CHENGDU -- The 12th World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention (WCEC) opened Wednesday in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, under the theme "China's development and opportunities for overseas Chinese entrepreneurs".

The biennial event, an important platform for exchange between overseas Chinese entrepreneurs, was initiated by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 1991.

Previous events have been hosted in countries around the globe, including Singapore, Thailand, Canada, Australia and Japan, while the last Chinese city to host the event was Nanjing in East China, which hosted the event in 2001.

This year's convention has attracted more than 3,000 overseas Chinese entrepreneurs from over 100 countries, the event's organizing committee said.

During the two-day convention, more than 100 invited guests from the government, business and academics will join discussions on 15 topics such as transnational development of Chinese enterprises and opportunities in development of China's western region.