The 2013 Agriculture & Food Expo Harbin and the sixth Beidahuang International Agriculture Machinery Exhibition of Heilongjiang, China, opened at the Harbin International Conference, Exhibition and Sport Center on Sept 5. On the evening of Sept 4, a reception was held by the Harbin government to welcome friends and guests from home and abroad.

At the reception, Song Xibin, mayor and deputy secretary of the Harbin Party committee, made an opening speech. Deputy Mayor Zhang Wanping and other city leaders attended. Delegation and enterprise representatives from over 20 countries and regions, like the USA, Germany, Italy and France, and from over 20 provinces at home also joined. Other guests included the mayor of the Belgian province of Luxembourg; a delegate of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to China; principal of the Agriculture, Food and Fodder Department of the Embassy of Spain to China; vice-president of Koelnmesse China; and president of Huahong Holding Group Co.

In the speech, Song extended a warm welcome on behalf of the Harbin Party committee and the government. “We feel happy to host the two long-expected expos. Harbin boasts favorable natural conditions for cultivation. As its agricultural comprehensive reform demonstration zone has become a national strategic priority, the agricultural development of Harbin faces a rare opportunity. Entrepreneurs and investors are welcomed to Harbin,” he said.

Harbin has a big agricultural market and is an important national commodity grain base. It provides the expo with solid support in terms of related markets and resources. The Agriculture & Food Expo Harbin is working hard to become the largest agricultural cooperation and exchange platform in Asia in three to five years, and a first-class agricultural gathering in the world in five to eight years.