The Second Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Fair signing ceremony in September 2006.	The grand opening ceremony of the Second Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Fair.

THE Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Fair is an annual State Council-approved international trade event held between September 2 and 6 in Changchun City, Jilin Province. It is co-sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the Northeast China Old Industry Base Revitalizing Leading Group and the Jilin provincial government.

The fair drew a total 500,000 visitors in 2005 and 2006. This impressive volume included 70,000 traders, 10,000 of them from overseas. Of attendees from about 100 countries and regions, 123 represented Fortune 500 enterprises. The two fairs realized foreign trade volume of US $676 million and domestic trade volume of RMB 1.911 billion. They also witnessed the signing of 387 investment project contracts involving a total investment of RMB 94.59 billion. Business activities that have since yielded fruit, such as the Russian Business Week and Northeast Asia Economic Cooperation Forum, were also held.

Activities at the third Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Fair, to be held between September 2 and 6 at the Changchun International Exhibition Center, includes commodity trading, investment and cooperation and an international conference. In line with international exhibition practices, its 2,200 exhibition stands are divided into ten industry sections, including automobiles and spare parts, petrochemical products, agricultural product processing, high-tech and electronic products, pharmaceutical and biological products, infrastructure construction, building materials, textiles and mineral water resource development.

Contacts to establish more trading platforms are also conducted between participating countries. Preparatory negotiations regarding investment projects took place prior to the fair and will be discussed in more detail once it gets underway. The fair also includes project presentations, cooperation agreement signing ceremonies and trade negotiations in which many domestic and international investment organizations and investors participate.

Forums such as the Northeast Asia Economic and Trade Senior Forum, the Third Northeast Asia Economic Cooperation Forum and the China-Cuba Biological Technology Cooperation Development Forum to promote more exchanges and communications are also staged. Meanwhile, the respective staging of Russian Business Week, Mongolia Day, Japan Day, DPRK Day and ROK Day will substantially advance regional cooperation.

The fair is all the more attractive and diversified a regional event by virtue of its cultural and sports activities, including the Meet in Northeast Asia Evening Gala, the 2007 Northeast Asia Investment, Trade Fair Art Festival and the Fortune 500 Elite Golf Invitational Tournament. These events will undoubtedly establish more exchange platforms and consequently potential business opportunities for inhabitants and businesses in the region.