An important shipping hub in Guangdong province, Zhanjiang is the gateway linking China's southwest to the world.

Navy ships and equipment, range of marine resources

As the South China base for the country's navy and an important port city in Guangdong province, Zhanjiang will host the China Ocean Economy Expo starting Wednesday, offering participants a showcase of the country's national defense and the latest in global marine science.

The expo's main exhibition hall will show the public the high-tech side of the marine industry and state-of-the-art equipment for shipbuilding. It will also promote tourism, cultures and arts related to the sea.

The military pavilion will be the big highlight of the expo, according to the organizing committee. Visitors will be able to take a close look at a great variety of cutting-edge equipment - from tanks to aircraft, armored vehicles and missiles - including actual equipment in service.

Designed and built by China Poly Group, the military pavilion is divided into an indoor hall and an outdoor exhibition space.

The indoor area includes displays of fighters, helicopters, tanks and missiles, while the outdoor space is set aside for equipment in active service including the J-10 fighter, amphibious tanks and a wide range of armored vehicles.

Visitors can also play games in the indoor hall that include shooting, machine assembly and an obstacle course.

The South China Sea Fleet will also organize tours onto its warships.

The China Ocean Economy Expo from Dec 3 to 7 will host over 3,000 exhibitors from more than 20 countries, including displays by 80 multinational companies and institutions, 14 Fortune 500 corporations, as well as 11 large State-owned companies and 56 listed companies.

The State Oceanic Administration will display a full-size model of the Jiaolong-class submersible that represents the nation's most advanced deep-sea research technology.

The city government of Yangjiang in Guangdong province will send a replica of the Nanhai No 1, a sunken merchant ship from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) discovered off the coast of Yangjiang.

The expo covers 215,000 sq m including an expanse of sea and has 2,018 booths.

The display area for warships and yachts on a 75,000-sq-m area of the sea is also expected to be a popular site for visitors.

In the international section, exhibitors representing coastal cities across the world will introduce themselves to the audience with videos and displays. They will also share their ideas about some common challenges and opportunities that coastal cities around the globe face such as rising of sea levels.

The China Ocean Economy Expo is China's only comprehensive expo focusing on the ocean.

The biennial event was co-founded by the provincial government of Guangdong and the State Oceanic Administration. The first event was held in Guangzhou in 2012.

Beginning this year, Zhanjiang will be the permanent host for the expo.

"Zhanjiang's development is closely related to the ocean, with an important position in China's strategy to become a maritime power," said Liu Xiaohua, Party chief of Zhanjiang, explaining why the city was chosen as the expo's permanent host.

Output from Zhanjiang's marine industry was valued at 127.58 billion yuan ($20 billion) in 2013. The city has the biggest production of aquatic products in Guangdong and produces two-thirds of the country's sea pearls.

Big producers in the city including Guangdong Evergreen Group, Guolian Aquatic and Ronghui Pearls will exhibit their products at the expo's fishery section along with more than 100 enterprises in the trade from all over the country.

Zhanjiang Mayor Wang Zhongbing said that the city will make good use of the expo as a stage to showcase its ocean resources, the bright prospects for its marine industry and to explore markets in Southeast Asia.

Zhanjiang was an important port on the ancient Maritime Silk Road.

"Our goal is to develop Zhanjiang into the bridgehead of cooperation between Guangdong and Southeast Asia and the new start of the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road," said Wang.

He made official visits to the Guangzhou consul generals of Thailand, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Russia, Australia and Italy on Nov 14, inviting them to the ocean expo and seeking more cooperation.

[email protected]