Padma Choling, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress speaks at the opening ceremony for the 3rd China-Mongolia Expo and the High-level Forum on Regional Cooperation in Northeast Asia held in Ulaanqab, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Sept 6. [Photo by Xu Lei/Xinhua]

The opening ceremony for the 3rd China-Mongolia Expo and the High-level Forum on Regional Cooperation in Northeast Asia were held in Ulaanqab, a city in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Sept 6, attracting nearly 6,000 participants from 28 countries and regions.

This year is the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mongolia. It is also the 5th anniversary of the strategic partnership between China and Mongolia.

The expo will provide an opportunity to deepen the link between China's Belt and Road Initiative and Mongolia's Development Road strategy. It will also help propel the development of the China-Russia-Mongolia Economic Corridor.

The expo is themed around developing the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor and promoting cooperation in northeast Asia. It will run for five days and include 17 activities.

This year's exhibition will cover an area of 114,000 square meters, more than twice that of the previous expo. It is the first time that Ulaanqab, Hohhot, and Tongliao have attempted to hold such activities simultaneously.