The expo, which is jointly sponsored by China's Ministry of Commerce and the People's Government of Hunan Province, will take place in Changsha, capital of Hunan Province in June.

Under the theme of Win-Win Cooperation for Closer China-Africa Economic and Trade Partnership, the expo will focus on trade and investment promotion, agriculture, technology, energy and power, joint industrial parks, infrastructure as well as financing cooperation.

Changsha will become a hive of activity during the three-day expo as African dignitaries, diplomats, governors and mayors, along with representatives from international organizations, financial institutions, chambers of commerce, buyers, exhibitors and specialist scholars, will all make their way to the event.

Speaking at the Open Day event of the Hunan Delegation at the Second Session of the 13th National People's Congress on March 7, Hunan Governor Xu Dazhe highlighted the long standing relationship between the people of Hunan and Africa.

"Everything is ready for Hunan to host this important expo. It is an opportunity for African nations to bring products to China and to expose them to a wide audience. Chinese people will also exhibit different products for exchange purposes," said Xu.

He said Hunan would also be showcasing a range of new technologies and solutions for the benefit of the African exhibitors.

Namibian Ambassador to China Elia Kaiyamo told ChinAfrica that he looks forward to the event and welcomed it, stressing the need for African countries to grab this opportunity with both hands and maximize the platform.

"We have informed the [Hunan] government that we will be sending officials from Namibia to the expo and we hope to also have the opportunity to have some exhibitors," said Kaiyamo adding that the expo is important for Sino-African relations.