Urumqi, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, is now in full swing preparing for next year's China-Eurasia Expo, formerly the Urumqi Foreign Economic Relations and Trade Fair.

The main structure for the new conference and exhibition center is on track to be completed next month, said Malina Jianabuer, vice director of the Xinjiang Department of Commerce. It will begin operations next May.

Also, the provincial government has filed an application to the central government to set up an administration bureau for the expo, a leading trade platform in the heart of Asia that aims to boost cross-border economic cooperation. The expo will serve as China's platform to reach out to Asia and Europe.

This year, the expo resulted in trade contracts with other countries worth US$3.6 billion. Project contracts, including domestic ones, reached 126 billion yuan, covering a broad array of industries, including mining, crude oil processing, construction and tourism.