The seventh China-South Asia Expo concluded Sunday, with 338 projects and a total investment of 404 billion yuan (about $56.1 billion) signed, organizers said.

It's the first in-person China-South Asia Expo since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The five-day event, held in Kunming, the capital city of southwest China's Yunnan Province, attracted over 30,000 exhibitors as well as representatives and guests from 85 countries, regions and international organizations.

The first China-South Asia Expo was held in Kunming in 2013 when the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed. Over the years, the expo has seen its exhibition space triple from 51,100 square meters to 150,000 square meters, and the number of participating countries, regions and international organizations double from 42 to 85.

After 10 years of development, the comprehensive expo integrating trade, investment, tourism cooperation and cultural exchanges has become a calling card for exchanges and cooperation between China, South Asia and other countries.

The expo has witnessed closer ties between China and South Asia, with the trade volume between China and South Asian countries doubling. China has for years been the biggest trading partner for Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives.

(Cover: Visitors at the seventh China-South Asia Expo in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, August 19, 2023. /CFP)