Europe is second only to Asia in terms of exhibition area at the ongoing China International Import Expo (CIIE), an official said Friday.

More than 1,000 European companies are attending the second CIIE, with their exhibition area rising more than 25 percent from last year to top 120,000 square meters, Liu Fuxue, vice director of the CIIE bureau, told a press conference here.

European construction machine manufacturer Liebherr chose the CIIE as its first comprehensive expo platform, where it could fully display its businesses and engage with the public, said Armin Natter, managing director and board member of Liebherr China.

Industrial giant ABB attended the CIIE for the second time this year, putting on display technologies and products in smart manufacturing, energy, transportation and urban development.

"The CIIE creates a wide platform to promote cross-company communication and cross-boundary collaboration," said ZZ Zhang, senior vice president of ABB Group and ABB's China managing director.