As the one-year countdown to the opening of Expo 2027 Belgrade approaches, cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and Serbia have yielded another fruitful result. On May 7, the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), Expo 2027 d.o.o. Belgrade, and the World Expo Museum (WEM) jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Shanghai, marking the comprehensive launch of full-cycle cooperation surrounding Expo 2027 Belgrade.

　　Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the BIE, Danilo Jerini?, Director of Expo 2027 Belgrade, and Liu Wentao, Director of the World Expo Museum, signed the memorandum on behalf of the three cooperating parties.

　　This signing also marks the first time that the World Expo Museum has signed an Expo participation MoU locally in Shanghai. It reflects the international Expo community's high recognition of Shanghai's international status as a "City of Expos," while highlighting WEM's influence and bridging role within the global Expo system.

　　Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the BIE; Danilo Jerini?, Director of Expo 2027 Belgrade; Du?an Borov?anin, Advisor to Expo 2027 Belgrade; Ninoslav Eri?, Consul General of Serbia in Shanghai; Gu Honghui, Counselor of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government and Chairman of the Chinese Council of WEM; Jin Lei, Deputy Director-General of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism; Jing Ying, President of the Shanghai Association for International Exchange of Non-Governmental Organizations; and Liu Wentao, Director of the World Expo Museum, attended the signing ceremony alongside representatives from the WEM Council and the Shanghai World Expo Foundation, as well as leaders and guests who have long supported the development of the Expo cause.

　　Speeches by Guests

　　Gu Honghui, Counselor of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government and Chairman of the Chinese Council of WEM, Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the BIE, and Danilo Jerini?, Director of Expo 2027 Belgrade, delivered speeches respectively.

　　Gu Honghui, Counselor of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government and Chairman of the Chinese Council of WEM:

　　"Participating in future World Expos and engaging in full-cycle cooperation with host cities is a vital part of the World Expo Museum's mission. Today’s signing ceremony stands as a vivid testament to the deep friendship and close collaboration among members of the Expo family. WEM wishes to use this cooperation as a bridge to connect China and Serbia in a broader scope of exchanges and cooperation."

　　Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the BIE:

　　"By vividly showcasing the history of Expos, the World Expo Museum has attracted and inspired a vast audience, not only through its on-site exhibitions, activities, and seminars but also directly at Expo sites around the world. Expo 2027 Belgrade will be an important chapter in the history of Specialized Expos. With the participation of the World Expo Museum, the impact of this grand event will extend far beyond its three-month duration, continuing to inspire global exploration, mutual cultural learning, and international cooperation."

　　Danilo Jerini?, Director of Expo 2027 Belgrade:

　　"With only one year left until Expo 2027 Belgrade, the MoU signed today marks another important step toward our goal. In the coming period, Expo 2027 Belgrade will join hands with the World Expo Museum to hold promotional activities, ensuring that the stories of Expo 2027 are widely shared before the gates open, while showcasing Serbia’s pride as the host of one of the world's most influential global events."

　　Expo 2027 Sharing Session

　　Du?an Borov?anin, Advisor to Expo 2027 Belgrade, shared the journey and planning of Expo 2027. Representatives from the three signing parties also accepted interviews from the media on-site.

　　Expo 2027, Here We Come!

　　We Are Coming! WEM to Embark on its Sixth Overseas Expo Participation Journey Expo 2027 Belgrade will be held from May 15 to August 15, 2027, in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, under the theme "Play for Humanity — Sport and Music for All." To date, 137 countries and international organizations have confirmed their participation.

　　Jointly established by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government and the BIE, the World Expo Museum is the world's only official museum and documentation center authorized by the BIE. Since its establishment in 2011, it has participated in five consecutive overseas Expos, serving as a unique platform to showcase Shanghai's city charm, preserve and propagate the essence of each Expo, and promote Sino-foreign cultural exchange. At Expo 2025 Osaka, WEM welcomed 2.6 million visitors and achieved media exposure in the tens of millions globally.

　　With the signing of this MoU, WEM is about to embark on its sixth overseas Expo participation journey. WEM will set up an independent pavilion in the Art and Museum Section of the Urban Best Practices Area at Expo 2027 Belgrade, featuring approximately 330 square meters of dedicated exhibition space.

　　For this exhibition, WEM will design a display space that aligns closely with the theme of Expo 2027 Belgrade, blending immersive experiences with profound insights. Centered on music, sports, and Expo cities, the exhibition adopts "flowing lines" as its overarching design language to construct a unified visual and narrative system. It will illustrate the ongoing exploration of future societal models through Expos, highlighting its unique value as a "laboratory for future societies."

　　From the perspective of an "observer of Expo practices," WEM will highlight how Expos impact urban development, particularly their exemplary role in urban spatial governance and the enhancement of public spaces. The exhibition will systematically integrate the post-Expo achievements of Expo 2010 Shanghai, demonstrating the ongoing influence of Expo legacy on urban renewal, cultural space shaping, and public life enrichment, allowing global audiences to intuitively perceive the transformation practices and positive significance of the "post-Expo era."

　　We Are Coming! The Pre-activation Exhibition of Expo 2027 Belgrade to Land at WEM The three-party strategic collaboration surrounding Expo 2027 Belgrade goes beyond pavilion participation, extending across the preparation, hosting, and post-Expo phases to form a comprehensive "full-cycle" alliance.

　　WEM plans to introduce exhibitions related to Expo 2027 Belgrade for long-term display in Shanghai. The exhibition originally debuted at the Serbian Pavilion during Expo 2025 Osaka under the theme "Society of Play," and it will now turn a new page in Shanghai.

　　This award-winning exhibition will soon arrive at WEM, providing Chinese audiences with an essential window to experience the philosophy and creative expressions of Expo 2027 Belgrade ahead of time. Serving as a prelude to the worldview of "Play for Humanity — Sport and Music for All," the exhibition uses "play" as an entry point to demonstrate its vital role and deep value in fostering social connection, driving cultural exchange, and inspiring future-oriented thinking.

　　We Are Coming!

　　Shanghai's Experience "Goes Global" to Benefit Future Expo Hosts During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Serbia in 2024, he announced the first cohort of six practical measures to support the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, one of which is China's support for Serbia in hosting the Specialized Expo 2027.

　　In terms of post-Expo site utilization and planning, Expo 2010 Shanghai has consistently sustained the philosophy of "Better City, Better Life" and put into practice the principle that "cities are built by the people and for the people." It has become a classic case of Expos guiding urban renewal and has gained widespread recognition from the international Expo community.

　　Expo 2027 Belgrade has set a goal of "100% Legacy," meaning that the Expo site will be fully transformed into a sustainable urban community, a scientific center, and a cultural landmark after the event concludes. Another crucial mission of the Serbian delegation’s visit to Shanghai was to comprehensively research and learn from Shanghai’s experience in post-Expo venue reuse, the functional transition of the Expo site, and the continuous operation of public cultural spaces, providing valuable references for Belgrade's subsequent planning.

　　On the new journey of building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, the World Expo serves as an important multilateral international exchange platform, opening up fresh opportunities for cooperation between the two nations in culture, education, and public art. The World Expo Museum and the organizers of Expo 2027 Belgrade will take this cooperation as a starting point to drive cultural exchanges and experience-sharing on a broader scale, further extending the real-world significance of Expos in promoting mutual learning among civilizations and the construction of public culture.