Sponsored by nine provinces and cities in East China, the most developed region in China, the fair has been a measure of the region's economic expansion, highlighting the region's strongest industries including textiles and garments. Over the past nine years it has secured a total transaction volume of $15.587 billion, boosting the country's exports.

Last year, the fair was sponsored by Shanghai, Nanjing and Ningbo cities together with Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangxi and Fujian provinces. In the same year, these sponsors accounted for 40 per cent of the national GDP, or 35.5 per cent of the nation's total trade and 45 per cent of foreign investment coming into the country was channelled into these developed areas.

On average, enterprises from 26 provinces and regions across the country (one year the number was as high as 37) attend the event.

"The fair has helped wealthy East China to set up close business links with western China which is vast but poorer, bridging the gap and advancing the whole economy and social progress as well," said a spokeswoman for the organizing committee.

Foreign enterprises, first admitted as exhibitors last year, are also participating. Exhibitors from the US, Japan, France, Germany, UK and other regions around the world have signed up.

In the first eight fairs, about 60,000 people from 130 countries and regions have come to the fair.

Stands for foreign businesses at this year's fair have all already been leased out but the organizing committee has said it is still being flooded with calls to join the fair from the global business community.

To increase its global accessibility, organizers have linked the trade fair with the Internet.

"On-line trading can open up opportunities for many enterprises who can't attend the fair," the spokeswomen said.

The organizing committee has made deals with many global portals such as America Online, Central Europe, Trade Channel in the Netherlands and Global Resource. It also opened a homepage in a local portal - www.shanghai-window.com - to promote the fair.

A website of its own - www.east-china-fair.com - has been set up which catalogues names and contact addresses of all exhibitors on-line.

The organizing committee sends a special team every year to certain foreign countries to publicize the fair. This year the team will tour North America following last year's successful tour of South America.

Organizers say they are constantly updating the fair to keep pace with international developments. They say future fairs will feature more high-tech industries and that a new exhibition hall will be specially built to accommodate the annual event.