More than 1,000 companies have signed exhibition contracts with the organizer of the third China International Import Expo in Shanghai so far this year, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday. 

Under these deals, nearly 60 percent of the expo venue's exhibition area has already been booked, said Gao Feng, the spokesman at the Ministry of Commerce. 

Among them, the planned exhibition area of the medical device and healthcare exhibition zone has doubled from the second CIIE. The site will be occupied by pharmaceutical companies, healthy food and pension service providers, and medical device and nutrition product manufacturers. 

At present, more than 80 percent of the exhibition area in this zone has been taken.

A number of firms will demonstrate products, including an extracorporeal membrane lung oxygenation machine, non-invasive respirator, infrared thermometers and other epidemic prevention equipment, according to the ministry. 

Gao said the ministry will continue to innovate its working methods to organize and prepare the third CIIE, as well as further promote the expo's role as a major platform for international trade, investment promotion, cultural exchange and open cooperation.