BEIJING -- The 15th China-Northeast Asia Expo will be held in Changchun city, Jilin province, from Aug 27 to 31, the Ministry of Commerce announced at a press conference Tuesday.

Highlighting the importance of the expo, Vice-Minister of Commerce Yan Dong said that Northeast Asian countries share geographical proximity, cultural bonds and strong commercial ties, with complementary strengths in resources and enormous potential for regional economic cooperation.

Yan noted that practical cooperation between China and other Northeast Asian countries has deepened across various fields, maintaining positive momentum in economic and trade exchanges.

Trade between China and the five Northeast Asian countries reached $901.6 billion in 2024, up 1.6 percent year-on-year, accounting for nearly 15 percent of China's total foreign trade. China has maintained its position as the largest trading partner for all five countries, with the Republic of Korea and Japan ranking as its second and third-largest trading partners, respectively.

Two-way investment between China and the five countries exceeded $7 billion in 2024, with cooperation expanding into emerging fields including digital economy, green development, advanced manufacturing and modern services.

Yang Andi, vice-governor of Jilin, said the expo will bring together over 8,000 business representatives from 42 countries and regions globally, as well as 27 provincial-level regions across China. So far, 2,796 exhibition booths have been confirmed, completing 80 percent of the exhibition preparation work.

A key highlight of this expo will be the first-ever modern industries pavilion, featuring leading firms, including Fortune 500 companies, Yang added. The pavilion will spotlight the transformation of traditional industries through smart and green upgrades, achievements in new quality productive forces, and the development of collaborative innovation ecosystems.

Li Xingqian, vice-chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said the council has actively facilitated the deep integration of industrial and supply chains among Northeast Asian countries. In the first half of this year, the council supported more than 115 exhibition projects in Northeast Asian countries, involving over 4,000 Chinese enterprises.

The expo, jointly organized by the Ministry of Commerce, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and the Jilin provincial government, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. It remains the world's only comprehensive international expo jointly attended by all six Northeast Asian countries and open to participants from around the globe.

"We aim to use the expo as an opportunity to further build consensus, expand cooperation, and promote common development between China and Northeast Asian countries," Yan said.