This year, Shanghai will be the focal point of the trade show universe from May 01 to October 31… and while the dust settles around China’s undisputed top-tier international city, with preparations being finalized for the massive event that is reportedly expecting to rack up about 70 million visitors, the rest of the world is also making the necessary moves to gear-up for the trip to Shangers (as it’s frequently referred to by resident expats) who have been watching the construction cranes and enduring the sounds of constant hammering for the past year and a half.

With a history that makes the worst examples of the New York / Chicago gangland era look like a children’s bedtime story, Shanghai has been through some intense changes. From a growth period spurred by foreign trade during the Qing Dynasty… to a seemingly limitless time of Western assimilation during the early 20th century… to a brutal changeover under Communist rule during the 1950′s… the city has earned a reputation for being a place of tremendous gains, as well as great losses.

Now with less than 100 days to go, the grand opening ceremony for the Expo draws nearer. What do attendees expect to see once inside the event, and what can you expect to hear about it from overseas? There will be extreme coverage from both the Chinese State-run media, and the foreign press as well, but will information be passed through channels designed to filter and contain commentary that is deemed unacceptable by the local government? It remains to be seen, and if the current war of the words between Google and the CCP is any indication of what’s to come, it may be difficult to get a real feel for what goes on behind closed doors during the six months that attendees, guests, and everyone from manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and distributors will be working the floor.

Let’s not forget that twitter and facebook are still blocked in China. Let’s also remember that YouTube and a variety of other video-hosting sites are closed as well, under the fearsome cloak of darkness known as the GFW (Great Fire Wall) of China enshrouds Internet users within. For the visiting foreigner or local citizen, it’s a reality that must be faced when dealing with China, and it will most likely not be going away any time soon. The recent turmoil between Hillary Clinton and the members of China’s State Propaganda Department will surely increase the friction as well. It’s also worth pointing out that while the international media focuses on the censorship of top-ranking micro blogging sites and social networks, there are thousands of online services that experience the occasional bump in the road, usually resulting in nothing more informative than the dreaded “404:file not found” error.

The best medicine is prevention, in this case. With so many options available to the user for data storage and transmission through cloud computing and perhaps even some GPRS options, it’s a good idea to begin investigating those possibilities now, while you are still inside the USA, and able to access information freely. Once inside the PRC, it will be a whole different ball game, and it’s something that most people can’t really imagine until they’ve experienced it for themselves. As one blogger stated on his site, after moving to China and discovering the frequent disconnections he suffered during a normal work day, his last post on the blog ended with an emphatic statement “… imagine you are trying to surf the web, and somebody randomly pulls the plug out as you perform your searches. That’s what it’s like. Nobody beating down the door of your flat, no secret police rushing in to take you away. Just a constant and maddening reminder that you are not alone out there, although you certainly are made to feel as though you are.”

More coverage of the Shanghai Expo to come, as it develops. In many ways this event will very likely shape the future of trade between China and the rest of the world, so watch for more news here on TopTenWholesale.com!