BEIJING: Chinese President Hu Jintao called for sound preparations in the run-up to the 2010 Shanghai World Expo and hoped the success of the event would have positive influence on the global economy.

"The Shanghai World Expo is the second world pageant in the country after the Beijing Olympics. Hosting the event successfully is very important to promoting our exchanges and cooperation with other countries and regions across the world," said Hu Wednesday at an exhibition in Beijing on the Expo.

Hu Jintao (C), general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits an exhibition of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo in Beijing, capital of China, July 15, 2009.[Xinhua]

The event would also have a positive effect in revitalizing the global economy, he said.

Hu made the remarks at an exhibition in Beijing's Capital Museum titled "Walk into the Expo", which includes artifacts, pictures and videos that recorded the 150-year-plus development of the event.

The exhibition also has a section that shows preparations for the Shanghai World Expo, which features a 3-D animated short video of a tour of the site and the models of 60 pavilions.

More than 2.3 million people have visited the exhibition, which is organized by the Shanghai World Expo Affairs Coordination Bureau.

The free exhibition will run until July 25.

President Hu visited the exhibition along with other senior Chinese leaders, including Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang.

They praised the preparations and expressed their appreciation to all the participants.

The Shanghai World Expo will run from May 1 to Oct. 31 next year. So far, 192 countries and 48 international organizations have confirmed to attend the event.