People visit a booth of Belarus, the guest country of honor, during the Sixth Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade in Chongqing International Expo Center in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, May 23, 2024. (Photo/Xinhua)

The Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT), hosted by the Chongqing Municipal People's Government, is an international event that serves as a platform for diplomacy, trade, and investment in Western China. It plays a vital role in fostering international and domestic cooperation and is a critical gateway for Western China to enhance its openness to the world.

The 6th WCIFIT took place at the Chongqing International Expo Center from May 23 to 26, 2024. With the theme "New Western China, New Manufacturing, New Services," the fair focused on major national strategies, including the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

The event emphasized cooperation, openness, and shared development in Western China, focusing on advancing modern productive services and integrating advanced manufacturing with modern services. The fair, which spanned 130,000 square meters, featured four themed exhibition areas: the comprehensive zone, modern services, modern manufacturing, and international and regional cooperation.

Key events included the opening ceremony, signing of key projects, thematic activities on logistics services, innovation services, specialized services, investment in Western China, global procurement, and a series of events promoting consumption.

(Qi Xiaofang, as an intern, also contributed to this article.)