The first China Jilin -- Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Expo opens Friday in Changchun, capital city of northeast China's Jilin Province.

The investment and trade expo, with theme of "Opportunity, Exchange, Cooperation and Development", is co-sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the Office of the Leading Group of Revitalizing the Old Industrial Base in northeast China under the State Council, and the Jilin provincial government. The expo is one of the major national investment and trade exhibitions in China.

More than 30,000 representatives and businessmen from home and abroad will attend the expo. Over 4,000 foreign businessmen from 39 countries and regions, including some 30 CEOs of global top 500 corporations, are also attending. These participants mainly come from northeast and southeast Asia, Europe and America, as well as Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.

Chinese Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai said at the opening ceremony that the ministry will cooperate closely with the Office of the Leading Group of Revitalizing the Old Industrial Base in northeast China under the State Council to help revitalize the old industry bases in northeast China.

The five-day expo consists of a series of activities including forums on investment and cooperation, tourism development in Northeast Asia and the regional development of the Tumen River.

The trade expo is focused on industrial sectors including modern manufacturing, petro-chemical, processing of farm produce, traditional Chinese medicine, energy resources and new building materials.

(Xinhua News Agency September 3, 2005)