The 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) is set to take place from September 8 to 11 in Xiamen, Fujian Province, with preparations now largely complete, Ling Ji, Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative, announced on August 25. 

This year’s edition will for the first time have two guest countries, Finland and Saudi Arabia, Ling told a press conference. “This underscores the fair’s growing international appeal and its distinctive role in facilitating two-way investment,” he said. 

China is Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade exceeding $100 billion for four consecutive years. China is Finland’s largest trading partner in Asia and its fourth largest globally. Last year, bilateral trade exceeded $8 billion. 

According to Ling, Saudi Arabia will send a large economic delegation to CIFIT for the first time.  

Ling also introduced that the fair has so far drawn delegations from 123 countries and regions, with 60 set to take part as exhibitors. The exhibition area at this year’s fair will cover 200,000 square meters. The fair is going to feature 14 specialized zones spanning three major sections known as “Invest in China,” “Chinese investment” and “International investment.”  

Foreign firms and business associations have also shown strong interest in attending, he added. 

Foreign investors now look beyond merely labor and land costs, placing greater weight on China’s industrial ecosystem, infrastructure, access to green power and computing capacity, he added. 

Ling said this year’s CIFIT will have a stronger focus on two-way investment, with events for multinational companies, investment trends and supply-chain cooperation. Financial participation has doubled, with 140 leading institutions and listed companies attending and more than 70 Chinese and foreign banks providing cross-border financial services. 

Digital and smart technologies will be integrated throughout the event, while AI and green companies will showcase cutting-edge technologies and projects, he noted. 

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson 

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