China to hold South Asia expo from June 19 in Kunming

Beijing, Jun 8 (PTI) Kunming, the capital of southwest China's Yunnan province, will host from June 19 to 24 this year’s China-South Asia Expo with India and Pakistan having the largest presence.

The expo will feature 11 themed halls highlighting key sectors such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and modern agriculture.

This is the 9th edition of the expo in which a vast number of businessmen from India and South Asian countries besides traders from around the world take part.

About 1,400 enterprises from 54 countries and regions have confirmed participation, state-run Xinhua reported.

Nearly 1,000 professional buyers are expected to attend, Li Chaowei, director of the Yunnan provincial department of commerce said.

China’s trade with South Asia in 2024 is stated to be around USD 200 billion with the bulk of it with India, according to official data.

The India China trade last year totalled to about USD 127.7 billion with India’s trade deficit mounting to USD 99.2 billion.

He said the expo also provides a broad platform for showcasing products from South Asian countries, with two South Asia pavilions offering nearly 800 booths.

India and Pakistan have the largest presence, with each having 140 booths, state-run Global Times quoted Li as saying.

This year's expo features Sri Lanka as the theme country, with Thailand, which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations with China, invited as the special partner country, Li added. PTI KJV NPK NPK