BEIJING — The second China International Digital Economy Expo will be held from Oct 11 to 13 in Shijiazhuang, North China's Hebei province.

The expo, co-sponsored by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Hebei provincial government, is China's only national-level exposition dedicated to the digital economy.

Over 500 enterprises will be attracted to five exhibition areas highlighting the digital economy's role in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development, new-generation information technology, intelligent manufacturing and smart society.

The expo will include a series of forums and provide a platform for signing cooperation projects. Visitors can also experience intelligent self-driving automobiles at the event.

In 2018, China's digital economy reached 31.3 trillion yuan (about $4.4 trillion), accounting for 34.8 percent of the country's GDP and contributing 67.9 percent of GDP growth, according to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.