The 10th China International Fair for Investment and Trade
(CIFIT), scheduled to be held in Xiamen, Fujian Province, from September 8 to 11 will
welcome more high-level participants from international
organizations than last year, Huang Ling, vice mayor of Xiamen,
told journalists on June 22.
To date, some 131 firms from 52 countries have registered their
attendance and will be sending a delegation to the fair. Over 30
firms from 30 countries will participate in the exhibition. Booths
for this year's fair will have a combined area of 1,600 square
meters. The 9th CIFIT last year had a booth area of 1,215 square
meters.
Several Chinese cities also belong to a program called Chinese
Friendship Cities' Investment and Cooperation. To further promote
exchange and cooperation between these "friendship cities", a forum
on the subject will be held during the fair.
In addition, each day of the fair will feature a
country-specific exhibition. Germany, Nigeria, the Philippines, the
Netherlands, and Canada have expressed interest in taking part.
Huang also announced that ministerial and business leaders in
the gasoline and public health sectors, provincial heads and
governors, and ambassadors and consuls to China are expected to
attend the fair.
Besides showcasing and introducing Chinese investment
environment and policies and business invitation projects, CIFIT is
a platform for investment projects. “To better display the role of
such a platform is to consolidate the base for the fair, which we
want to develop into an international investment expo,” Huang
said.
Since its inception, the fair has successfully initiated 22,911
domestic and 1,426 overseas business invitation projects.
CIFIT is held annually in Xiamen and is sponsored by the Chinese
Ministry of Commerce and co-sponsored by United Nations Conference
on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), World Association of Investment
Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), United Nations Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO), and International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Organized by the Fujian provincial government and Xiamen municipal
government, the main patron of the event is the Organization for
Economic Corporation and Development (OECD).
CIFIT is country's sole international investment promotion event
that focuses on foreign direct investment (FDI). Themed,
"Introducing FDI and Going Global", CIFIT's main features include
national and international trade development, investment
negotiation and investment policy promotion, coordinated national
and regional economic development, and economic and trade exchange
across the Taiwan Straits.
CIFIT consists of three segments: an investment and trade
exhibition, an international investment forum, and seminars on hot
investment issues and project matchmaking.
(China.org.cn by staff reporter Zhang Tingting, June 26,
2006)
