NANNING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The third Sino-ASEAN Expo will take place from October 31 to November 3 in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

    The expo will be held in tandem with the third Sino-ASEAN investment summit and a ceremony planned to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of SINO-ASEAN dialogue partnership, said Li Jinzao, an official with the organizing committee of the Sino-ASEAN Expo.

    This year's expo will feature 3,000 business booths, almost as many as the previous fair, said Zhang Xiaoqin, deputy secretary-general of the Sino-ASEAN Expo Secretariat.

    The Sino-ASEAN Expo Secretariat has been promoting the expo in ASEAN member states -- namely Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and the Philippines -- since April, and companies of ASEAN members have so far booked 700 booths. The exhibitors will be offering a wide range of products including motor vehicles and car parts, timber and wood products, rubber and related products, electronics and electrical appliances, as well as mineral products, according to Zhang.

    The Sino-ASEAN Expo, now an annual event, is co-sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the economic and trade departments in ASEAN countries, and the ASEAN Secretariat.

    The first Sino-ASEAN Expo took place on November 3-6, 2004. Enditem