The 2000 China International Friendship Cities Exchange Exhibition and Trade Fair opened Wednesday in Beijing.

Qi Huaiyuan, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), said at the opening ceremony that with China's reform and opening up, its international friendship city activities have also seen constant development.

"Extensive and concrete cooperation is held in diverse sectors including science, technology, urban construction,environmental protection, transportation, agriculture, medical service and education," he said.

Yu Xiaosong, president of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), said that the exhibition and trade fair aims to fully exploit the advantages of China's people-to-people diplomacy and non-governmental foreign trade. "The event will help explore more opportunities for international exchanges and cooperation and will therefore push forward the opening of Chinese cities and accelerate China's social and conomic development," Yu said.