"The organizing committee of the 12th Expo Central China has so far invited 1,012 businesspeople from outside Shanxi province, and this number is still increasing," said Wang Hongjin, director of Shanxi Department of Commerce, at a provincial government press conference on May 17.

The 12th Central China Expo, to be held in Shanxi from May 21 to 23, is themed around the concept of "openness and cooperation" and Shanxi's new commitment to economic opening-up.

To strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Central China and the surrounding regions, Shanxi will host a conference to discuss its transformation and development, which has been supported by Shanxi merchants and entrepreneurs from around the world. 

In addition, there will be six regular events as in the previous sessions of the expo, and a project matchmaking and investment strategy meeting between six provinces in Central China.

"We will make full use of the expo platform and the advantages of businesspeople and merchant resources, combining roadshows and targeted business matchmaking, so as to promote project cooperation and achieve breakthroughs in the use of foreign capital," said Yang Chunquan, director of Shanxi Investment Promotion Bureau.

Yang added that Shanxi has been focusing on inviting businesses and investors, as well as inviting international organizations, foreign business associations, foreign-funded enterprises, and well-known enterprises outside Shanxi. 

To date, there are more than 400 executives from central State-owned enterprises, Fortune Global 500 enterprises, industrial leaders, and well-known private enterprises among the participating businesspeople. In particular, 218 multinational enterprises and foreign-funded enterprises have confirmed their participation in the expo, which has set a new record in foreign participant numbers in the expo's history.