The fourth China Henan International Investment and Trade Fair opened in Zhengzhou Wednesday, attracting more than 4,000 government officials and business people from more than 60 countries and regions.

The fair, in the provincial capital Zhengzhou, is sponsored by the Henan provincial government and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).

Nearly 2,000 corporations and organizations at home and abroad including 38 from the world's top 500 firms were represented, drawn by commercial opportunities created by the Central China Rejuvenation Strategy.

"The huge market, cheap labor, preferential policies and highly-efficient services in this region will make Henan and other central provinces more attractive to overseas investors," said CCPIT Chairman Wan Jifei at the opening ceremony.

John Xu, director of external affairs for Wal-Mart (China) Investment Co., Ltd, said the region had a huge development potential after the rejuvenation strategy was initiated.

More than 2,000 investment and trade projects are under negotiation at the fair, among which 78 exceed five million U.S. dollars each.

The fair will also feature forums on foreign investment, central China rejuvenation and the opening-up of its cultural industry.

This year's fair is bigger than the previous three, with more people attending and the most investment and trade projects, Wan Jifei acknowledged.

This was attributed to the Chinese government's strategy of central China rejuvenation, to boost the region's development by exploiting its advantages in geography, industry, and natural and human resources.

Henan ranked fifth in gross domestic product (GDP) nationwide for over the last six years and is one of the major production bases of crops, cotton and edible, vegetable oil.

(Xinhua News Agency April 13, 2006)