More than 450 investment and trade contracts were signed during a three-day international expo promoting the "Maritime Silk Road" in Dongguan, Guangdong province, organizers said on Sunday.

The expo brought together companies and enterprises from over 42 different countries and regions. Over 2000 exhibition booths were set up by 1,015 domestic and overseas companies.

According to expo organizers, the total value of contracts signed during the three-day period reached 174.7 billion yuan ($28.56 billion).

Of the singed contracts, 92 were engaged in the investment sector and 216 about trade. Chinese companies also signed 46 projects with their foreign counterparts to invest in overseas market.

The expo was held during Oct 31 to Nov 2 in Dongguan, a manufacturing and trade base in the booming Pearl River Delta.

"The expo will be held continuously in Dongguan in the years ahead as we have seen growing interests by countries and regions to be involved in the event, which is of great importance to boosting overall cooperation between China and its counterparts along the ancient maritime route," said Wu Jun, secretary-general of the organizing committee.

According to Wu, 42 countries and regions were involved in the expo. Twenty-five of the countries and regions are situated along the ancient maritime trade route.

The expo had 2,040 exhibition booths, from 1,015 domestic and overseas companies.