The opening ceremony of the 2012 China (Guizhou) International Alcoholic Beverages Expo is held at the Guiyang International Conference and Exhibition Center in Guiyang, Guizhou Province Sunday morning, September 9, 2012. [Photo by Xie Fang / China Daily]

The opening ceremony of the 2012 China (Guizhou) International Alcoholic Beverages Expo was held Sunday morning at the Guiyang International Conference and Exhibition Center in Guiyang, provincial capital of Guizhou in Southwest China.

Major manufacturers and traders from countries like France, Italy, Australia, the US, England, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, Korea and Japan were invited to this year's event.

Over 300 overseas enterprises and 600 domestic enterprises have set up exposition booths in the trade fair, and 5,100 purchasers are expected to attend the expo.

Zhao Kezhi, Secretary of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee and governor of the province addressed the ceremony.

Other participants include representatives from nine foreign embassies to China, six international sister provinces or states of Guizhou.and delegations of 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities on the Chinese mainland, as well as Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

This year's event was co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and the Guizhou provincial government.

According to a telephone conference on August 27, this year's contracted investment is expected to surpass 100 billion yuan ($15.77 billion).