A visitor takes selfies with a staff member at the booth of Uganda during the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, June 28, 2019. The exhibition hall of the expo opened to public on Friday and Saturday. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

KAMPALA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Uganda is set to hold the first China-Uganda Industrial Capacity Cooperation Exposition scheduled for July 23-26 in the capital Kampala.

According to the organizers, although this is the first time such an exposition is held in Uganda, it will be the third in Africa after similar events were held in Kenya and Ethiopia in November and December 2018, respectively.

The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade in a statement issued here on Wednesday said the expo is expected to attract 43 enterprises from 12 provinces and cities in China seeking to explore investment opportunities in Uganda.

The exhibitors come from varied sectors which include infrastructure construction, machinery and equipment, minerals and metals, tourism and health.

Zhao Xiufen, economic and commercial counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Uganda told reporters at a news conference held ahead of the expo that Uganda in 2018 ranked third in Africa as a destination of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

She said the investment volume for the FDI from China to Uganda in 2018 was 270 million U.S. dollars.

Martin Muhangi, who represented the executive director of Uganda Investment Authority, a state agency charged with promotion of investment, said the expo provides an opportunity for the government to showcase why Uganda is the preferred investment destination.