BRUSSELS - The European Commission said Tuesday it will hold a two-day trade event at the Shanghai World Expo to showcase the importance of developing trade relations between the European Union and China.

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EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht will open "Trade Days" in Shanghai on Thursday with a keynote speech emphasizing the potential benefits of doing business with China, the Commission said in a statement.

"I see enormous possibilities for European businesses in China but bringing these to life is not a given," De Gucht said. "I want to dismantle the barriers to greater economic integration and to realize the opportunities that trade can bring."

Gao Hucheng, China's deputy commerce minister, will address the opening ceremony.

Leading European business people and international academics will exchange views on developing EU-China trade relations during the event.

The EU and China are important trading partners. The two sides' total trade volume in goods and services reached 327 billion euros (about $421 billion) in 2009.

China is Europe's fastest growing export market, importing goods worth 82 billion euros ($105 billion) from the EU in 2009.