Over 60 countries and regions taking part with exhibitions spanning some 70,000 sq m

The 2021 Guangdong 21st Century Maritime Silk Road International Expo opens on Friday in Guangzhou, the provincial capital. The three-day event has attracted more than 1,000 exhibitors from 64 countries and regions.

Themed "new philosophy and new pattern for a new stage", this year's event consists of both forums and exhibitions. The forum section comprises one themed convention, five parallel seminars and four supporting programs, while the exhibition section has three general exhibition areas and four specialized exhibition areas. More than 40 supporting events on cooperation and communication will be held, according to the expo's organizing committee.

The Tianhe Road business circle, located on the new central axis of Guangzhou, Guangdong province, is a core business area of the city and one of the largest clusters of high-end business in China. CHINA DAILY

The general exhibition areas are respectively for international cooperation and communication, international platforms and brands, and foreign trade bases; and the specialized exhibition areas, for artificial intelligence, digital economy, Silk Road e-commerce, and imported food. The total exhibition space is around 70,000 square meters.

Sixty-four countries and regions－including the United States, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Russia, Belgium, Spain, Japan, South Korea and Thailand－have set up national booths at the expo despite the COVID-19 pandemic. This is 13 countries and regions more compared with the 2020 session.