BRUSSELS - Belgium sees the ongoing Shanghai World Expo as a good opportunity to introduce itself to China, which will surely play a leading role in the world in decades to come, Prime Minister Yves Leterme said.

As a country with a small population, Belgium has made "a big effort to be at the height of the largest World Expo ever held," so as to best introduce itself to millions of Chinese people, the prime minister told Xinhua in a recent interview before departing for Shanghai to attend the world fair.

According to an opinion poll conducted among Chinese visitors, the Belgian pavilion has become one of the four most attractive at the Shanghai event, just behind the Chinese, French and Italian pavilions.

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"Participation in Expo Shanghai is important for Belgium; this is the opportunity to introduce ourselves to the tens of millions of Chinese of all generations, and it is clear that China will play a leading role for decades to come, and for a small country of ten million inhabitants such as Belgium, this is really an opportunity," the prime minister said.

He stressed that China is a great nation that is opening itself to the world, while Belgium is a gateway to Europe and has much to offer to China.

On his table is a book entitled "China, Megatrends."

Leterme said he would travel to Shanghai to support businesses and universities, economic and social actors present at the Expo.

The prime minister spoke highly of the cooperation between Belgium and the European Union (EU) for the Belgium-EU pavilion. "This is a positive situation, where people visit the Belgian pavilion, they also visit the pavilion of the EU," he said.

Belgium is currently holding the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU). In this regard, the Belgian prime minister cited his four priorities for the second half of this year.

He emphasized the "joint action to restore the economy, restore the financial situation, at a global level and at a European level." He also hoped that all parties are brought back to the negotiating table to save the planet following the Copenhagen conference on climate change, and called for "social action" and "social progress" under the free market in Europe.