BEIJING -- The second China-Arab States Expo will be held in Yinchuan, capital of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, from Sept 10 to 13, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) announced on Monday.

The expo, themed "Spread Silk Road Spirit, Deepen China-Arab Cooperation," will be jointly hosted by the MOC, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Ningxia regional government.

The biennial event is designed as a platform for economic and financial cooperation as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Jordan will be invited as the guest country of honor.

With strong cultural ties to Arab states, Ningxia is home to more than 10 percent of China's 20 million Muslims. In 2014, trade between China and Arab states grew 5.2 percent to $251.2 billion.