15th China-Northeast Asia Expo to open on Aug. 27

The 15th China-Northeast Asia Expo will be held in Changchun City of northeast China's Jilin Province from August 27 to 31, the Ministry of Commerce announced on Tuesday.

A key highlight of this expo will be the presence of a first-ever modern industries pavilion, featuring leading firms, including Fortune 500 companies, said Yang Andi, vice governor of Jilin, at a press conference in Beijing. The pavilion will spotlight the transformation of traditional industries through smart and green upgrades, achievements in new quality productive forces, and the development of collaborative innovation ecosystems.

"So far, more than 8,000 business representatives from 42 countries and regions around the world as well as from 27 of the 31 provincial-level regions in the Chinese mainland have confirmed their participation in the expo. Up to now, 2,796 exhibition booths have been confirmed, completing 80 percent of the exhibition preparation work," Yang said.

Highlighting the importance of the expo, Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong told the press conference that Northeast Asian countries share geographical proximity, cultural bonds and strong commercial ties, with complementary strengths in resources and enormous potential for regional economic cooperation.

Yan noted that practical cooperation between China and other Northeast Asian countries has deepened across various fields, maintaining positive momentum in economic and trade exchanges.

Trade between China and the other five Northeast Asian countries reached 901.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, up 1.6 percent year on year, accounting for nearly 15 percent of China's overall foreign trade. China has maintained its position as the largest trading partner to all five Northeast Asian countries, with the Republic of Korea and Japan ranking as its second and third-largest trading partners, respectively.

"Two-way investment between China and the five countries in Northeast Asia exceeded 7 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, with cooperation expanding into emerging fields including the digital economy, green development, advanced manufacturing and modern services," Yan said.

The expo, jointly organized by the Ministry of Commerce, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and the Jilin provincial government, marks its 20th anniversary this year. It remains the world's only comprehensive international expo jointly attended by all six Northeast Asian countries and open to participants from around the globe.

15th China-Northeast Asia Expo to open on Aug. 27

Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.

In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.

"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.

Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.

Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.

"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.

Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.

Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.

"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.

Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela