Qingtian county – administered by Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province – has announced that it will hold the Overseas Chinese Imported Commodities Expo this year, with the event running Nov 12-15.

The expo, which aims to promote the trade and cultural exchanges between overseas Chinese and their hometowns, will set up six exhibition areas covering 90,000 square meters.

It will showcase a variety of imported products, such as food and beverages, household appliances, health care products and cultural and creative products.

The organizers expect to attract the participation of 700 overseas businesses, as well as 600 import trade enterprises and 100 chambers of commerce, industry associations, overseas Chinese businessmen and overseas Chinese groups. It's estimated that 200,000 people will visit in total.

The expo will also leverage online platforms to enhance its functionality, with features for panoramic displays, business negotiations and instant transactions.

Since April, the Qingtian county government has been conducting overseas investment promotions activities and attending various exhibitions to invite more exhibitors and buyers. The recruitment work is expected to be completed by October.

The expo was first held in 2018 and has been held annually since then. It has become an important platform for Qingtian county to showcase its achievements in economic and social development, as well as to strengthen its ties with overseas Chinese.

According to official statistics, the expo attracted a total of 730,000 visitors and more than 430,000 online visitors from 2018 to 2021, with cumulative sales to date of 9.85 billion yuan ($1.35 billion).