and we welcome the opportunity to showcase our role in helping enterprises from China and around the world access capital markets to build better cities and better lives," said Duncan Niederauer, chief executive officer of the exchange.

    Intel will join as the official microprocessor partner of the pavilion. The world's leading chip manufacturer will "present its cutting-edge technology and exciting experience to the Expo visitors and demonstrate how information technology can make better cities, better lives and a better tomorrow," according to its announcement.

Special Report:  Expo 2010 Shanghai China