46 countries and regions participate in China – South Asia Expo 2014
Travelbiznews Correspondent ———–
Kunming: The second China-South Asia Exposition (CSA Expo) is expected to strengthen economic cooperation between China and South Asian countries.
Delegates and representatives from more than 46 countries and regions are participating in the 5- day Expo in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province.
China and South Asia are home to nearly 2.8 billion people. China’s trade with countries in the region increased from 35 billion U.S. dollars in 2006 to about 100 billion U.S. dollars in 2013.
Chinese enterprises have invested more than $4 billion in South Asia and achieved a construction contract turnover of about $85 billion, Xinhua reports.
Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Yang, addressing the opening ceremony of the Second China-South Asia Expo, said that China and South Asian countries are benefiting from multilateral cooperation in commerce, trade, culture and infrastructure construction.
Vice Premier Wang Yang met the leaders attending the second China-South Asia Expo (CSA) .Mr Wang, during talks with Nepal’s Prime Minister Sushil Koirala , committed to cooperate for economic prosperity of Nepal.
Prime Minister Koirala ,in his key-note address in the Expo, urged the Chinese investors to invest in productive sectors, including hydropower, infrastructure, tourism, agriculture and information and technology.
He thanked the Government of China for choosing Nepal as the Country of Honour in this Expo and inaugurated the Nepali Pavilion and observed stalls where Nepali products were on display.
He met with Governor of the Yunnan Province Lee ZiHang and Secretary of the Yunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Qin Guangrong .
China has expressed its commitment to provide logistic support for the upcoming 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit to be held in Nepal in November, 2014. China is an observer in the regional organization SAARC .
Similarly, the first China-South Asia Science and Technology Ministerial Conference held in Kunming stressed on cooperation on science and technology between the countries of South Asia.
The 1st China – South Asia Expo , was held simultaneously with the 21st China Kunming Import and Export Fairfrom June 6 to 10, 2013 in Kunming and the transaction volume during both of the five-day fairs reached $17.47 billion according to CSA Secretariat. The Expo 2014 is expected to see a turnover of US$ 20 billion.
June 7, 2014
