SHENZHEN -- The 22nd China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF) kicked off on Wednesday in southern China's tech hub Shenzhen, with more than 3,300 exhibitors from home and abroad participating both online or offline and showcasing some 10,000 mind-boggling technology products.

Themed "Transforming the Future with Technology and Driving Development with Innovation," this year's CHTF will display the latest achievements of biomedicine, smart medicare, online education, and other emerging industries. It will also showcase new types of businesses empowered by 5G, smart sensing, mobile payment, blockchain, and shared manufacturing.

A total of 53 countries and international organizations are participating in online and offline exhibitions. Luxembourg, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Uruguay are attending the CHTF for the first time.

Shenzhen-based self-driving startup DeepRoute.ai brought to the fair its "robotaxi" vehicle, co-developed with China's second-largest carmaker Dongfeng Motor Corp. It has started trial operations in the city of Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province.

Liu Nianqiu, vice-president of DeepRoute.ai, said the CHTF provides opportunities to the company to not only introduce its latest products but also find upstream suppliers and downstream customers.

Debuted in 1999, the CHTF is co-hosted annually in Shenzhen by ministries and commissions of the national government and the Shenzhen municipal government.

As one of the largest and most influential sci-tech fairs in China, the CHTF has played an active role in enhancing sci-tech innovation and driving economic development. This year's fair will last until Nov 15.