The 25th China International Fair for Investment and Trade will be held in Xiamen, Fujian Province from September 8th to 11th. As the only national level major exhibition in China with investment as its theme, what are the highlights of this year's Investment Fair? What investment opportunities will it bring? The State Council Information Office held a press conference on August 26 to introduce relevant information and respond to external concerns. "A successful CIFIT is conducive to promoting international cooperation in the production and supply chain, and is of great significance in promoting high-level opening up and high-quality joint construction of the the Belt and Road. ”Ling Ji, Deputy Minister of Commerce and Deputy Representative for International Trade Negotiations, said. He introduced that the theme of this year's Investment Fair is "Joining Hands with China to Invest in the Future", focusing on the three major sectors of "Investing in China", "Chinese Investment" and "International Investment", with an exhibition area of about 120000 square meters. More than 70 investment themed activities and over 100 themed roadshows will be held. Specifically, the "Invest in China" campaign is rich in content. At present, nearly a hundred multinational corporations' headquarters and regional executives from energy, chemical, agricultural, pharmaceutical, intelligent manufacturing and other fields, as well as heads of several sovereign wealth funds and international investment institutions, have confirmed their attendance. There are also over a hundred hidden champion companies from Europe and Asia participating. Innovatively building a 'China Investment' platform. The "China Investment" exhibition area has three major zones: foreign investment cooperation, overseas comprehensive services, and Silk Road maritime transportation, showcasing the investment cooperation achievements and landmark projects of Chinese enterprises around the world, and promoting international cooperation in the production and supply chain. The Ministry of Commerce will organize multiple chambers of commerce to release the China Outbound Investment Activity Index for the first time. International investment is more attractive. At present, delegations from over 110 countries and regions, as well as international organizations, have registered to attend the conference, and 51 countries and regions have set up exhibitions. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development will hold the Future Investment Conference at the same time, and international organizations such as the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies and the BRICS New Development Bank will hold thematic seminars at the same time. Vice Governor of Fujian Province, Wang Jinfu, said that this year's exhibition will focus on the forefront of the industry, setting up exhibition areas for new quality productivity, specialized and innovative enterprises, and international cooperation. Interactive spaces such as intelligent robot exhibition areas and low altitude flight simulation areas will be created. Currently, more than 140 companies in related fields have confirmed their participation. As the host country of this year's Investment and Trade Fair, the UK will send a delegation of nearly 200 people consisting of government, enterprises, associations, etc. to attend and hold a series of exchange activities. Currently, the UK is the second largest direct investment destination for China in Europe and the third largest source of foreign investment for China in Europe. By 2024, the trade volume of goods and services between China and the UK will exceed 130 billion US dollars, which means that 360 million US dollars of goods and services trade will occur between China and the UK every day, "said Ling Ji. Promoting project integration and efficiency improvement is also a major feature of this year's Investment and Trade Fair. China Investment Corporation, Bank of China, CITIC Group, and others will organize project docking; China Development Bank, Export Import Bank of China, and others will also launch several special events to provide financial assistance for enterprises to go global. It is worth mentioning that this year's Investment and Trade Fair will also hold economic and trade cooperation and exchange activities between provinces and states of China and the United States. Currently, the global economic growth momentum is insufficient, various trade and investment barriers are increasing, and cross-border investment is significantly slowing down. Ling Ji pointed out that in this context, nearly a hundred executives of multinational companies and heads of international investment institutions actively participated in this year's Investment and Trade Fair in China, indicating that China still has enormous potential for attracting investment. The comprehensive advantages formed by China's super large market, complete and efficient production and supply chain, as well as the rich application scenarios of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, profoundly interpret that "investing in China is investing in the future". China is now not only a major country that attracts foreign investment, but also a global leader in outbound investment. ”Ling said that in recent years, under the guidance of high-quality joint construction of the "the Belt and Road", China's outbound investment has developed steadily and healthily, showing strong resilience and vitality. In 2024, China's outward investment reached 162.78 billion US dollars, an increase of 10.1% over the previous year. Since 2012, China's outbound investment flow has ranked among the top three in the world for 13 consecutive years. In 2024, China's direct investment in the "the Belt and Road" co construction countries will increase by 22.9% over the previous year, accounting for 26.5% of China's total foreign investment that year. At present, 77 countries and regions jointly building the "the Belt and Road" have confirmed their participation in the Expo, and several countries jointly building the "the Belt and Road" will hold bilateral investment promotion activities. (New Society)