YINCHUAN -- A total of 253 deals worth about 186.05 billion yuan (around $28 billion) had been signed so far at the third China-Arab States Expo in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

The agreements involve agriculture and food processing, new materials, equipment manufacturing, bio-pharmaceuticals, chemical industry, textiles, industrial park construction and modern services.

The new cooperation is expected to forge closer ties between China and Arab states, and add momentum to the Belt and Road Initiative.

The expo, which kicked off Wednesday in Ningxia's capital Yinchuan and will run until Saturday, is sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the regional government of Ningxia.