国际英语新闻:Chinese companies light up Panama Illumination Fair

PANAMA, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 50 Chinese companies showcased their products on Thursday at the 2nd International Illumination (InterLumi) Fair here in Panama.

This three-day fair sees 151 brands from 21 countries exhibiting various kinds of lights.

Wang Jian, deputy representative of the China-Panama Commercial Development Office, told Xinhua that China is participating for the second year in a row.

It was a good opportunity to showcase China's advanced technology to Latin America, where few people use LED bulbs, he said.

Wang specified that Chinese companies have come from provinces such as Zhejiang, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Shandong, with the purpose of showcasing how sustainable lighting technology can generate important savings, with devices lasting five to 10 times longer.

He said 48 Chinese companies attended the fair this year against around 30 last year, showing the rising interest among Chinese businesses to invest in Panama after the two countries have just established diplomatic ties.

According to the Inter-American Development Bank, over 24 million people in the region have no access to electricity.