More Countries to join 3rd China-Eurasia Expo

Forty-nine countries and regions will participate in the third China-Eurasia Expo, authorities confirmed Thursday.

The expo is set to run from Sept. 2 to 7 in the northwestern Chinese city of Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Eleven countries, including Austria, Australia and India, will join the expo for the first time, said Shatyar Ablehet, an official with Xinjiang International Expo Administration.

She said the event's international co-organizers increased from 17 to 22 this year.

The China-Eurasia Expo has become an important platform for Xinjiang to boost its regional advantages and accelerate its opening up to the world, said Shatyar Ablehet.

According to the expo's organizing committee, activities scheduled during the event include the third China-Eurasia Economic Development and Cooperation Forum, which serves as a platform for countries to discuss matters conducive to regional stability and growth.

Other activities include forums on cooperation in the fields of energy, science and technology.

Foreign trade transactions during the previous two events totaled 12 billion U.S. dollars, according to the organizers.

The China-Eurasia Expo was first held in September 2011 after it was upgraded from the China Urumqi Foreign Economic Relations and Trade Fair, a long-running regional event.