The mayor, Taiwan's first elected municipal chief ever to travel to China, is in Shanghai mainly to witness the signing of an agreement to confirm Taipei's participation in World Expo Shanghai 2010, slated for May 1 to Oct. 31, 2010.

He is scheduled to meet with Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng Thursday to jointly witness the signing of the agreement.

Taiwan business tycoon Terry Gou, founder of the Hon Hai Group who has promised to build a pavilion for Taipei City at the Shanghai Expo, will also join Hau and Han at the signing ceremony.

Gou forged an accord with Hau in Taipei June 22, under which an education foundation under the Hon Hai Group will plan, fund, construct and operate the pavilion. The project has a price tag of NT$300 million (US$9.87 million).

During his stay in Shanghai, Hau has visited a project aimed at developing Shanghai's Hongqiao Airport into a multiple transportation hub to possibly draw on Shanghai's experience in airport development for the remodeling of Taipei's Songshan Airport.

Taipei City has been planning to make Songshan Airport the Taiwan counterpart to Hongqiao Airport when direct cross-strait weekend charter flights are launched in July.