XI'AN, May 16 -- A China-Central Asia business council will be established to strengthen economic cooperation between the two sides, an official said Tuesday.

The inauguration ceremony of the business council will be held here Friday during the China-Central Asia Summit running from Thursday to Friday, Yang Xiaojun, an official of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, told a press conference.

The event is expected to gather more than 400 representatives from industry associations and businesses, covering major cooperation areas including energy, construction, logistics, food, information and communications.