Shanghai locals care little about Beijing's show

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Shanghai, China's business centre and most modern city, has had to get used to playing second fiddle to Beijing ahead of the opening of the Olympics on Friday.

However, the city's residents say they are mostly indifferent to the show being put on by its long-time rival.

"I don't care. I don't think Shanghai is being neglected. The Olympics is really boring anyway," said Zheng Yan, a 26-year-old woman working in the financial sector.

Some even said they felt lucky their city was not hosting the Games.

"I'm glad the Olympics are not taking place in Shanghai. If it were to take place here, there would be checkpoints all over the place, as if everyone were a terrorist," a driver in his early 40s, who declined to be named, said.

Others say the Games are simply an inconvenience -- even though they are mostly taking place about a two hour flight away.

"I can't take business trips to Beijing, thanks to the Olympics. It has already caused too much trouble to daily life," said 26-year-old Zheng.

"We need the Olympics, but we need our normal life too."

Shanghai is only hosting the soccer games, but has nonetheless taken various safety measures, including setting up baggage checkpoints at subway stations, and banning traffic around the main stadium when the Games take place.

Shanghai Stadium, the main football game venue, has been surrounded by barbed wire and is guarded by armed police, local media reported.

Although some residents say they do not care that Beijing is constantly in the spotlight, they are confident Shanghai will benefit from its own big show soon.

"It's true that there is not as much happening in Shanghai as in Beijing these days, but things will be completely different when the World Expo takes place in Shanghai in 2010," said an 80-year-old woman, who only gave her last name as Gu.

But some are concerned the huge effort Beijing has made to upgrade the city could make it a potential threat to Shanghai's status as the country's business centre, even though Shanghai is investing in own infrastructure ahead of the fair.

"No other event, even the World Expo, could bring as much pride and opportunity to a city," said Chen Yang, a 23-year-old office worker.