The 14th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) will take place in Xiamen, Fujian from September 8 to 11. Over the past 14 years, CIFIT has constantly expanded its scale, enriched its content, enhance its standard, and boosted its international recognition and influence. The forthcoming 14th CIFIT will remain focused on its two overarching themes of “attracting FDI” and “going global”, explore opportunities and challenges in the post-recession era, and stage a vast ranage of briefings, seminars, exhibitions, demonstrations and project task, in the hope of building a platform for business communities all over the world to locate potential business partners and opportunities in the economic recovery.
Economic Recovery and Faster Growth
The global economic recession triggered by the international financial crisis has shown signs of improvement, yet many factors of uncertainty have remained. China has launched a series of policies aimed at coping with the international financial crisis. These policies have strongly stimulated economic stabilization and rebound and helped sustained the economic growth momentum. China remains the world’s top destination for investment and will continue to receive substantial FDI inflows. Many foreign governments and institutions are going all out to pursue new business opportunities, projects and areas for economic growth. As one of the world’s largest investment promotion events aimed promoting bilateral investment, CIFIT will continue to play a crucial role in promoting investment cooperation and enhancing economic and trade ties across the world.
Although last year’s financial crisis has slowed down FDI flows worldwide and the economic situation remains unfavorable and complicated, China’s “going global” business has grown. Statistics indicate that in 2009 China’s non-financial FDI rose 6.5% year-on-year to US$ 43.3 billion; the amount of completed contracted overseas project construction surged 37.3% to US$ 77.7; and the turnover of overseas labor service increased 10.6% to US$ 8.9 billion. In the whole of 2009, a total of 395,000 labor service personnel were sent abroad. The Chinese Government will continue to encourage qualified Chinese enterprises to invest in foreign countries and engage in investment cooperation. The Ministry of Commerce will also build an efficient and effective investment cooperation mechanism, constantly improve the service and support systems for the “going global” policy for enterprises, increase training for enterprises “going global”, and steer enterprises to operate in accordance with market principles and economic laws and within the limits of the laws and regulations of China and their host countries and regions.
Mayor Liu stated that the world economy is recovering steadily, though the path may be tortuous. He stressed that it’s important to come to terms of the difficulties, identify fresh opportunities, remain focused on the hot topics in the global economy, and further improve the quality of the “attracting FDI” and “going global” initiatives. These will be new challenges for the upcoming 14th CIFIT.
An International Capital Extravaganza
The forthcoming 14th CIFIT will remain focused on “attracting FDI” and “going global”, accentuate its internationality and nationality, stress investment talks and policy publicity, emphasize balanced regional economic development, and promote economic and trade ties with Taiwan.
Mayor Liu revealed that the upcoming 2nd WIF and 14th CIFIT will have new characteristics.
First, they will have greater internationality. On the one hand, the 2nd WIF and the 14th CIFIT in Xiamen will conclude more than 10 high-level international events, providing valuable opportunities for investment promotion agencies and enterprises across the world to boost their profiles and promote their investment projects. Moreover, the 14th CIFIT has received an enthusiastic response from abroad. Finland, Mexico, Switzerland, the United States, Jordan, Hong Kong and Macao have confirmed their intentions to stage exhibitions at the upcoming CIFIT, and about 80 countries and regions are expected to exhibit at CIFIT and representatives from more than 120 countries and regions will take part in the fair.
Second, CIFIT’s functionality as a platform will be enhanced. The fair will focus on hot areas in global investment in the post-recession era, such as alternative energy, energy conservation and emission reduction. It will host a vast range of exhibitions, talks and conferences and provide participants with a greater setting for matchmaking talks. For the first time, “province and city days” events will be staged. The Ministry of Commerce and other ministries and commissions, the CIFIT Organizing Committee, and related domestic and overseas organizations will hold a series of high-level forums and seminars, including the Overseas Chinese Merchants China Investment Promotion Seminar, the Forum for Leaders of Global Chambers of Commerce, the Capital Forum, and the Asian Investment Fund Summit. More than 50 countries and regions are expected to hold investment climate briefings or promotion seminars during the fair.
Third, the year’s CIFIT will be more effective. The organizing committee will take advantage of global investment promotion resources and electronic maps, multimedia, 3G mobile phone terminal customer management systems and other cutting-edge technologies provide a synchronized “online CIFIT” that transcends geographic and temporal constraints, thereby ensuring that CIFIT is “permanently ongoing event”.
Fourth, the features of the Taiwan Straits will be further sharpened. Focusing on the them of peace and development across the Taiwan Strait, the Organizing Committee will hold a vast range of exhibitions, demonstrations, forums, seminars and project matchmaking symposia to build a bridge for cross-straits economic and trade cooperation and exchange.
In closing, Mayor Liu said that Xiamen is studying the messages of Chinese President Hu Jintao made during his visit to Fujian and Xiamen during the 2010 Lunar New Year. Xiamen is committed to the Central Government’s Decision to Support Fujian Province in Accelerating the Development of the West Taiwan Straits Economic Zone. As the hosts, Fujian and Xiamen will give the top priority to the 2nd WIF and 14th CIFIT, draw upon the logistical support of other world-class forums to ensure the conformance to highest standards of service, safety, reception and training. Xiamen is committed to using its best endeavors to provide visitors from around the world with swift, efficient and comprehensive services and ensure the success of the events. We believe that the 2nd WIF and 14th CIFIT will enhance each other, grab the world’s attention, and exert significant international influence.