The CIFIT Organizing Committee and the Xiamen Municipal People’s Government recently hosted a promotion seminar in Macao for the upcoming 14th CIFIT and 2nd WIF. The promotion seminar was facilitated by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute. At the seminar, Xiamen mayor Liu Cigui stated that Xiamen will continue to draw up Macao’s rich experience in the modern service industries and attach significant importance to the partnership between Xiamen and Macao. The accelerating development of the West Taiwan Straits Economic Zone is set to open up a new chapter in the cooperation between Xiamen and Macao.

The promotion seminar was attended by Gao Shangqing, deputy director of the Economic Department of the Central Government’s Liaison Office in Macao; Chang Hexi, secretary-general of the Permanent Secretariat of the China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum; Chen Mingjin, member of the CPPCC and the Administrative Council; Liang Zhongqiu, president of Macao Fujian Association.

Chen Jinghong, an executive member of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, stated that Macao has been sending entrepreneurs’ delegation to CIFIT since its inception, and regularly stages “Macao Pavilion” at CIFIT to promote Macao’s business advantages and investment opportunities, promote the cooperation between Macao and the rest of the world, and facilitate investment and trade exchange.

Over the past years, Macao’s business community has secured various investment cooperation deals in the hospitality, real estate, tourism, convention and exhibition, manufacturing, trade, and catering industries. The Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute will organize a sizable SEM delegation to the forthcoming 14th CIFIT and expand Macao enterprises’ involvement in CIFIT.

Xiamen mayor Liu Cigui stated that despite the financial tsunami, last year’s CIFIT exceeded expectations in terms of scale and results. About 200 cities in the 31 provinces, municipalities directly under the jurisdiction of the Central Government, and autonomous regions in mainland China, as well as over 13,000 participants from 125 countries, regions and 492 organizations from 83 countries and regions, took part in last year’s CIFIT, including 134 people in eight delegations from Macao.

This year’s CIFIT will have more prominent themes, a higher level, and more extensive involvement of industries; it’s set to provide greater opportunities and will receive strong backing from Macao’s business community.

Xiamen has set out to build 13 industrial chains and clusters each with annual output value of RMB 100 to 1000 in the plat panel display, automobile, and electric appliance industries. The city will set out to build 10 modern service industries including banking, logistics, tourism, and convention and exhibition, and increase industrial matchmaking and cooperation with Taiwan in advanced manufacturing, software, banking, service outsourcing, creative culture, conventions and exhibitions.

Macao is one of the most dynamic and vibrant cities in the Asia-Pacific Region, boasting extensive experience in developing the modern service industries. Xiamen’s development has benefited from Macao’s unfailing support. With the acceleration of China’s economy and the West Taiwan Straits Economic Development Zone and the expansion of economic and trade ties across the Taiwan Straits, a new chapter will be opened in Xiamen-Macao partnership.