The China International Import Expo starts the trial operation of the Online Country Exhibition on Wednesday. [Photo by Xing Yi /chinadaily.com.cn]

The China International Import Expo started the trial operation of the Online Country Exhibition on Wednesday.

Around 100 municipal officials and foreign diplomats attended the launch ceremony in Shanghai.

Liu Fuxue, deputy director general of the CIIE Bureau, said that the online exhibition has adopted technologies such as 3D modeling and multimedia to build digital pavilions of the participating countries to showcase their economic development and cultural highlights.

"It will allow Chinese people to tour the world at home, and promote cultural exchanges between countries," he said.

The online exhibition can be accessed through the official website of the CIIE (country.ciie.org). The pavilions of 20 countries, including Italy, Turkey and Chile, have already been opened to the public.