Chengdu hosts international trade fair

The China National Hardware Association and German company Koelnmesse (China) jointly host an international hardware show in southwestern China's Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, until Friday.

The China International Hardware Show (west) attracts 260 exhibitors from home and abroad, covering an exhibition area of 15,000 square meters, according to organizers, with the event expected to see 10,000 professional visitors.

"The exhibition mainly appeals to professional visitors in western China. It will be held annually in Chengdu as a sister show to the China International Hardware Show (CIHS) in Shanghai," said Jin Lixin, secretary general of the China National Hardware Association.

Founded in 2001, CIHS has become Asia's top trade fair for the hardware and DIY sectors and the second largest hardware show in the world.

Feng Xiangjun, managing director of Koelnmesse (China), said Chengdu is the most important city in China apart from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. "We have chosen Chengdu after thorough research and deliberation."

Michael Dreyer, Koelnmesse group's vice president in the Asia-Pacific region, said Chengdu is the best window to the western China market, as Shanghai is to the east and the abroad.

"Chengdu is chosen for the show because of its ability to hold big exhibitions, strong influence to the western region and perfect government services," he said.

The local government is building Chengdu into a world-class city for conventions and exhibitions. The city held 503 major events last year and the exhibition area totaled 3 million square meters, ranking fifth after Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing and Shenzhen.