Forty countries join Silk Road expo in Xi'an

The 9th Silk Road International Exposition opened on Wednesday in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province, drawing participants from over 40 countries and regions.

Shen Yueyue, vice-chairwoman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said in a speech at the opening ceremony that this year's expo aims to advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, strengthen consensus on opening-up, enhance practical collaboration, and explore new areas for win-win development.

China will always uphold the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits to enhance connectivity, mutual recognition, economic cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges with all parties, Shen said.

The expo, which will run through Sunday, comprises six exhibition zones spanning 72,000 square meters, according to organizers. For the first time in the event's history, it is held both online and offline, thanks to the adoption of digital platforms.

The zones feature specialty products from BRI countries and five Central Asian nations, Shaanxi's premium products, technological innovation, low-altitude economy, transportation and logistics, and cultural tourism consumption.

The event focuses on cooperation in multiple fields, with nine major activities covering trade, technology, finance, and other areas.

Organizers said Shaanxi has selected 149 projects for promotion at the expo. The combined investments exceed 200 billion yuan ($27.8 billion).

The expo's previous eight editions attracted 10,000 merchants from 190 countries and regions. Over 30,000 products were showcased, and foreign-invested projects worth $56.78 billion were signed.