Participants seen at the Fourth Linyi Trade City International Sourcing Conference, which opened on Wednesday in Linyi, Shandong province. SUN YUNHE/FOR CHINA DAILY

The Fourth Linyi Trade City International Sourcing Conference opened on Wednesday in Linyi, Shandong province, bringing together more than 2,000 international buyers and sourcing agents from over 110 countries and regions for a three-day sourcing event.

Walking through the exhibition halls, visitors encountered a diverse display of Linyi's manufacturing strengths, from home furnishings and hardware to agricultural products and traditional handicrafts.

A booth draped in rustic coarse cloth stood out, its handmade cloth shoes, shirts and tiger-head hats drawing both domestic and international buyers to reach out and feel the textured fabric.

Zheng Guangyun, 58, a native of Yinan county in Linyi, began learning weaving and needlework from her mother at 13 and has devoted more than four decades to the traditional craft of old coarse cloth. Her products are sold across China and exported to more than a dozen countries, including Malaysia, a market she entered in 2024.

"I'd like to take advantage of this event, which brings together global buyers, to let more overseas merchants see our local old coarse cloth," said Zheng.

Matrade, Malaysia's national trade promotion organization, has a delegation of over 100 representatives from 80 Malaysian companies attending the conference.

"Shandong's strengths in manufacturing, agriculture and industry provide a strong foundation for further cooperation," said Niqman Rafaee Mohd Sahar, trade commissioner of Malaysia to China.

"Linyi's established wholesale markets, sourcing capabilities and logistics networks connect producers with buyers across China and overseas," he said.

As a leading commercial city with a top-tier market cluster and logistics hub, Linyi is deepening its internationalization and digital transformation to build a globally influential distribution center for international goods and an international logistics hub.

The international selection center, officially opened on Sept 28, now hosts 347 quality enterprises, backed by the city's 136 specialized wholesale markets and 46,000 merchants. Worldwide trade is backed by Linyi's logistics strengths. The city's comprehensive logistics costs are 30 percent lower than the national average. China-Europe freight trains from the city reach 14 European countries and its logistics network covers over 220 countries and regions worldwide.