The sixth High-Level Forum on Northeast Asia Economic and Trade Cooperation. The forum is an annual event held concurrently with the expo.

Second, the expo will accelerate a national strategy to boost the development of Northeast China.

Since 2003, the central government has formulated a series of plans to develop the northeastern region. It released a strategic plan to revitalize traditional industrial bases in Northeast China.

Third, the expo will promote regional cooperation in the years to come.

Over the last eight years, the expo has held several fruitful international forums, at which Chinese leaders and government heads from other Northeast Asian countries have participated.

Currently, the expo is the premier space for leaders in the region to discuss issues concerning enlarging regional cooperation and deepening ties.

During the eighth expo, 140 government officials at the level of vice-minister or higher took part.

At the sixth Northeast Asia Trade and Cooperation Forum in 2012, Wang Qishan, then vice-premier of the State Council, said the expo had become an important platform for practical cooperation.

He said he hopes to strengthen communication and cooperation to achieve real results and better serve the people.

Yim Chhayly, deputy prime minister of Cambodia, said: "The China-Northeast Asia Expo has great potential. I hope we can strengthen and enlarge economic and trade cooperation among countries in Northeast Asia."

Foreign exhibitors and visitors flock to the China-Northeast Asia Expo, which offers a variety of opportunities for them to get to know Jilin as well as China.

Moon Jae-do, a senior official at the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, the Republic of Korea, said the Northeast Asia region has undergone unprecedented changes during recent years. Several development plans have been put into place recently by various countries in the region, such as China's strategy to develop its northeastern area, Russia's plan to better utilize the Far East to develop its eastern coast.

"Due to these plans, the Northeast Asian economic circle will become a world economic center and a new source of growth momentum," he said.

"The China-Northeast Asia Expo plays a vital role in further deepening cooperative ties among Northeast Asian countries."

Many participants in the expo are Fortune 500 companies, top State-owned enterprises as well as leading privately owned companies.

Some 600 companies took part in the eighth expo, and 2,600 standard booths were on display.

Of that total, 443 came from overseas, accounting for 67 percent, an increase of 26 percentage points from the previous expo.