The 13th China (Guangrao) International Rubber Tire and Auto Accessory Exhibition kicks off in Dongying of Shandong province on May 15. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

A key platform for technical exchange and trade cooperation in the global rubber tire industry, the 13th China (Guangrao) International Rubber Tire & Auto Accessory Exhibition kicked off in Dongying of Shandong province on May 15.

Themed "Pooling the Power of the Industrial Chain and Constructing a New Development Pattern", this year's event featured a multitude of top-notch products, advanced technologies and services.

An array of offline and online activities, including an opening ceremony, forums, brand promotions and news conferences, were held during the event, which had six exhibition areas displaying six major types of products: tires, wheels, rubber machinery, raw materials, auto maintenance and auto parts. The exhibition also showcased a bevy of high-tech products.

Foreign businessmen negotiate a tie-up with a local company at the event. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

Covering 48,000 square meters, this edition of the exhibition was the largest in its history. Some 750 enterprises, including Goodyear, Michelin and Dunlop, 50 Fortune Global 500 companies, 800 foreign businessmen and 20,000 visitors, attended the event.

Eight hundred companies participated in the online segment of the exhibition, an increase of 15 percent compared with the previous year. The exhibition also had a special e-commerce zone that featured well-known companies like Alibaba, JD and eBay. 

Seven high-level forums focused on hot topics such as new material, trade policy, city promotion, industrial development, international trade, talent introduction and technological innovation were held during the exhibition.

The exhibition attracts participants from home and abroad. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]  

The exhibition had also launched a series of overseas promotional activities in Russia, where Chinese companies, including Double Star and Jinyu Tires, had negotiations with more than 30 Russian companies and purchasers.

Guangrao is currently one of the biggest tire hubs in China. In 2022, the total industrial output of the rubber tire industry in the county was 33.77 billion yuan. Six enterprises in the county have been listed among the world's top 75 tire companies.