The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) will hold its first large-scale tourism forum and exhibition this October in east China.

 

The ASEM Forum and Exhibition on Tourism Investment and Cooperation will be held from October 19 to 22 in Yantai City, Shandong Province, said visiting Vice Mayor of Yantai Liu Hongyuan, on Friday.

 

This event aims to promote investment and trade between Asia and Europe and help realize the common prosperity and development of the two continents through enhanced cooperation and exchanges in the tourism sector, Liu told reporters after meeting with Malaysian Deputy Tourism Minister Lim Siang Chai in Kuala Lumpur.

 

The event is expected to cover activities in four major areas, namely, exhibition, forum, investment and trade, as well as tourism promotion, said Liu.

 

With the Yantai World Trade Conference and Exhibition Center as the venue, the exhibition will offer about 1,500 standard booths under seven categories.

 

The ASEM, established in 1996, now groups 39 members, comprising China, Japan, South Korea, 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, 25 member countries of the European Union and the European Commission.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2006)