China-South Asia Expo concludes with 56-bln-USD investment deals inked

An exhibitor (R) introduces products at the booth of Nepal at the 7th China-South Asia Expo in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Aug. 18, 2023. The ongoing seventh China-South Asia Expo has attracted more than 30,000 exhibitors, representatives, and guests from 85 countries and regions to attend online and offline. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

KUNMING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The seventh China-South Asia Expo concluded Sunday, with 338 projects with a total investment of 404 billion yuan (about 56.1 billion U.S. dollars) signed, organizers said.

This was the first time that the China-South Asia Expo was fully resumed offline since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The five-day event, held in Kunming, the capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, attracted over 30,000 exhibitors as well as representatives and guests from 85 countries, regions and international organizations.

The first China-South Asia Expo was held in Kunming in 2013 when the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed. Over the years, the expo has seen its exhibition space triple from 51,100 square meters to 150,000 square meters, and the number of participating countries, regions and international organizations double from 42 to 85.

After 10 years of development, the comprehensive expo integrating trade, investment, tourism cooperation and cultural exchanges has become a name card of exchanges and cooperation between China and South Asian countries and other countries.

Over the past 10 years, the expo has witnessed closer ties between China and South Asia, with the trade volume between China and South Asian countries doubling. China has for years been the biggest trading partner for Pakistan, Bangladesh and Maldives.