With the opening of the "cooperation gate", a symbol of joining-effort by Northeast Asia countries in development, the 5th China Jilin?Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Expo (Northeast Asia Expo for short) opened in Changchun, Jilin in the morning of September 1, 2009. With the participation of over 10,000 of business people from home and abroad, it will be a six-day Expo of all-round trade and economic cooperation and to seek business opportunities in Northeast Asia under the global financial crisis. Li Keqiang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and vice premier of the State Council was present at the opening ceremony and declared the opening. Deputy minister Chen Jian addressed the opening.

The expo has attracted 70 of Fortune 500 enterprises, and more than 100 well-known financial and investment institutions from home and abroad, 121 famous Chambers of Commerce and Associations as well as domestic famous enterprises. For purpose of a greater promotion, the Expo set up specific halls for enterprises from North Korea, Mongolia and Russia, countries in Northeast Asia, and for Taiwan. During the exhibition, a series of high-specification and high-level forums includes Summit Forum on Economic Cooperation in Northeast Asia Area will be held.

At present, financial crisis is still affecting the global economic development. In this situation, to strengthen trade and economic exchanges and join efforts to cope with crisis has become a common consensus, as well as a new theme of the expo. Secretary of Jilin Provincial Party Committee Wang Min said in the opening ceremony that through four sessions, Northeast Asia expo has become one of the greater influence fair in Northeast Asia, and Northeast Asia countries could seize the chances through the platform, seek business opportunities, achieve development for itself and realize all win, and cope with financial crisis together.

Northeast Asia Expo is a large-scale international and regional comprehensive fair at the national level, which approved by the state council, joint sponsored by Ministry of Commerce, National Development and Reform Commission and Jilin Provincial People's Government, aiming at establishing cooperation platform, creating the famous brand for business attraction, presenting image of the regional and promote common development. Since the first Northeast Asia expo held in 2005, the quantities of participants and the investment amount of contracted items have increased year by year, and the turnover of foreign trade has increased from USD 300 million to USD 475 million.