BEIJING, Nov. 28 (People's Daily Online) -- China on Wednesday wished Kazakhstan success as the host of the International Expo in 2017 after the Central Asian country won the bid to host the event.
"We are happy about Kazakhstan winning the bid to host the Expo and expect Kazakhstan to successfully prepare for and hold the Expo," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told the daily press briefing on Wednesday.
China believes the event will enable the world to have a better understanding of Kazakhstan and promote exchanges between Kazakhstan and other countries, Hong said.
Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, won 103 votes against 44 for Liege, Belgium, during a meeting of the Bureau of International Exposition last week, making Kazakhstan the first Central Asian country to ever host a specialized international expo.
The fair will be held from June 10 to Sept. 10, 2017. It is expected to attract 5 million visitors from around the world.
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