The 18th Cross-Straits Fair for Economy and Trade is being held in Fuzhou from Wednesday through Sunday.

The annual event is jointly organized by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, China Chamber of International Commerce and the Fujian provincial government, with support from the Ministry of Commerce.

Held at the Fuzhou Straits International Conference and Exhibition Center, the annual event has more than 5,300 booths in a venue of 120,000 square meters.

The expo features products from both sides of the Taiwan Straits as well as products and historical and cultural customs of participating countries along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Organizers said nearly 2,000 enterprises have registered to take part in the expo. Among them are 610 Taiwan exhibitors, an increase of 5 percent from last year. There are 375 exhibitors from countries along the modern maritime Silk Road, about 3 percent higher than last year.

In addition, more than 220 visitor groups and more than 300 professional buyers will participate.

This year's expo has five exhibition areas - the zone for products from both sides of the Taiwan Straits, an area for products and services from countries along the modern maritime Silk Road, a Fuzhou exhibition area, a zone for Asia Cooperation Dialogue countries and an area for the Fujian Free Trade Zone.

"This year's expo will showcase business opportunities in Fuzhou, such as the Fuzhou New Area, the free trade zone, the maritime silk road zone and the ecological civilization demonstration zone, so as to deepen cooperation and exchanges with Taiwan as well as countries along the modern maritime Silk Road," said Fuzhou's deputy major Hang Dong.

The Cross-Straits Fair for Economy and Trade can trace its roots to 1994 when its predecessor was named the Fuzhou International Investment Promotion Month.

After two decades of development, the event has become an important platform for promoting cross-Straits economy and trade development as well as the city's reform and opening-up.

Following the nation's Belt and Road Initiative, the event now works to deepen cooperation between Fuzhou and countries along the modern maritime Silk Road in a series of fields such as infrastructure construction, industrial cooperation, ocean development, trade, investment and cultural exchanges.

(China Daily 05/18/2016 page7)