World Exposition Shanghai China 2010

General Regulations

September 2005
Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination

 
SECTION I  GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1  Title, Theme and Category
1. An international registered Exposition shall be held in the city of Shanghai, the People's Republic of China.
2. The title of this Exposition shall be "The World Exposition Shanghai China 2010" (hereinafter referred to as "the Exposition"). The short title shall be "Expo 2010".
3. The theme of this international registered Exposition shall be "Better City, Better Life".
The topic has its origin in the thousands of years of human civilization. In the meantime, selection of the theme is the continuity of the 154­year tradition of the World Expo, whose theme always reflects a common concern or interest of mankind at a particular historical stage.
City is the crystallization of human civilization. Just as the American social philosopher Lewis Mumford put it, "the city is a special structure which, fine and compact, has been designed to preserve the fruits of human civilization." Many western languages derived their versions of "Civilization" from the same Latin word "Civitas" (meaning "City"), and it is by no means a coincidence. By virtue of its embracive and regenerating nature, the city has played a significant role in the perfection of order in the human society, the fusion and evolvement of cultures and the accumulation of wealth. Created by the human, the city has rewarded the human with a rich, exquisite and wonderful life.
There is no denying , however, that the city today, due to its high-density living pattern, is faced with a series of challenges, such as spatial conflicts, cultural collisions, resources shortage and environmental degeneration.
With the fast urbanization of human society going on, how to improve the functioning of cities as the major carrier and mechanism of modern human life, and how to build a harmonious relationship between cities and their rural hinterland - these are increasingly becoming global agendas. As a super-large city in the Asia-Pacific region, Shanghai, China was honored, at the turn of the century, with the opportunity of playing host to the Exposition, the very first Expo in history with a theme on cities.
The display of urban development and ideal urban life, as well as the understanding of the theme and exchanges regarding the theme, are conducive to the evolution of new models of urbanization, economic globalization and rural-urban integration and to the building of an environment-friendly city and a harmonious life. They may also help attract the attention of people from all walks of life in various countries to the settlement of problems facing the city and provide their rich imagination and all-round consideration about the future of humankind and the future of the city.
In accordance with the above-mentioned concept, the content of the theme is elaborated in the following sub-themes:
-Blending of diverse cultures in the city;
-Economic prosperity in the city;
-Innovation of science and technology in the city;
-Remodelling of communities in the city;
-Interaction between cities and villages.
The definition of the theme of the Exposition, as well as the details of its development shall be specified in Special Regulation No.1 referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations.
4. The Bureau International des Expositions (hereinafter referred to as "the BIE") has registered this Exposition at the 138th session of its General Assembly, in accordance with the provisions of the Paris Convention of November 22nd, 1928 Relating to International Exhibitions, as amended (hereinafter referred to as the "Convention").
Article 2  The Site
The site for the Exposition is a stretch of land on both sides of the Huangpu River in the city of Shanghai. The enclosed site will cover an area of 3.28 square kilometers.
Article 3  Duration
The Exposition shall open on May 1st, 2010 and shall be closed on October 31st, 2010.
In the event of one or more visiting days being organized before the official opening date, for special categories of guests such as media representatives, the dates for these shall be fixed with the agreement of the Steering Committee of the College of Commissioners General.
SECTION II  GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES IN THE ORGANIZING STATE
Article 4  Government Authority Responsible for the Exposition
The Exposition shall be under the authority of the National Organizing Committee of the World Exposition Shanghai China 2010 of the People's Republic of China, a signatory government of the amended Convention of November 22nd, 1928, who shall be responsible for preparing or undertaking the legal, financial and other measures necessary to ensure the success and prestige of the Exposition. The National Organizing Committee shall exercise its authority and its control over the Exposition through the Commissioner General of the Exposition.
Article 5  The Commissioner General of the Exposition
The Government of the People's Republic of China shall appoint a Commissioner General of the Exposition.
The Commissioner General of the Exposition shall represent the government in all matters related to the Exposition. He shall be responsible for ensuring that the commitments taken vis-a-vis the BIE and participants are duly honoured. He shall ensure that the program of work is respected and that the general provisions of the General Regulations and Special Regulations are carried out. He shall exercise disciplinary powers over the Exposition, and, in this capacity, he is authorized to suspend or stop any activity, and to effect at any time the withdrawal of items of whatever origin which are incompatible with the proper standing of the Exposition and which are likely to be a risk or liability. If the Organizer （for the definition of the "Organizer", please refer to Article 8 of the present Regulations） or the Commissioner General of Section should contest the decision of the Commissioner General of the Exposition, the provisions set out in Article 10, which the parties have promised to respect, shall be applied. This recourse has the effect of putting the decision in abeyance except where a matter of security is in question.
