GENEVA - As the first World Expo ever hosted by a developing country, the Shanghai World Expo will open a new chapter in the history of such events, China's ambassador to the United Nations Office in Geneva said on Monday.

"The Shanghai Expo is an unprecedented grand gathering of human civilizations with many new records in the Expo history," He Yafei said at the opening of a photo exhibition on the Shanghai event.

He said some 192 countries and 50 international organizations would take part in the Shanghai Expo, which features some 189 National Pavilion Days and 39 International Organization Days as well as 20,000 cultural performances.

The six-month event is expected to attract over 70 million visitors, of which 3.5 million are from abroad. It will also be participated by leaders from more than 100 countries.

"It is fair to say that the Shanghai Expo is just like a global village enriched with diverse civilizations from all over the world ... Shanghai will become a grand stage for dialogue and interaction among nations and cultures," He told Geneva-based diplomats and UN officials.

"With 'Better City, Better Life' as its theme, the Shanghai Expo fully demonstrates the common aspiration of mankind for a better urban life in the globallized world," He said.

"We are confident that the Shanghai Expo will make important contributions to building a harmonious world with lasting peace and common prosperity," he added.

According to the ambassador, the Shanghai Expo will offer a wonderful opportunity for China to enhance mutual understanding with the world and vice versa.

He said despite China's remarkable achievements in economic and social development, it "remains the world's largest developing country with a huge population, a weak economic foundation, unbalanced development."

"Hosting the Expo 2010 provides us with an important opportunity to participate in the dialogue among world civilizations, and learn from others," he said.