The Chinese public are staying away in their hundreds of thousands from the Shanghai World Expo, which showcases China’s rising influence on the world stage.

Visitor figures are down from the expected 380,000 a day to less than 220,000, a shortfall of more than 40%.

The poor response has raised questions over the appeal of events which are really propaganda dressed up as a leisure opportunity, something that increasingly cynical consumers are getting better at spotting.