The 96th Chinese Export Commodities Fair will open Friday in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, a spokesperson for the fair announced.

Xu Bing, the spokesperson, said that the fair will have 27,760 commodity display booths, 260 more than the last fair.

Xu said that 13,330 enterprises will attend the fair, 1,106 more than the last fair, and 235,000 purchasers are expected to come.

The Chinese Export Commodities Fair, also called Guangzhou Trade Fair, was launched in 1957. It served as an important channel for business exchange between China and foreign countries before China shifted to an opening-up policy in the late 1970s.

The biannual fair will last to Oct. 30.

(Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2004)