The 18th Viet Nam-China border economic and trade fair kicked off in Hekou district of China’s Yunnan Province on Tuesday, with various products on display.

With 1,419 booths set up by Vietnamese and Chinese businesses, and those from the Republic of Korea and Thailand, the fair introduced a wide range of farm produce, frozen seafood, clothes and handicrafts.

The annual event is rotationally held by Viet Nam’s Lao Cai Province and China’s Yunnan Province, aiming to promote trade between investors from the two countries and others.

It offers a chance for participating businesses to promote their products and seek opportunities to expand their markets.

Within the framework of the five-day event, there will be a seminar on economic and trade cooperation between Lao Cai and Yunnan provinces, and the signing of contracts between Vietnamese and Chinese enterprises.

Viet Nam has seven provinces bordering China, namely Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Ha Giang, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Cao Bang and Dien Bien.

Viet Nam has overtaken Malaysia to become the largest trade partner of China in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Their two-way trade was estimated at US$66 billion in the first half of 2018, with the average monthly trade turnover between the two countries having exceeded $10 billion for the first time in history. — VNS