The Commissioner General of the Exposition may, under his own responsibility, delegate the exercise of his powers to his co-workers. It is possible that one or more Deputy Commissioners General should be appointed according to the requirements of the Exposition.
The Commissioner General of the Exposition may not carry out any function or mission on the Organizer's behalf, unless these functions, in law and in fact, are purely disinterested and non-profit making.
Article 6  Relationship between the Commissioner General of the Exposition and the Bureau International des Expositions
The Commissioner General of the Exposition shall communicate to the BIE as soon as he receives such information, the decisions taken by Governments regarding their participation, and more particularly the documents whereby Governments notify the Commissioner General of their acceptance, the nomination of Commissioners General of national sections, sites selected by participating countries, etc. and, as soon as they have been signed, the Participation Contracts.
The Commissioner General of the Exposition shall submit to the BIE, within the periods specified in Article 34, hereunder, the texts of the Special Regulations. He shall keep the BIE fully informed, chiefly by reporting at each of its sessions, of all developments and progress relating to the preparation of the Exposition. He shall ensure that the use of the BIE flag complies with the regulations laid down by the BIE. He shall welcome the delegates sent by the BIE on official missions to the Exposition.
The Commissioner General of the Exposition shall ensure that the Organizer indicates by all suitable means and particularly by mentioning it on all documents, that the Exposition has been registered by the BIE.
The Commissioner General of the Exposition shall communicate to the BIE, in due time and for the information of the participants, the legislations, statutes, directives, policies or other texts adopted by the organizing state and local public authorities, in order to facilitate the participation of foreign states and ensure the success of the Exposition.
The Commissioner General of the Exposition shall agree with the BIE, on the methods and procedures by which the percentage of 2%, in accordance with the BIE regulations, of the total receipts deriving from ticket sales at the Exposition is to be paid to the BIE (hereinafter referred to as "Royalty on Gate Money").
Article 7  College of Commissioners General / Steering Committee
At the earliest possible opportunity, the Commissioner General of the Exposition shall convene a meeting of Commissioners General of Section representing the participating countries to nominate a Chairperson and a Steering Committee to represent them, to consider matters of mutual interest, and to exercise the powers laid down in Article 10 hereunder. When the number of states officially participating doubles after the elections, the elections shall be considered no longer valid, and new elections shall be held.
Should the Chairman of the Steering Committee be prevented for any reason from fulfilling his responsibilities, he shall delegate his powers to another member of the Steering Committee.
The rules governing the functioning of the Steering Committee shall be set out in Special Regulation No. 3 referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations.
Article 8  Exposition Organizer
Under the authority of the National Organizing Committee and the Executive Committee, the preparation, organization, operation and management of the Exposition shall be the responsibility of Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination (hereinafter referred to as "the Organizer"). The Organizer shall also assist the Commissioner General of the Exposition in his work.
The Commissioner General of the Exposition shall communicate to the BIE, for the information of the participants and the formal records of the BIE, a report regarding the organizational structure, responsibilities and authority, etc. of the Organizer.
The Government of the People's Republic of China shall, in accordance with Article 10 of the Convention, guarantee the fulfillment of the functions and responsibilities of the Organizer.
SECTION III  OFFICIAL PARTICIPANTS
Article 9  Official Participants
1. Official participants are those foreign governments and international organizations that have accepted an official invitation from the Government of the People's Republic of China to participate in the Exposition. The Government of any nation participating in an international exposition shall be represented by a Commissioner General of Section accredited to the Government of the People's Republic of China. Any participating international organization may also appoint a Commissioner General of Section.
Official Participants shall each conclude a Participation Contract with the Organizer. The Participation Contract shall be signed by the Commissioner General of Section and a representative of the Organizer, and counter signed by the Commissioner General of the Exposition.
The Commissioner General of Section is solely responsible for the organization and operation of his national section, which includes all the exhibitors and the managers of the commercial activities referred to in Chapter III of Section IV hereunder, but not the concessionaires referred to in Section V.
