BEIJING — The 8th China-South Asia Exposition, which opened on Tuesday and will close on Sunday in Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province, is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and the Yunnan provincial government.

It is one of the most important events for economic and trade exchanges between China and South Asian nations this year, said Vice-Minister of Commerce Li Fei at a news conference in Beijing on July 9.

The expo was first held in Kunming in 2013, the year when China first put forward the Belt and Road Initiative. Li said that over the past 11 years, China and South Asian countries have deepened practical cooperation in various fields, and maintained a sound momentum of development in economic and trade exchanges, delivering benefits to all people involved.

The expo features industries with great potential for cooperation with South Asian countries, including green energy, modern agriculture, medical care as well as culture and tourism, Liu Yong, vice-governor of Yunnan, said at the news conference.

In terms of exhibitor registration, nearly 2,000 companies have registered to participate in the exhibition, of which nearly half are overseas companies, covering all countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia, according to Yang Mu, head of the Department of Commerce of Yunnan.

To accommodate the exhibition needs of enterprises from South Asian nations, an additional South Asia pavilion will be set up at this year's expo, Yang said, adding that organizers have also invited over 2,300 buyers to facilitate business deals at the exhibition.

This year's expo also features a pavilion for the coffee industry, which highlights Yunnan's reputation as China's leading coffee producer, Yang said.