The Organizing Committee of the China—Northeast Asia Expo introduced on the 3rd that with nearly a year still to go before the opening of the 10th China—Northeast Asia Expo, nearly 80% of the planned ROK exhibition booths have already been booked by ROK enterprises. It is expected that when the expo opens, more than 1,000 ROK government dignitaries, senior commerce officials and business representatives will attend.

According to information disclosed at a regular press conference of the Ministry of Commerce, in the first five months of this year, ROK investment in China grew by 87.9% year on year. Experts believe that China and the ROK are currently in a “honeymoon period,” and the China—Northeast Asia Expo, which has been successfully held nine times, has demonstrated a prominent role in promoting politics, diplomacy, economic trade, culture and other fields in the Northeast Asia region, and has become an important platform for exchange and cooperation between China and the ROK.

ROK Ambassador to China Kwon Young-se said in a recent media interview, “More than 100 ROK enterprises participate in the Northeast Asia Expo every year, and we hope that through such a very active cooperation platform, while promoting economic and investment cooperation between the two countries, it can ultimately lead to cooperation among the countries participating in the expo in political, security, diplomatic and other fields.”

According to the introduction, most of the ROK enterprises that have currently booked booths for the 10th Northeast Asia Expo are well-known multinational companies, including POSCO, Dong-A Electronics Co., Ltd., Seoul Business Agency, the Food Industry Association, the Gyeonggi-do economic and trade delegation, the Gangwon-do delegation, CJ Group, Lotte Group and Kumho Tire, among others.

Data show that the ROK has become Jilin Province's most important trading partner country. In the whole of 2013, bilateral trade volume reached US$660 million, an increase of 9.07%. As of May 2014, the number of ROK-invested enterprises in Jilin Province reached 743, ranking first among the 60 countries and regions investing in Jilin, with contracted foreign investment amounting to US$751 million, ranking fifth among all countries and regions; the amount of foreign direct investment utilized reached US$1.37 billion, ranking fourth.

Kwon Young-se said, “I hope the role of the Northeast Asia Expo will be reflected not only in the fields of investment and trade, but also in serving as a platform that promotes resonance and coexistence in all international relations throughout the Northeast Asia region. I hope the Northeast Asia Expo can become such a platform and play its role.”