The Commissioner General of Section shall guarantee that the members of his national section shall abide by the regulations issued by the Organizer and approved by the BIE.
In order to enable the Commissioner General of Section to carry out his responsibilities, he shall be entitled to the advantages listed in Special Regulation No.12, referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations.
The personnel of the foreign national sections shall benefit from the accommodation facilities listed in Special Regulation No.6, referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations.
2. All official participants shall abide by the same rules as regards both their rights and obligations. The Organizer shall not permit any exemptions of this Article, except for those technical and financial support granted to developing countries.
Information relating to the financial assistance for developing countries will be detailed in Special Regulation No.2 and relevant Participation Guide to be established by the Organizer with the cooperation of the BIE.
Article 10  Settlement of Disputes
Any disputes between an official participant and, either another official participant, or the Organizer, shall be settled in the following manner:
1. If the dispute concerns the interpretation of the present General Regulations, the Special Regulations or the Participation Contract, considered in the light of the Convention or the compulsory rules of the BIE, the Steering Committee of the College of Commissioners General shall be arbitrator after having, if the case arises, sought the opinion of the President of the BIE who, with the assistance of the Vice-President concerned and the Secretary General, shall make a recommendation. The Commissioner General of the Exposition or the Organizer may also seek the opinion of above mentioned. The decision of the Steering Committee is immediately applicable and without recourse. During its next session the General Assembly of the BIE shall make known whether it approves the interpretation of the Steering Committee of the College of Commissioners General. Its approval shall thus constitute a precedent applicable to similar future cases; otherwise, it shall indicate the interpretation which should have been given.
2. If the dispute concerns products exhibited, the Steering Committee shall inform the College, according to paragraph 3 of Article 19 of the Convention.
3. If the case must be resolved by the Commissioner General of the Exposition according to the provisions of these General Regulations, each party may demand that advice of the Steering Committee be sought beforehand.
4. For any other dispute each party can demand arbitration:
--In the first instance, from the Commissioner General of the Exposition alone;
--In the second instance, from the said Commissioner General deciding after consultation with the Steering Committee of the College of Commissioners General;
--In the third instance, from the Steering Committee of the College of Commissioners General.
The ruling shall be made by any party having chosen the highest level.
5. The above mentioned ruling must be made within ten days. Otherwise, the dispute -- if it falls under paragraph 1, 3 or 4 above -- shall be brought before the College of Commissioners General which shall decide within five days.
Otherwise, the request of the party which brings up the dispute shall be considered unjustified.
SECTION IV  GENERAL CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
CHAPTER I  ADMISSION
Article 11  Admission of Items and Exposition Materials
Only those items and Exposition material which relate to the theme as described in Article 1 of the present Regulations of the present Regulations shall be admitted to the Exposition.
The origin of these products shall comply with the provisions of Article 19 of the Convention.
The procedure for compliance with the theme of the Exposition shall be described in the Special Regulation No.1, referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations.
Article 12  Admission of Exhibitors
The exhibitors in a national section shall be selected by the Commissioner General of the Section and come under his sole authority.
Any exhibitor who does not come under any section shall deal directly with the Organizer, who shall inform the Government of the State of origin of the exhibitor concerned of his intention as soon as contact is established with such exhibitors.
Article 13  Exhibition Pavilions
There shall be the following categories of Exposition pavilions:
1. Pavilions to be designed and built by Participants themselves on an open space provided by the Organizer free of charge. The plots include outdoor exhibit space.
2. Stand-alone Pavilions built by the Organizer and rented to Participants. Limited outdoor exhibit space is provided free of charge. There will be 15% of discount for the BIE member countries for this type of pavilions.
3. Joint Pavilions built by the Organizer and offered to the developing countries free of charge: Limited outdoor exhibit space may also be included at no cost, depending on the location of the joint pavilion.
4. Theme Pavilions built by the Organizer with the voluntary participation of official and non-official participants. These shall include outdoor exhibit space.
5. Pavilions of Non-official Participants built by the Participants or built and rented by the Organizer according to the conditions set out by the Commissioner General of the Exposition. Open exhibit space may be included.
CHAPTER II  SITES - INSTALLATIONS - CHARGES
Article 14  Sites
The total usable space which is placed at the disposition of the foreign national sections shall be at least equal to the space allocated to the section of the host country. If, however, this space has not been fully allocated 24 months before the opening of the Exposition, the Organizer shall recover the right to dispose freely of the unreserved space.
