Ahead of November's Sino-European Union (EU) investment and trade fair a team of EU officials arrived?today in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, to meet with local organizers and local enterprises.

The trade fair, being held on November 9-10 this year, will be the biggest of its kind in the history of Sino-EU economic cooperation.

During their stay in Chengdu on Wednesday and Thursday the group from the 25 EU member states will meet with the committee organizing the trade fair.

Around 400 businesses from the 25 EU member states and 500 Chinese enterprises are expected to participate. So far 742 Chinese enterprises have applied to attend.?

The event aims to broaden understanding between Chinese and European entrepreneurs and provide a forum to explore each other's markets, an official with the organizing committee said.

The 2006 Sino-EU trade fair is jointly sponsored by the European Commission, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Sichuan provincial government.

(Xinhua News Agency April 25, 2006)