An expo visitor is helped to try a comb at a British booth at the expo. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/chinadaily.com.cn]

Belt and Road Brand Expo 2018, a gateway of modern Silk Road to create a comprehensive and convenient platform for companies to explore China and the global market, was held in Shanghai from June 29 to July 1.

This year’s exhibition, which will be followed by a tour exhibition in Chongqing in November, brought together 43 countries as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan regions to establish a world-class exhibition, presenting a variety of national and regional specialties and folk culture.

Co-organized by the Shanghai branch of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Chamber of International Commerce Shanghai, the event attracted more than 200 companies to exhibit in a floor area of 15,000 square meters at Shanghai Exhibition Center.

A Greek exhibitor shows local honey at the expo. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/chinadaily.com.cn]

The products and services offered at the exhibition included food and beverage, lifestyle, tourism and culture, sport and health, as well as investment and trade.

Proposed in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative has received positive response and support from more than 100 countries and international organizations over the past four years.

Shanghai, the economic center of China, is well located in the key position of the Belt and Road route, giving birth to China’s first free trade zone and taking on great responsibilities to promote China’s economic development by pushing forward the initiative.