Preparations have been made for the 12th China-Northeast Asia Expo (CNEA Expo), a platform for economic cooperation between China and countries in Northeast Asia, according to a press conference held by the organizing committee of the expo in Changchun on Aug 22.

The slogan for this year’s expo is “Enhancing mutual trust and cooperation to create better prospects for Northeast Asia”. It will be held in Changchun, capital of Northeast China’s Jilin province, from Aug 23 to 27.

The expo will cover an area of 75,000 square meters and feature six exhibition areas, including pavilions for Jilin province (Pavilion 7), for countries from Northeast Asia (Pavilion 1), for imported commodities (Pavilions 2,3,4,5), for the “5G Era” (Pavilion 9), for “Northeast China revitalization” (Pavilion 8), and for the healthcare and pension industries (Pavilion 6). A total of 3,052 booths will be set up.

Around 1,337 enterprises have already confirmed their intent to participate in the expo. Among these, 592 are international enterprises from 45 countries and regions and 262 are enterprises based out of Jilin province.

In addition to exhibitions, a series of forums, meetings, and other activities will be held during the expo. It will feature the Forum on the Protection and Utilization of Northeast China’s Black Land, the Northeast Asia Business Cooperation Forum, the Northeast Asia Regional Cooperation Roundtable Meeting, the China, Japan, and South Korea Entrepreneur Summit, and “Czech Republic Day”.

The expo will feature the following important activities:

• ?The opening ceremony of the 12th China-Northeast Asia Expo and the 10th Northeast Asia Cooperation High-level Forum

Leaders of the State Council of China will give keynote speeches and economic and trade officials from other countries in the Northeast Asia region, as well as politicians from other countries, will deliver speeches on enhancing mutual trust and cooperation to create better prospects for Northeast Asia.

• ?China, Japan and South Korea Entrepreneur Summit

The summit is co-sponsored by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, the China-Japan-Korea Cooperation Secretariat, and the Jilin Provincial Government. It will be themed around development opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises in the 5G era.

Industry leaders from China, Japan, and South Korea will carry out extensive exchanges related to the intelligent network supply chain, the AR and VR innovation chain, medical and other advanced equipment, and new materials.

• ?Forum on the Protection and Utilization of Northeast China’s Black Land

This event is co-sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the Jilin Provincial Government. It will provide an in-depth analysis of domestic and international development trends in agricultural resource utilization, promote the protection and utilization of black land in Northeast China, and encourage farmers to promote rural revitalization and continuously consolidate national food safety.

• ?The Northeast Asia Business Cooperation Forum

Attendees of this forum will study and discuss the development plan for economic and trade cooperation in Northeast Asia under the framework of the “Belt and Road Initiative”. It aims develop regional interconnection and cross-border e-commerce platforms and further explore and promote cooperation among enterprises in Northeast Asia.

• “Czech Republic Day”

At this event, co-sponsored by the Czech Republic Embassy to China, the Czech Republic-China Friendship Association and Jilin Provincial Government, officials and experts will discuss cooperation in economics and trade, culture and tourism under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, and "16+1 Cooperation" —a cooperation model created in April 2012 by China and 16 Central and Eastern European countries.

• ?The First Northeast Asia E-Commerce Summit and the 5th China (Changchun) E-Commerce Industry Summit

This summit is co-sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce and the Jilin Provincial Government and will focus on the future of e-commerce under current economic conditions. It is themed around integrating innovation and networking in Northeast Asia and aims to strengthen Jilin's position in domestic and international business cooperation while helping enterprises in Jilin start new businesses and invest in other countries.

• ?Matchmaking meetings and economic and trade fairs

Key activities will include an investment promotion conference for Jilin province and the Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference between Shaanxi and Jilin Provinces