GUANGZHOU, April 14 -- Half of the buyers at the upcoming Canton Fair will come from countries along the Belt and Road thanks to intensified promotion efforts, said organizers on Friday.

Purchasers from the countries along the ancient Silk Road routes have seen remarkable growth in recent years and they accounted for 44 percent of the total in the previous session, said Xu Bing, spokesperson for the 121st China Import and Export Fair, known as the Canton Fair.

The session is scheduled to take place in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, from Sunday through May 5, in three phases. Its exhibition area measures 1.18 million square meters, featuring more than 60,000 booths and nearly 25,000 domestic and foreign companies.

To boost trade cooperation, organizers upped promotion this year through direct invitations and social media, said Xu.

The import exhibition zone has attracted 364 companies from countries along the Belt and Road, or 58.7 percent of those present in the section.

The China Import and Export Fair is held every spring and autumn and is seen as a barometer of the country's foreign trade.