DONGGUAN, China, Sept. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ Korea IT Times-- On September 21, over 1,600 enterprises from 56 countries and regions came with a fascinating mix of products including Russian honey, Polish dairy products, Vietnam coffee and Spanish olive for showcasing at 2017 Guangdong 21st Century Maritime Silk Road International Expo in Dongguan, Guangdong, seeking to promote cultural exchanges and commercial cooperation.
The Expo, an important platform for Guangdong to contribute to China's Belt and Road Initiative, has been held for four straight years. According to the organizing committee, this year's Expo is the biggest ever held as it covers an area of 100,000 m2, up from 70,000 m2 last year. And the event has attracted 1,134 overseas exhibitors, accounting for over 60 percent of a total of 1682 exhibitors. The newcomers this year are enterprises from Iran, Romania, Russia and Mongolia.
In addition, the Expo attracts trade associations from over 30 countries and regions, including South Africa, Vietnam and Malaysia, a number of national chambers of commerce such as China General Chamber of Commerce, China Commerce Association for General Merchandise, as well as multinational retailing giants like Walmart and Carrefour. The organizing committee estimated that the number of professional buyers participating in this year's event would exceed 30,000.
This year's Expo consists of one theme exhibition and six professional exhibitions. It is worth noting that showcasing of the cooperation between Guangdong and island countries in the South Pacific and the successful outcomes achieved in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, has been added to the theme exhibition for the first time. This aims to highlight Guangdong's role and progress as an essential part of the Belt and Road Initiative and presents commercial opportunities for enterprises. The Expo has evolved into a strong driver for trade and cultural exchanges during the past four years as it gives countries along the Maritime Silk Road full access to channels and information in terms of investment, exchanges and cooperation, said Wang Yongqing, deputy director of the provincial information office. Data released by the organizing committee indicates that last year's Expo attracted a crowd of 139,000 audiences, and signed 700 deals, totaling 206.8 billion yuan.
The Expo will be held till September 24, at the Guangdong Modern International Exhibition Center, Dongguan city. It presents not only investment and cooperation opportunities for infrastructure projects of countries and regions along the Maritime Silk Road, but also the development of the city's high-tech industries and cross-border e-commerce platforms. In the meantime, six professional exhibitions are included in an effort to display the tourism, culture, delicacies and farm produce along the Maritime Silk Road, and to demonstrate international architectural decoration and engineering machinery, etc.
