World manufacturing convention to take place in fast-growing province

China will open the 2025 World Manufacturing Convention on Saturday in Hefei, capital of Anhui province, positioning the inland manufacturing hub as a window for global investment and industrial cooperation.

The four-day event, running from Saturday to Tuesday, is co-hosted by the Anhui provincial government and several industry associations. It will feature opening addresses, keynote speeches, project signings and exhibitions highlighting achievements in China's industrial upgrading.

Since its launch in 2018, the WMC has grown into one of China's flagship international gatherings for industry. More than 40,000 guests from dozens of countries and regions have attended seven previous editions, leading to 4,326 signed projects worth 1.2 trillion yuan ($165 billion), according to official data.

China's top leadership also sent a congratulatory letter to the convention in 2019, urging it to build international influence and promote higher-level openness in China's industrial sector.

Organizers said the 2025 edition, will welcome foreign political leaders, ministerial-level officials, diplomats, executives from world-leading companies, and representatives of international organizations and business associations.

A packed agenda includes supply chain matchmaking, forums on the digital transformation of manufacturing, cooperation meetings for small and medium-sized enterprises, and sessions on frontier industries such as artificial intelligence, low-altitude economy and advanced photovoltaics.

The convention will also release the 2025 China Top 500 Manufacturing Enterprises list and other industry rankings and reports, alongside the signing of major investment projects with State-owned enterprises, private firms and foreign companies.

"The WMC has become an important bridge connecting Chinese manufacturing with the world," said Chang Yejun, deputy secretary-general of the Anhui provincial government, adding that this year's convention would "deepen international exchanges and expand opportunities for cooperation in emerging sectors".

For Anhui, hosting the WMC is also about presenting its transformation from a province once known for coal and agriculture into one of China's fastest-rising industrial and innovation clusters.

The province's economy grew 5.8 percent in 2024 to 5.06 trillion yuan, with industrial output up 9 percent and exports up 7.4 percent. In the first half of 2025, exports surged another 15.2 percent year-on-year, driven by automobiles and high-tech goods.

Hefei, the host city, is home to the University of Science and Technology of China and over a dozen national-level scientific facilities, ranging from quantum communication networks to experimental nuclear fusion reactors. The city has also become a hub for electric vehicles, semiconductors and robotics.

The WMC's exhibitions will showcase Chinese manufacturing under the country's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), from large-scale equipment and green manufacturing to international cooperation projects. An immersive online exhibition will run in parallel, offering a cloud-based viewing experience.

Specialized events will also focus on topics such as digital transformation, intellectual property protection in manufacturing, and collaboration with German SMEs. A low-altitude economy forum will highlight China's push into drones and air mobility.