YINCHUAN -- The seventh China-Arab States Expo kicked off on Thursday in Yinchuan, capital of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, attracting more than 7,600 participants and over 2,200 enterprises and institutions from 75 countries and regions.

Marking a historic first, all 22 Arab countries are taking part, alongside delegations from China's 31 provincial-level regions, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Themed "Innovation, Green Development and Prosperity," the four-day expo will host trade fairs and forums focused on eight key sectors, including investment, technology transfer and innovation cooperation, modern agriculture, tourism, and intellectual property.

This year's event features the United Arab Emirates as the Guest Country of Honor. The offline exhibition is divided into six sections, showcasing Belt and Road cooperation, regional economic partnerships, central state-owned enterprises, clean energy, the digital economy, and specialty products.

Launched in 2013, the China-Arab States Expo has held six editions, serving as a major platform to boost cooperation between China and Arab countries. A multitude of cooperation projects across various fields, including modern agriculture, high and new technology, energy, and chemical industries, have been reached.

China has been the Arab states' largest trading partner for years. Bilateral trade reached $407.4 billion in 2024, up 2.3 percent year-on-year.