BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China attended and organized more exhibitions in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative last year as industrial exchanges heated up.

Chinese exhibitors attended and organized 718 events in 33 countries in the regions by mid-November 2018, up 14.3 percent and involving about 26,000 Chinese firms, according to a report by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).

Machinery was one main theme of these exhibitions, the report stated.

Russia was the most popular destination for China's exhibitors, followed by India, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.

Chinese exhibitors attended and organized 1,672 overseas events during this period, up 4.89 percent year on year.

For the domestic exhibition market, CCPIT expected more industrial events this year focusing on emerging sectors like artificial intelligence, energy conservation, and new generation information technology as well as themes of regional development like the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.