Visitors sample coffee from different countries at the first International Coffee Expo in Qingtian county. [Photo/lsnews.com.cn]

At the 3rd Overseas Chinese Imported Commodities Expo which was held from Nov 14 to 16 at Qingtian Imported Commodity City, in Qingtian county – administered by Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province – the International Coffee Expo was also held there for the first time, according to the organizers.

About 330,000 overseas Chinese from Qingtian live in more than 120 countries and regions all over the world.

Local officials said over the years, overseas Chinese have brought coffee beans, coffee machines and coffee pots to Qingtian, establishing a thriving coffee culture in Qingtian.

This year's coffee expo attracted the participation of a number of international top brand companies, the representatives of 20 coffee-producing countries and nearly 100 domestic and foreign coffee enterprises.

A senior executive of Brazil IEST Import and Export Co Ltd said on Nov 16 that his group had come to the expo after attending the China International Import Expo in Shanghai and it had signed many preliminary contracts in two days.

He said his company had brought raw beans, cooked beans and coffee drinks from Costa Rica, Jamaica, Colombia and other famous coffee bean-producing areas.

"We hope to have in-depth exchanges and cooperation with coffee enterprises in Qingtian to further promote the coffee culture," he added.

Local officials said coffee has become a bridge linking Qingtian with the world.