Expo hailed as a huge opportunity for France and China

France announced last month that Paris would be a contender for the expo. The winning bid is to be announced in 2018.

Lamy, former director-general of the World Trade Organization, said in Beijing that the expo is a unifying project that is a part of his country's heritage and that looks to its future.

The French government, partner companies and other stakeholders involved in the bid had been working on the application for more than two years, he said.

Preparations for the expo and for the Olympic Games have been incorporated into an infrastructure renewal project of unprecedented scale in the Paris region: a new 200km underground railway project and the construction of a high-speed link between Charles de Gaulle airport and the center of Paris, he said.

It was announced last year that Paris was bidding to stage the Olympic Games in 2024, 100 years after they were last held in the city.

"Throughout French history, world expositions have been synonymous with innovation and progress, and have left indelible marks on the French imagination," Lamy said.

The Eiffel Tower, now the symbol of Paris, was built for the 1889 World Expo, he said.

The Shanghai Expo in 2010 provided many lessons, he said, and he found its theme, "Better City – Better Life", inspirational, as were the international partnerships that were built and encouraged people to think about sustainable city living.

The theme chosen for the event if it is held in Paris is "Sharing our knowledge, caring for our planet", which also reflects on "sustainable development on a worldwide scale", Lamy said.

France is a highly popular tourist destination for Chinese, and if Paris is awarded the expo he expects about 45 million Chinese to attend the expo, he said.

"The French government invests considerably in encouraging and supporting Chinese tourists. China is a key partner for the French economy, and French interest in Chinese culture is growing. The exposition is a fantastic opportunity for our two countries, economically as much as culturally."