China's Commerce ministry says $71 billion in deals inked at CIIE

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Commerce ministry said on Sunday that deals worth $71.13 billion were agreed at the second China International Import Expo (CIIE), up 23% on last year.

The ministry said on its website that 32% of the deals were in manufacturing and 25% from the wholesale and retail industry.

The week-long CIIE in Shanghai, which closed on Sunday, is the brainchild of Chinese President Xi Jinping and is aimed at showing the country's openness to importing foreign goods.

(Reporting by Shivani Singh and Cheng Leng in Beijing; editing by Richard Pullin)