Visitors are seen at the booth of China Merchants Group during the 2023 China Marine Economy Expo (CMEE) in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Nov. 23, 2023. The 2023 CMEE under the theme of "Open Cooperation and Win-win Sharing" kicked off in Shenzhen on Thursday. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

SHENZHEN, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- The 2023 China Marine Economy Expo kicked off on Thursday in south China's Shenzhen Municipality, showcasing China's latest achievements, cutting-edge science and technology, and international cooperation in the marine industry.

On the theme of "Open Cooperation and Win-win Sharing," the three-day expo will attract the offline participation of 658 enterprises, institutions and organizations in the marine field from 16 countries and regions, marking a year-on-year increase of more than 60 percent.

Covering a record area of 112,500 square meters, this year's expo also displays innovative application scenarios and new technologies and products in sectors such as ocean engineering and marine electronic information.

The expo will also hold more than 20 professional forums, during which more than 200 global guests from the arenas of politics, academia and business will hold offline discussions on marine science and technology, marine industry, ports and shipping, marine civilization, ocean governance, and other topics.

Signe Brudeset, Norwegian Ambassador to China and Mongolia, attended the expo's opening ceremony. She said that China is one of Norway's largest trading partners in Asia, and the expo provides a good platform for many Norwegian companies to contact their Chinese counterparts and enhance exchanges and cooperation, to promote bilateral trade between Norway and China.