The lots required by the official participants to erect their own pavilions shall be made available by the Organizer free of charge.
For individual pavilion structures built by the Organizer, a standard rental fee shall be charged on a square meter basis. Alterations and custom-built elements shall be the responsibility of the participant.
The Organizer shall provide to the developing countries covered exhibition space free of charge within Joint Pavilions.
Confirmation of the allocation of space to official participants shall be subject to the approval of the proposed Theme Statement as specified in Special Regulation No.1, referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations.
Details regarding pavilion construction, rental cost for stand-alone Pavilion structures built by the Organizer, as well as procedures for alterations and custom-built elements done by the Organizer shall be described in Special Regulation Nos. 2 and 4, referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations.
Article 15  General Services
The Organizer shall provide at the expense of each participant, the services of gas, electricity, telecommunications, water inlets and outlets, garbage removal, etc. Rates charged for such services shall conform to local rates.
Participants shall carry out all the cleaning, maintenance, garbage disposal, and other activities ordinarily required for the operation of their sites. Should a participant fail to do so, the Organizer is authorized to carry out these activities itself and charge all expenses incurred therefrom to the participant in question.
The terms for the provision of general services shall be described in Special Regulation Nos. 4, 5 and 10, as referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations.
Article 16  Buildings and Installations
No participant may make alterations within the Exposition grounds without the Organizer's prior approval of the project. Earthworks, landscaping and all improvements around the buildings are also subject to prior approval by the Organizer. Similarly, improvement plans drawn up by the Organizer may not be modified unless the participants concerned are in agreement, or permission has been granted by the Steering Committee of the College of Commissioners General.
The conditions for all construction and improvements shall be set forth in Special Regulation No.4 referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations.
The conditions for the installation and operation of any machines, apparatus or equipment, shall be set forth in Special Regulation No.5 referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations.
Article 17  Occupation of the Sites and Completion of Works
Actual construction work shall be completed by November 1st, 2009, internal conversion and finishing work by February 1st, 2010 and the installation of exhibits by April 24th, 2010.
In order that such a timetable be honoured, lots for construction shall be handed over to participants from November 1st, 2007; Stand-alone Pavilion structures before May 1st, 2009; and exhibition space in Joint Pavilions before November 1st, 2009 and the entry of items to be exhibited shall be authorized as from December 1st, 2009.
The lots allocated to participants for pavilion construction must be vacated and restored to good condition by May 1st, 2011 at the latest, with the following exception: pavilions constructed by participants may be preserved after the Exposition provided that specific arrangements in this regard have been made, prior to construction, between the Organizer and the participants concerned.
Stand-alone Pavilion structures must be vacated and restored to their original condition by December 31st, 2010.
Exhibition space within Joint Pavilions must be vacated and the premises restored to their original condition by November 30th, 2010.
Article 18  Exhibits
No exhibit or part thereof may be removed from the Exposition without the permission of the Commissioner General of the Exposition.
If a participant is unable to fulfill his commitments towards the Organizer, the Commissioner General of the Exposition may proceed at the closing date of the Exposition and at the participant's cost and risk, with the dismantling, removal, storage, attachment and sale of the participant's goods located within the Exposition grounds, with the exception of items considered as national heritage or of a nature of public property. The amount due to the Organizer of the Exposition shall be deducted from the proceeds of such sale.
CHAPTER III  COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES AND MISCELLANEOUS
Article 19  General Provisions
Commercial or other activities carried out in the national sections must be authorized in accordance with these General Regulations, or by the Participation Contract or by the Commissioner General of the Exposition. An official participant may avail himself of any special benefits obtained by another official participant.
Such activities fall exclusively within the jurisdiction of the appropriate Commissioner General of Section. If these commercial or other activities give rise to the payment of royalties, under the terms laid down in the Participation Contract, these royalties shall be collected by the Commissioner General of Section.
The space devoted to commercial activities and accessible to the public must not exceed 20% of the total covered floor in order to ensure that the national presentation complies with the provisions in Article 1 of the Convention.
Article 20  Commercial Activities
In accordance with the conditions set out in Special Regulation No.9 referred to in Article 34, official participants may open restaurants in which the national food of their country shall mainly be served.
