The 21st Jinjiang Footwear & 4th Sports Industry International Exposition opened in Jinjiang, East China's Fujian province on April 19. [Photo/Xinhua]

The 21st Jinjiang Footwear & 4th Sports Industry International Exposition opened in Jinjiang, East China's Fujian province on April 19, with attendance of numerous traders from more than 30 countries and regions.

The expo features a total exhibition area of 60,000 square meters, with 2,200 booths showcasing footwear, sporting goods and materials for the production of shoes.

The fair is slated to run until April 22.

According to Liu Wenru, Party chief of Jinjiang, the fair has seen an increasing number of participants from the countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative this year, an indicator of its rising recognition internationally.

Jinjiang, dubbed the "town of shoes", is home to more than 3,000 shoe makers with an annual capacity of one billion pairs of sneakers, statistics show.

Among them is Anta Sports, China's leading sportswear brand with a market value ranking third globally, behind Nike and Adidas.