The China Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), officially opened to the public on Friday. 

Named "Light of China," the pavilion is shaped like a traditional Chinese lantern. The pavilion is one of the largest at the expo, covering an area of 4,636 square meters.

The pavilion showcases China's latest achievements in the areas of information technology, modern transportation, artificial intelligence, smart living and space exploration, said Zhang Shenfeng, commissioner general of the China Pavilion.

Among the highlights of the China Pavilion are exhibits about the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, the high-speed railway, the auto-pilot new energy concept car, robots, and the light show at night, he said.

"Because of the pandemic, China's local governments and companies cannot come to the expo park to hold large-scale on-site activities, but we have built an online platform for them to hold events and exchanges," Zhang said.

Ni Jian, Chinese ambassador to the UAE, said the China Pavilion showcases the country's remarkable achievements since the reform and opening-up, as well as the great Chinese culture, helping the world to know the country better.

At the expo, 26 provincial-level regions and more than 40 leading Chinese enterprises will hold exhibitions, forums and other activities through online and offline channels. The number of Chinese enterprises participating in the Expo 2020 Dubai surpasses that of any other previous World Expos held outside China.

"Hopefully, the expo will bring opportunities to promote China-Arab economic and trade exchanges, enhance people-to-people communication between China and other countries, and boost economic recovery in the post-pandemic era," said Zhang.

Postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Expo 2020 Dubai will be held from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. This is the first time that the World Expo has been staged in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.

Under the theme of "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future," the expo aims to inspire people by showcasing the best of collaboration and innovation from around the world.

(With input from Xinhua)