GUIYANG, April 11 (Xinhua) -- More than 100 companies from 21 countries have confirmed their attendance at an incoming big data expo to be held in southwest China.

The companies from countries like the United States, Britain, Canada and Russia will attend the China International Big Data Industry Expo 2019, to be held in May in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou, according to the organizer.

This year's expo plans to have 25 forums focusing on five topics -- digital economy, technological innovation, data security and intergrated development, as well as exchange and cooperation.

Since 2015, the expo, the first of its kind in China, has been held for four times in Guiyang. Last year, the expo attracted over 40,000 participants from nearly 30 countries.

As China's first big data pilot zone, the mountainous province of Guizhou has attracted heavyweight players, including Apple, Qualcomm, Huawei, Tencent, Alibaba and Foxconn, to establish cloud computing and big data centers as well as regional headquarters.