One of three Chinese pavilions inside the Milan World Expo site, the China Corporate United Pavilion has attracted more than 200 Chinese companies to showcase their achievements and seek cooperation with foreign counterparts.

Managers of the China Corporate United Pavilion say it showcases a wide range of Chinese companies, both state-run and private ones, covering areas such as aviation technology, deep-sea oil drilling, high-speed trains and daily necessity brands. They will all show off their products at the Expo under the theme “China Seeds”.

“Seeds indicate growth and companies’ vitality even during the difficult times. And China is a country with a large population who need crops to feed themselves. Our ambassador is Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice. So we think ‘China Seeds’ is the most appropriate to represent Chinese companies,” said Huang Yaocheng, deputy director of executive committee of CCUP.

The government of Shaanxi province will host a five-day Chinese cultural arts festival at the Milan Expo, featuring cultural activities and forums. It aims to promote China’s the Belt and Road Initiative, by linking Xi’an and Italy, the two end points of the ancient Silk Road.

“The festival will showcase the culinary culture, the tourism resources and cultural activities like dancing shows from the Han and Tang dynasties and traditional songs of north Shaanxi province. We want to show the spirit of the ancient Silk Road,” said Cheng Li, chairman of Xi’an Chuanxin Culture.

Pavilion managers have set up a competition to design products based on its mascots — Spero and Seme.