Trade fair in Xiamen to sizzle online and offline

The 21st China International Fair for Investment & Trade (CIFIT) will be held both online and offline from Sept 8 to 11 in Xiamen, Fujian province, and is bound to facilitate the smooth circulation of resources both at home and abroad, government officials said on Tuesday.

Addressing a news conference in Beijing, they said the fair will strengthen China's new dual-circulation development pattern, which has the domestic circulation as the mainstay while the local and global markets feed off each other, they said.

"This year's CIFIT features many attractive events and substantial content and is very professional," said Vice－Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative Wang Shouwen.

"It will strongly speak to China's investment environment, serve to accelerate the construction of China's new dual-circulation development pattern, and contribute to the world economic recovery and growth."

The 2021 CIFIT will have an exhibition space of 130,000 square meters and can host more than 50 events, Wang said.

Key events related to attracting foreign investment will include an international investment forum. The forum will invite high-ranking government officials, leaders of international organizations and renowned economists. It will seek to boost investment confidence and cooperation.

It will also assemble representatives of investment promotion facilities from nationwide. It will bring together city mayors and leaders of multinational corporations to focus on innovation and improving business environment.

The fair will take stock of outbound direct investment by publishing a report on Chinese enterprises' country-wise overseas presence. Seminars and similar events will brainstorm high-quality development of Chinese enterprises.

For the first time, the CIFIT will host a conference of representatives from Chinese and foreign investment promotion agencies.

It will also hold an innovation and development conference on emerging industries, and an event for China-US provincial/state-level green and low-carbon cooperation.

Guo Ningning, vice-governor of Fujian province, said this year's offline-and-online CIFIT is expected to attract more than 800 enterprise teams, more than 5,000 enterprises and more than 100,000 enterprise representatives from more than 120 countries and regions.

The online platform of the CIFIT has been refreshed and optimized for this year, to provide one-stop services for participants, based on a wide range of internet and digital tools that include mobile apps, applets or mini programs, websites and WeChat accounts, she said.