Headquarters on Expo site in Shanghai taking shape

Visitors take a mini-train ride at a shopping center created from converted structures built for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. The Expo Axis shopping center in the Pudong New Area, which opened to the public yesterday, is the biggest in Shanghai. — Wang Rongjiang

Construction work should be complete on the headquarters of 10 state-owned enterprises at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai site by the end of the year, officials said yesterday.

The headquarters of 13 enterprises will be in use by December 2015, said Shen Ping, deputy commander for construction in the area.

Enterprises include Baosteel, the State Grid and Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).

At the Expo, Zone B was the site of the Australia and Thailand pavilions.

About 28 buildings will be built on the area of just under 19 hectares using environmentally friendly materials.

"Zone B aims to become the world's top-notch corporate headquarters zone," said Ding Hao, president of the Expo Development Group and chief planner for post-Expo development of the site.

The China Merchants Group yesterday finished underground construction on its headquarters building and marked the commencement of work above the ground.

Meanwhile, China's jumbo jet producer COMAC has completed the structure of its new headquarters at the site, said officials.