Sep. 2, 2009 (China Knowledge) - The 18th Urumqi Trade Fair, China's only business event targeting central, west and south Asia, opened yesterday, the official Xinhua News reported.

The trade fair, which takes place in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, attracted more than 500 overseas businessmen from 29 countries and regions, including Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It also attracted many domestic businessmen from 21 inland provinces and municipalities.

The trade fair will hold a project promotion fair for members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a border trade development seminar and a signing ceremony for trade projects.

The trade fair, which covers an area of 35,000 square meters, has more than 2,000 exhibition booths divided by sector and region.

The exhibition booths were sold out before the fair began, said Nur Bekri, the regional government chairman, adding that the trade fair will further promote economic communication and cooperation between Xinjiang and neighboring provinces and cities.

The annual trade fair was first held in 1992. The total combined value of foreign contracts signed at the fair in the past 17 years is US$31.7 billion.