BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The China-South Asia Exposition has become an important platform for economic and trade cooperation between China and South Asian countries, Vice Minister of Commerce Li Fei said on Tuesday.

       This year's expo is set to take place from Aug. 16 to 20 in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province. The upcoming expo, the seventh since 2013, will be held fully offline this year, Li told a press conference.

       The annual trade volume between China and South Asian countries came in at under 100 billion U.S. dollars a decade ago, but the figure neared 200 billion dollars last year, representing an average annual increase of 8.3 percent, Li said.

       China has become the largest trading partner of countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives, he noted.

       Over 60 countries and regions have expressed the intention to participate in the expo so far, and nearly 1,000 enterprises are expected to attend the event. The expo will also host eight forums, including the fourth China-South Asia Cooperation Forum, and three other activities, including a signing ceremony for cooperation projects.

       This year's expo will feature the first South Asia tea festival to promote tea products and culture, and a digital platform that enables online conferencing, business discussions and the signature of agreements.