In accordance with the conditions laid down in the said Special Regulation No.9, referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations, official participants may sell to the general public photographs, including slides and postcards, sound and video recordings (on films, CD's, DVD's or other electronic media), books and stamps from their countries. Subject to the Organizer's approval, official participants may also sell a limited types of articles which are truly representative of their respective countries. Such articles may be replaced during the course of the Exposition.
Items exhibited in the national sections, as well as materials used to install presentations may be sold and ready for delivery after the Exposition closes; by so doing the exhibitor shall relinquish his right to the benefit of temporary entry and shall be subject to taxation and customs regulations. No dues shall be payable to the Organizer on such sales.
In the case where the Organizer has granted exclusive commercial rights to certain suppliers for the sale of goods or services, these rights must not be allowed to hinder the commercial activities of the official participants, whether these activities are restaurants or the sale of articles included in the national sections.
Concessions made by the Organizer should respect the principle of non-discrimination between nationals and foreigners, avoid all risk of imbalance between the number and nature of concessions and the eventual number of visitors, and all excesses of commercialization leading to the distortion of the goal of an international Exposition, as established by the BIE.
Article 21  Catering Services for Personnel
Any national section may organize a restaurant and refreshment services for the exclusive use of its own personnel. These activities shall not require the payment of any dues to the Commissioner General of the Exposition or to the Organizer.
Article 22  Distribution of Free Samples
Subject to the approval of the Commissioner General of the Exposition, Commissioners General of Section or exhibitors coming under their authority may distribute free samples of their products or allow their foodstuffs to be tasted free of charge, within their own section.
Article 23  Entertainment and Special Events
Official participants may arrange shows, special events, presentations or meetings related to the theme of the Exposition.
Conditions in each case shall be agreed mutually between the Commissioner General of the Exposition, the Organizer and the Commissioner General of Section.
Article 24  Publicity
1. Participants may place signboards, posters, notices, printed matter and similar material on their stands or in their pavilions.
2. The use outside the stand or pavilion of any publicity material shall be subject to the prior approval of the Commissioner General of the Exposition. The Commissioner General of the Exposition may request the removal of any such material for which he has not given approval.
3. Brochures and leaflets may only be distributed within the enclosure of the section.
4. All publicity concerning special events on the site must be authorized by the Commissioner General of the Exposition. All noisy advertising is prohibited.
5. The name, image, logo, marks, mascots, content, etc. of the Exposition may not be used either inside, or outside the Exposition site, without prior approval of the Organizer, whether for commercial purposes or not, be they in the form of boards, signs, printed publications, photos, drawings, electronic images, internet or any other form.
6. The participants may use the symbols of the Exposition after receiving the permission of the Organizer. This right of use is not transferable.
CHAPTER IV  COMMON SERVICES
Article 25  Customs Regulations
In accordance with Article 16 of the Convention, and its appendix concerning Customs regulations and the Customs system to which it shall refer, Special Regulation No.7 as set out in Article 34 of the present Regulations shall determine the appropriate Customs regulations to be applied, as necessary, to goods and articles of foreign origin intended for the Exposition. The Government of the People's Republic of China shall take the necessary measures related to the Customs Annex of the Convention.
Article 26  Handling and Customs Operations
Exhibitors may carry out freely all handling and customs operations; however, the Organizer shall inform them of the names of those agents whom he has approved as being competent for this purpose and over whom he exercises a control.
Each exhibitor must handle his own on-site acceptance of goods and the reshipment of crates as well as the inspection of their contents. If exhibitors and their agents are not present when the crates arrive within the Exposition grounds, the Commissioner General of the Exposition can have them warehoused at the risk and expense of the interested party.
Article 27  Insurance
1. Insurance of persons.
A. Compulsory insurance required by the law.
 -- Workman's compensation.
Each Commissioner General of Section must insure his personnel and the personnel of his exhibitors against accidents at work in accordance with the conditions laid down in Special Regulation No.8, referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations.
-- Motor insurance.
In accordance with the laws and regulations in effect in China, all vehicles belonging to national section or other official participant, its members, its employees, its exhibitors and, more generally, to any person coming under the authority in any capacity of a Commissioner General of Section must be insured against the damage they may cause to third parties under the conditions laid down by Special Regulation No.8, referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations.
B. Compulsory insurance required by the present Regulations.
 -- Civil liability.
The Organizer shall underwrite a group policy covering the risks involving his civil responsibility and listed in Special Regulation No.8 referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations. This insurance policy shall be taken out with the underwriter offering the most favorable terms. The costs incurred shall be determined on a pro-rata calculation of the area occupied by each exhibitor.
