BEIJING - China hosted 1,807 economic and trade exhibitions with a total exhibition area of 55.76 million square meters in 2022, according to a report on the country's convention and exhibition industry.

The report, released by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, pointed out major exhibitions, including the China International Import Expo, the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair), the China International Fair for Trade in Services, and the China International Consumer Products Expo, have built international cooperation platforms for countries to share opportunities and expand exchanges.

There were 758 exhibitions in eastern China and 373 in southern China, accounting for 41.9 percent and 20.6 percent of the national total, respectively.

A total of 755 exhibitions in the light industry took place last year, said the report, adding that these exhibitions in sectors including food, beverage, tobacco and alcohol, furniture, woodworking machinery, and building materials ranked first in terms of the number and the area.

In 2022, the council organized 13 overseas exhibitions, including 12 online and one offline, with the intended deal volumes surpassing $70 million.

With the recovery of China's economy, the exhibition themed on the promotion of traditional consumption, the development of service consumption, the cultivation of new consumption, and the advocacy of green and low-carbon consumption will achieve rapid growth, according to the council.