ATHENS - Greek enterprises are gearing up to participate in the first China International Import Expo (CIIE), which will take place in Shanghai from Nov 5-10, officials and business representatives said here Thursday.

Companies interested in entering the Chinese market attended a presentation on the CIIE at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get information about the event and explore business opportunities with the support of the Greek and Chinese governments.

Created to serve as a platform for the promotion of global trade, the first CIIE is expected to attract about 150,000 buyers from China and across the world.

More than 1,300 companies from over 120 countries and regions, including Fortune 500 companies, have already registered for the event.

With China-Greece ties advancing rapidly in recent years, it was time to launch a big campaign to introduce more Greek products to the Chinese market, Stergios Pitsiorlas, Greece's deputy economy and development minister, said. The November expo is an enormous chance for Greece, he added.

Elias Athanasiou, CEO of Enterprise Greece, which organized Thursday's presentation, said Greece's participation in the expo in one of the largest and greatest markets in the world represents a challenge. Greek companies have to highlight the added value they can offer with high quality products and services.

Li Feng, economic and commercial counselor at the Chinese embassy in Greece, said the CIIE is the first national expo in the world to focus on imports. Products and services with strength, their own characteristics and competitiveness are welcome in China's vast market of 1.3 billion consumers, Li added.