China Engineering and Technology Expo opened here on Monday, the first of its kind sponsored in North America by the Chinese government.

The expo aims to showcase the strength and competitive advantage of the Chinese companies in such fields as infrastructure, communication, water power and mining and to provide a platform for them to explore the possibilities of cooperating with their potential Canadian partners under Canada's Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative, Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Chen Jian said at the opening ceremony.

As the governments and enterprises of both countries have shown strong interest in cooperation, the expo will surely serve as an opportunity for deepening bilateral ties, he added.

For her part, Canadian Senator Yonah Martin said the fact that the first ever China Engineering Exhibition opened in Vancouver highlighted the importance of bilateral economic relations. She expressed the hope that the gateway initiative would bring more opportunities to the cooperation between companies of the two countries.

Some 36 leading Chinese companies participated in the expo.

The Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative was designed to upgrade transportation infrastructure in Canada's western provinces. It aimed to facilitate business growth and foreign investment in the country.