All official participants may choose whether to take out coverage from this group policy or to provide evidence that they have taken out a policy with another insurance company approved by the Commissioner General of the Exposition covering the same risks.
2. Insurance of goods.
A. Goods belonging to the government of the host state or the Organizer.
Subscription to any insurance against theft, deterioration or destruction of such goods (building, furnishings, equipment and other items), shall be the sole responsibility of the owner, and may not be passed on to an official participant in the form of a surcharge on the rent payable, even if the official participant obtains permanent or partial coverage from such an insurance.
B. Goods belonging to official participants.
Insurance of such goods (buildings, furnishings, equipment, personal property and other such items) against the risks of theft, deterioration or destruction of these goods, shall be the sole responsibility of the owner of these goods.
C. The Commissioner General of the Exposition, the Organizer, the Commissioners General of Section and their exhibitors mutually waive any claim which they may be entitled to make against each other as a result of material damage caused by fire or other accident. Such a claim would not be waived in the case of foul play and/or willful misconduct and/or gross negligence of the other party.
This waiver should take effect automatically for each Commissioner General of Section as from the date his Participation Contract enters into force. All contracts relating to the insurance of buildings, furnishings, equipment and any other items belonging to the persons mentioned in the previous paragraph, whether they take the form of a contract for the extension of coverage under a group policy or of a separate policy, must explicitly mention this waiver, which shall also be mentioned in the Participation Contract.
3. Other insurance.
The Organizer may provide participants with his assistance wishing to take out additional insurance against other risks.
4. Special Regulation No.8, referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations, shall set out clearly all conditions for insurance-related matters, in addition to those set out in this Article, and including applicable insurance obligations under the laws of China.
Article 28  Security
In accordance with the conditions laid down in Special Regulation No.10 referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations, the Organizer shall set up an overall security system to maintain peace and security, to deter violations of the law and to enforce the regulations.
Commissioners General of Section may, under the conditions laid down in the Special Regulation No.10 mentioned above, arrange special security of their respective sections.
Article 29  Catalogue
1. Each participant shall cooperate with the Organizer as regards all publication, production, communication, etc., appropriate to the promotion of the Exposition. The contents of such material are subject to the approval of the Commissioner General of Section concerned.
2. The Commissioner General of each section shall be entitled to have printed and published, at his own expense, an official catalogue of the items on display in his section.
Article 30  Admissions to the Site
1. The conditions of admission are laid down by Special Regulation No.13 referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations.
2. The Organizer, with the agreement of the Commissioner General of the Exposition, shall determine the entrance fees for the Exposition.
No other entrance fee may be charged inside the Exposition without the approval of the BIE.
3. Standing invitations or invitations for a limited period, complimentary entrance cards for exhibitors or concessionaires and employees' service cards shall be issued in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Special Regulation No.13 mentioned above.
CHAPTER V  INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Article 31  General Provisions
Special Regulation No.11, referred to in Article 34 of the present Regulations, on the protection of intellectual property rights and copyrights shall specify:
-- the position of the Chinese Government with regard to:
Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property;
Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works;
Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks and the Protocol related to this Agreement
-- Related laws and regulations applicable in China;
-- Special measures applicable to the Exposition.
Security personnel shall be instructed not to allow anyone to draw, copy, measure, photograph and cast, for profit-making purpose, items on display in the Exposition without the written permission of the exhibitor.
Article 32  Photographs or Other Visual Materials of the Exposition
The reproduction and sale of views of the pavilions of each official participant must be approved by the Commissioner General of the section concerned. However, the Organizer reserves the right to authorize the reproduction and sale of photographic or other views of the Exposition. Participants may not object to such reproduction or sale.
CHAPTER VI  AWARDS
Article 33  Awards
In accordance with Articles 23 and 24 of the Convention, the judging and ranking in order of merit of exhibits shall be entrusted to one or more international juries whose rules of operation shall be laid down in Special Regulation No.14, referred to in Article 34.
The members of the jury are excluded from the competition. If a national section or an exhibitor has decided not to take part in the competition, the Commissioner General of the section shall inform the Commissioner General of the Exposition to this effect.
