Officials introduce the upcoming China International Tea Expo at a news conference in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on May 6. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

The Third China International Tea Expo is scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, from May 15 to 19, officials announced at a news conference on May 6.

Co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Zhejiang provincial government, the expo will have an exhibition area of 70,000 square meters and 3,125 standard booths, up 18 percent compared to the second edition, for products relating to tea and coffee.

Tang Ke, director of the Department of Market and Economic Information at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, explained that more than 1,500 domestic exhibitors have confirmed their attendance and 176 key purchasers from 27 countries and regions, including the UK, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka and Japan, have also registered.

On the sidelines of the exhibition, an assortment of activities, such as a ministerial conference between China and Central and Eastern European countries, an international tea summit, and dialogues between domestic and foreign experts, will take place to better promote international exchange and cooperation.

Zhejiang, a major tea producer in China, will dispatch a delegation of 241 local exhibitors at this year's tea expo, showcasing the most distinctive tea products from the province, according to Cai Yuanjie, chief agronomist at Zhejiang's agriculture and rural affairs bureau.