A tuna on display at the 2017 CMEE attracts the attention of vistors. [Photo/Zhanjiang Daily]

An upgraded version of the China Marine Economy Expo (CMEE) is scheduled to return to Zhanjiang in November. With the addition of a maritime defense exhibition, the event is expected to attract more military enterprises this year.

There are still something that will remain unchanged though.  In view of the warm response and success achieved in 2017, the expo will continue to choose State-owned and Fortune Global 500 companies as its major partners. China Foreign Trade Centre, organizer of the China Import and Export Fair, will provide quality management and services for the expo as it did last year.

The news of the return was revealed at a preparatory conference for the CMEE recently hosted by the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) and Guangdong Provincial Government.

The Organizing Committee of the China Marine Economy Expo briefed the overall planning, operations and preparations at the conference. Discussions around the exhibition contents and responsibilities of different units were also resolved.

According to Shen Jun, former deputy chief of SOA Department of Strategic Planning and Economy, CMEE is a major economic and trade platform that can help strengthen global exchange and cooperation within the marine sector. SOA will give full support to the expo to help make it better than ever.

The next stage of planning will focus on details and intricacies, where the duties of each coordinated organization will be clarified under the guidance of SOA, said Gan Zhengmeng, deputy director of Guangdong Provincial Government Office.

CMEE is the only State-level comprehensive marine-themed expo in China, which has been held annually in Zhanjiang since 2014. It aims to showcase the latest in maritime achievements and to globally promote marine industries.

In 2017, the expo attracted more than 3,200 exhibitors from 63 countries and regions including Britain, Germany, Norway and Russia. Over 90 billion yuan ($13.6 billion) in deals and intents of cooperation were agreed on, an two-fold increase in comparison to 2016 statistics.

More than 3,200 exhibitors from 63 countries and regions attend the 2017 CMEE. [Photo/Zhanjiang Daily]