CHAPTER VII  SPECIAL REGULATIONS
Article 34  List of Regulations and Time Schedules
The host government shall submit to the BIE for approval, the drafts of the Special Regulations. These regulations shall, in particular, concern:
1. Special Regulation No.1 concerning the definition of the theme of the Exposition and the guidelines for the development of the theme by the Organizer and the participant;
2. Special Regulation No.2 concerning the conditions of participation in the Exposition;
3. Special Regulation No.3 concerning the rules for the functioning of the Steering Committee of the College of Commissioners General;
4. Special Regulation No.4 concerning construction, installation, workplace safety, fire prevention, and environmental protection;
5. Special Regulation No.5 concerning the installation and operation of machinery and equipment;
6. Special Regulation No.6 concerning accommodation for the personnel of official participants;
7. Special Regulation No.7 concerning customs clearance, transportation and handling of goods;
8. Special Regulation No.8 concerning insurance;
9. Special Regulation No.9 concerning commercial activities by official participants;
10. Special Regulation No.10 concerning general services:
-- sanitation and public health;
-- security and surveillance;
-- supply of water, gas, electricity, air conditioning;
-- telecommunications.
11. Special Regulation No.11 concerning intellectual property;
12. Special Regulation No.12 concerning the privileges and advantages of Commissioner Generals of Section and of their staff;
13. Special Regulation No.13 concerning admissions;
14. Special Regulation No.14 concerning the conditions governing the attributing of awards;
15. Special Regulation No.15 concerning communications and the promotion of the Exposition.
The above regulations numbered 1 to 10 inclusive shall be submitted at least three years before the date of the opening of the Exposition. Those regulations mentioned under 11 to 15 inclusive shall be submitted at least 18 months prior to the opening of the Exposition.
These regulations shall be communicated to the Steering Committee of the College of Commissioners General as soon as it has been formed. The Steering Committee shall study them and inform the BIE of its observations.
All other regulations and directives which the Organizer may lay down for the requirements of the Exposition shall come into force only after being examined by the Steering Committee of the College of commissioner General.
Notwithstanding the time schedules established for the approval of these Special Regulations, the Organizer shall make available early guidelines on costs or provisions necessary for assessing the financial implications of participation.

SECTION V  CONCESSIONAIRES
Article  35
"Concessionaires" in the sense of these General Regulations are those who have been granted by the Organizer rights to conduct commercial activities within the Exposition site.
Concessionaires shall conclude a Concessionaire Contract with the Organizer that covers the conditions for the commercial activities to be conducted within the Exposition site.
The above provisions apply to concessionaires with the exception of those provisions which only concern official participants and which are the following:
-- Articles 6, 7, 9 and 10;
-- Chapter I of Section IV;
-- Article 14;
-- Chapter III of Section IV, with the exception of Article 24;
-- Chapters IV, with the exception of Article 27.II.C, and Chapter VI of Section IV;
-- the Special Regulations referred to in Article 34 under the numbers 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 ,14 and 15.
The other conditions for participation shall be laid down in the concessionaire contract. They shall comply with the provisions of Articles 17, 18 and 19 of the Convention.
Article  36
Individuals and firms whose countries are officially participating in the Exposition shall only be admitted as concessionaires subject to the agreement of the Commissioner General of Section of their country of origin, who may establish special conditions for their admission.
SECTION VI  INDEMNITIES IN CASE OF CANCELLATION OF THE EXPOSITION
Article  37
In the event of the renunciation of organizing a registered Exposition, the Organizer must compensate those countries who have accepted to participate, for expenses incurred and duly justified arising directly from their participation in the Exposition.
Nevertheless, no compensation shall be due if the cancellation is caused by "force majeure" due to a natural disaster considered as such by the General Assembly of the BIE on the recommendation of the Executive Committee.
Indemnities shall be set by the General Assembly, whose decision shall be final, on the proposition of the Executive Committee which had overseen the claim with the documents and evidence supplied by the host state, the Organizer and all other parties involved.
Article  38
Moreover, the Organizer must compensate the BIE for the loss corresponding to the percentage of gate money for an amount established by the General Assembly according to the proposition of the Administration and Budget Committee.
Article  39
The Organizer should undertake to fulfill the obligations defined by Articles 37 and 38 which shall be guaranteed by the state demanding the registration of the Exposition.
The maximum amount of these indemnities shall be set before the registration by an agreement between the BIE on the one hand and the Organizer and the host state on the other hand.
These engagements shall form a part of the required documentation for registration.