Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong province, will host the first Japan (Shandong) Imported Commodity Expo from Aug 13 to 16, local media reported.

Officials detailed the reasons Jinan was chosen as the host city of the international event at a news conference on July 27, which included the city's economic strength, regional advantages, and trade cooperation.

Jinan has seen rapid economic development in recent years. In 2020, the city's GDP hit 1.01 trillion yuan ($155.3 billion), making it a member of China's one-trillion-yuan GDP club. The added value of industries above designated size increased by 12.2 percent and the city's foreign trade value amounted to 138.27 billion yuan, up 23 percent year-on-year.

Jinan is an important city in the Baohai Rim Region and the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, connecting the Beijing Economic Circle and Yangtze River Delta. The city's high-speed highway network links it with 254 cities across China. The Jinan international airport has 204 airlines to 120 cities across the world.

Jinan has a long history of economic and trade cooperation with Japan, while Japan is Shandong's fifth largest trade partner and third largest source of foreign investment. As the provincial capital, Jinan has established close ties with Japan. With the expo, the two sides will strengthen cooperation in more fields.