WMO Signs Agreement on Participation in Beijing Expo 2019

11-26/2018

On the afternoon of November 7, 2018, Zhou Jianping, deputy executive director-general of Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition Coordination Bureau (BIHECB) and Yao Xuexiang, chief representative of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to Beijing Expo 2019 and director of Beijing Meteorological Bureau, signed an agreement on the WMO’s participation in Beijing Expo 2019, under the witness of Zhang Wenjian, assistant secretary-general of the WMO, Chen Bei, deputy secretary-general of the Municipal Government of Beijing, and other leaders. After the signing ceremony, they inspected the Expo Park.

The agreement-signing ceremony

During the meeting, Zhou Jianping, deputy executive director-general of BIHECB, introduced general information about the preparation for Beijing Expo 2019, and said that the Expo will showcase new horticultural technologies, species and techniques and that China’s provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions will organize colorful activities for visitors during the Expo. He also pointed out that meteorology is closely related to plants, environment and even economy, and as one of the most important participant in Beijing Expo 2019, the WMO can inspire the public to understand, care for and love meteorology through colorful exhibits and enable them to learn more knowledge and have a delightful experience, which will definitely become a highlight at the Expo.

Zhou Jianping, deputy executive director-general of BIHECB, introduces information about the preparation for Beijing Expo 2019

According to Yao Xuexiang, chief representative of the WMO to Beijing Expo 2019 and director of Beijing Meteorological Bureau, the exhibition area of the WMO is called the Meteorological Pavilion, which focuses on displaying meteorological knowledge and the impacts of meteorology on vegetation. Its design plan pays attention to interaction and experience of visitors. Moreover, the WMO will set up a weather station in the Expo Park to provide meteorological services during Beijing Expo 2019.

Yao Xuexiang, chief representative of the WMO to Beijing Expo 2019 and director of Beijing Meteorological Bureau, introduces the WMO exhibition plan

Zhang Wenjian, assistant secretary-general of the WMO, said, “Each country has its own understanding of horticulture, so their exhibitions at the upcoming Beijing Expo 2019 will also be different from each other. We’re confident of presenting a Meteorological Pavilion that demonstrates the unique characteristics of meteorology and boasts rich knowledge, great interaction and delightful experience for visitors via three dimensions.” According to him, the first dimension eyes on the concept of a global garden and displays the role of environmental development in increasing the living standards of human beings, with horticultural concepts and urban development as the key content; the second dimension aims to use high-tech meteorological means to spread meteorological knowledge via direct popular science and actual data; the third dimension focuses on enabling visitors to understand the impact of meteorological changes on humans and the planet with frontier concepts.

Zhang Wenjian, assistant secretary-general of the WMO, introduces the highlights of the WMO exhibition area

Jiao Meiyan, deputy director-general of China Meteorological Administration, said that Beijing Expo 2019 serves as an important platform for implementing the concept of green development and promoting ecological progress after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), for which she had high expectations. She also noted that meteorology is closely associated with ecology and hoped that the introduction of meteorological elements would add highlights to Beijing Expo 2019. China Meteorological Administration will play a positive role as a meteorological agency by actively promoting relevant construction and providing meteorological services and support for Beijing Expo 2019.

Jiao Meiyan, deputy director-general of China Meteorological Administration, introduces the preparation work of the Meteorological Pavilion

Chen Bei, deputy secretary-general of the Municipal Government of Beijing, noted that setting up a meteorological exhibition area at Beijing Expo 2019 and building a Meteorological Pavilion from a global perspective would help further improve the meteorological service and support system for the Expo. She hoped that the construction of the Meteorological Pavilion would focus on exhibiting the big picture of the country and the world and achieve the goal of “Reaching a New Level of World Horticulture and Setting a New Model of Ecological Civilization” by following the concept of “Integrating the Nature into Gardening and Touching the Soul with the Nature,” so as to enable the themes of “climate and home” and “climate and mankind” to play a role in building an ecologically advanced country. Chen also expressed hopes that as an international platform, Beijing Expo 2019 would present a better interpretation to the concept of garden for mankind, and that the WMO and BIHECB would conduct deeper discussions on deepening cooperation and strengthening dissemination.