Kunming event aims high at boosting links

With the geographical advantages of Yunnan, the upcoming China-South Asia Expo - to be held next year in the province's capital city Kunming - aims to boost cooperation between China and countries from southern Asia.

The expo will be held at the Dianchi International Convention and Exhibition Center in Kunming from June 12-18. "Yunnan is the key province in the construction of the China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative," said Chen Hao, Party secretary of Yunnan province.

"It has become one of the most vibrant provinces in China to attract more business and investment."

The expo was approved by the State Council and sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce and Yunnan province.

Organizers say that from its debut show in 2013 until the 2016 annual show, the expo attracted guests, companies and dignitaries from China's Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as from over 89 countries from Laos to as far afield as the Maldives.

"The expo has brought me great deals and helped me to make friends with industry peers," said an exhibitor from Taiwan, who has taken part in the last four expos.

Kunming event aims high at boosting links

An official at a Chinese business organization, Zhang Naiming, said he organized the participation of over 32 Macao companies in the expo last year.

He said that attending the expo was a good opportunity for Macao companies to conduct business in Yunnan.

"Yunnan possesses a unique geographical location with its connection between South Asia and the Chinese mainland," said a manager at the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's economic and trade office in Guangzhou.

"The expo is a good platform for cooperation and exchanges among countries," he added.

Over the last four years, the expo has attracted a large amount of investment, estimated at over 100 billion yuan ($15.11 billion), that has been directed to exhibitors from home and abroad.

The investments have flowed into sectors including tourism, energy, infrastructure, education and environmental protection. "The expo is striving to set up a comprehensive platform for cooperation in investment and tourism," said Vice-Minister of Commerce Qian Keming.

He said the expo was expected to deepen cultural exchanges between China and other countries and regions.

This year, the expo completed its first overseas exhibition in Nepal, successfully setting up a total of 150 exhibition stands for companies from China and southern Asia. "As a link to regional exchanges, the expo is expected to join hands with relevant countries to share the Belt and Road Initiative," said Gao Shuxun, director of the expo's executive committee.