Activities such as fairs and exhibitions are becoming ever more popular in China as methods for obtaining information, promoting a market presence and increasing economic exchange and cooperation.

This is specially true in Shanghai, the country's leading industrial and commercial center, where an average of two such showcase events are held every week.

Shanghai has hosted as many as 80 international commercial exhibitions and is paying increasing attention to these activities, which are proving to be highly profitable and a catalyst for boosting the development of the economy overall.

The city of Jinhua in Zhejiang Province, east China, has held a national trade fair for automobile and motorcycle parts for two consecutive years. These fairs help not only promote the presence of the city nationwide, but also give a big push to the development of the local automotive industry.

A three-day trade fair that closed recently in Jinhua is estimated to have brought in at least 200 million yuan to the local economy through restaurants, hotels, entertainment, and shopping.

A growing number of the country's cities, including Shanghai, Shenzhen and Ningbo, have resorted to these commercial activities as a major method for attracting businesses and tourists.

Though the Internet is becoming ever more popular as a way of doing business, many take the view that these fairs and similar activities are able to get twice the results with half the effort through face-to-face dealings, and this means growing business opportunities.