During the State of the Union Address on January 29, 2002 former United States President George W. Bush first employed the term “Axis of Evil” in order to link together three nations he accused of aiding terrorism and seeking to acquire weapons of mass destruction. The culprits, Iran, Iraq and North Korea, still bear that moniker in pop global culture and struggle to show a favorable side of their governments in international media. Rarely are chances given for these nations to present themselves in a better light on a world stage. The 2010 Shanghai World Expo is just such an opportunity and the three “Axis of Evil” pavilions are clearly planned to pitch an enticing and optimistic view of the countries in question. Luckily the largely domestic Chinese audience has a healthy appetite for spin and are greatly distracted by occasions to shop for exotic gifts at pavilion stores. Tens of millions of visitors now get an opportunity to see a new face of the “Axis of Evil” that was constructed on their own terms under the auspices of the Chinese government.
