Construction on the 4,590 square meters China pavilion at the World Expo 2015 has started in Milan, an official said in Beijing on Wednesday.

Wang Jinzhen, vice president of China Council for Promotion of International Trade and general representative of China pavilion at World Expo 2015, said the foundation work on the China pavilion has been successfully completed and construction on the pavilion proper, the second-largest at the Expo, started on Sep 4.

"We are now only 232 days from the start of the Expo so the time is tight and the task is big, but I hope that the respective personnel work hard to guarantee the quality, safety and timeliness of the construction of the China pavilion," Wang said.

The key theme of the pavilion will be the past, present and future development of agriculture and food in China.

The World Expo 2015 will be held in Milan from May 1 to Oct 31 next year and will include participation from 144 countries.

The organizers expect to attract some 20 million visitors to the event, with up to 1 million from China.