Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan on June 6 attended and cut a ribbon to open the Kunming Import-Export Fair and the fifth South Asian Countries Trade Fair in Yunnan province as part of his ongoing visit to China.

The annual event, the largest trade promotion and international economic cooperation in China’s southwestern region, attracted nearly 140 business delegations from countries and regions around the world with 1,000 display booths.

As many as 100 Vietnamese businesses attended the event with 250 booths showcasing high-quality furniture, fine arts, food and agro products.

Addressing the opening ceremony, China’s Deputy Minister of Commerce Chen Jian said the Kunming Fair together with the South Asian Countries Trade Fair have become a linkage and an important forum in deepening regional cooperation between China and Southeast and South Asian countries.

The Kunming Fair, first held in 1993, is aimed to enhance trade cooperation between China and countries bordered China to the southwest.

Total trade transaction value at the 2011 fair reached 2.4 billion USD, an increase of 20 percent over the previous one.-VNA