Investors and businesspeople from more than 129 countries, including African nations, trooped to Xiamen for the 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT).
The event brought together more than 1,200 government institutions, business groups and enterprises from around the world, alongside 30 international organisations, seeking new opportunities for trade and investment.
CIFIT is positioning itself as a major platform for international investment and cooperation under its permanent them of “Expanding Two-Way Investment and Promoting Global Development Together”.
The fair has a total exhibition area of 200,000 square metres, divided into 14 specialised exhibition zones, with 46 themed activities and 52 project roadshow sessions.
African countries including Uganda and Ethiopia joined exhibitors from Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America.
On September 10, African and Chinese companies explored opportunities for two-way investment and trade cooperation.
The Africa Investment Promotion Conference focused on new energy, infrastructure and cross-border trade, as a testament to the expanding economic links between China and Africa.
Businesses from both sides used the forum to identify investment opportunities and deepen cooperation in sectors critical to economic development.
Pedro Manuel Moreno, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), said connectivity between countries remained essential to continued development.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the fair, he described CIFIT as a platform that puts the principle of connectivity into practice year after year.
Moreno said China had become the world's third-largest source of outbound investment, while links between Chinese investors and developing economies had continued to deepen.
The growing cooperation has been witnessed in sectors including infrastructure, manufacturing and digital transformation.
Pundits hold that the increasing involvement of Chinese companies and investors provides opportunities for capital, technology and partnerships.
This is as countries seek to expand productive capacity and strengthen their participation in global trade.
CIFIT's three major sections, “Invest in China,” “China Investment” and “International Investment”, are designed to facilitate investment flows in both directions.
Finland and Saudi Arabia were designated the fair's ‘dual guest countries’ for the first time, while Guangdong and Qinghai have been named ‘dual guest provinces’ of China.
The participation of countries from different regions underlines the international character of the event.
It also speaks to how the fair has developed into an important meeting point for investors, governments and businesses.
CIFIT was officially upgraded to a national-level exhibition in 1997 and designated as an annual event in Xiamen.
It was formally renamed the China International Fair for Investment and Trade in 2005.
Over more than two decades, the fair has developed into an important window into China's opening-up and a platform for international investment cooperation.
It is also increasingly regarded as a barometer of two-way investment flows and changing global investment trends.
The 25th CIFIT, held last year, resulted in the signing of 1,154 investment projects, with planned total investment reaching 644 billion yuan.
This year's event comes as countries continue to seek new sources of investment, markets and partnerships amid efforts to strengthen economic recovery and cross-border trade.
The Africa Investment Promotion Conference will therefore provide a specific platform for African businesses and their Chinese counterparts to examine opportunities beyond traditional trade relations and towards greater two-way investment.
The gathering is expected to inject fresh momentum into global economic recovery while strengthening cross-border trade and economic ties.
As investment increasingly becomes central to China-Africa economic relations, platforms such as CIFIT offer African companies an opportunity to engage directly with Chinese investors and explore partnerships in emerging areas of the global economy.
