CHENGDU, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- A total of 90 countries and regions sent delegations to participate in the 17th Western China International Fair (WCIF) that opened in the southwestern city of Chengdu Thursday.

The latest technology, products, and development trends in fields including artificial intelligence, military-civilian integration, intelligent manufacturing and energy conservation and environmental protection will be highlighted during the five-day event, according to the expo affairs bureau of Sichuan Province.

Italy, as the Guest Country of Honor, has reached 600 million Euros in business deals with Sichuan, according to Luigi Di Maio, deputy prime minister of Italy and minister of Economic Development, Labour and Social Policies.

He said Chengdu, an important post of the Belt and Road Initiative, and Italy, which its government regards as an important European destination of the initiative, have an even broader space for cooperation.

The expo also provided a pavilion specifically for Belt and Road cooperation, where more than 200 companies from 31 countries and regions along the Belt and Road presented their cooperation achievements with China in industrial projects, service and commodities trade, as well as their technological innovations.

Established in 2000, the WCIF, organized by China's National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has become an important platform for western China to promote investment, carry out cooperation and conduct diplomacy.