Antwerp diamond companies will be showing for the first time at this year's China International Jewellery Fair, to be held in Beijing from November 11-15, news outlets report.

A total of 13 members of Antwerp's diamond trade will be showing at the pavilion, organized by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), including major firms such as AS Diamonds, Antwerp Diamond Partners, and Fima Diamonds.

AWDC CEO Freddy J. Hanard said that the international diamond industry understood that China was poised to become one of the world's biggest markets for diamonds, and noted that China's economic progress was creating "continuously growing demand for diamond jewelry."

Hanard stressed that Belgian diamond firms must form contacts and business ties in China.