(Xinhua) Top Chinese legislator Wu Bangguo has urged Shanghai to take the opportunity of hosting the World Expo to pioneer the country's transformation of economic development mode.

Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, made the remarks during his visit to the country's economic and financial hub from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1.

Accompanied by Yu Zhengsheng, secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the

Communist Party of China, Wu visited the Expo Site as well as some high and new tech enterprises in the city.

Shanghai must spare no effort in hosting the Expo and seize the opportunity to promote economic restructuring and industrial structural upgrading, to boost the development of modern service industry, and to speed up fostering emerging strategic industries, Wu said.

"Wu must make technological breakthroughs, speed up industrialization process, and develop emerging industries such as smart grid, low-carbon technology and biomedicine, so as to make sure the country can have the initiative in the new round of international economic competition," Wu said.

The 2010 World Expo was scheduled to be held from May 1 to Oct. 31 in Shanghai, expected to attract a record total of 70 million visitors from home and abroad.