The 7th Silk Road International Exposition and the Investment and Trade Forum for Cooperation between East & West China kicked off in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, on Nov 16.

The 7th Silk Road International Exposition opens in Xi'an on Nov 16. [Photo/Xi'an Daily]

This year's expo designated Tajikistan and Azerbaijan as host countries and Heilongjiang and Zhejiang provinces in China as guest provinces of honor. More than 20 significant conferences and forums are scheduled during the event.

The expo features a vast exhibition area of 72,000 square meters, divided into six themed exhibitions, covering international exchanges, open platforms, regional cooperation, modern agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and modern services.

For the first time, the international exchange exhibition includes dedicated areas for the five Central Asian countries, major foreign cooperation projects, and South Korean goods.

Visitors taste and buy goods at the Russian booth at the expo. [Photo/Xi'an Daily]

Over the past six years, the expo has showcased and sold over 30,000 varieties of characteristic products, drawing more than 600,000 visitors. The total investment contract value has reached $45.37 billion in foreign-funded projects and over 8.04 trillion yuan ($1.11 billion) in domestic joint projects.

The Silk Road International Exposition has evolved into a high-level open platform fostering the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. It serves as a hub for inland reform and opening-up, facilitating interactive cooperation between eastern and western China.