Chongqing - The 8th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT) will open in Chongqing on May 21, bringing together nearly 1,400 companies and institutions from 50 countries and regions, according to a press conference on May 14.

On May 22, 2025, the 7th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT) grandly opened in Chongqing. (Photo/Chen Zhan)

The four-day event, running through May 24 at the Chongqing International Expo Center and Yuelai International Conference Center, is themed “New West, New Manufacturing, New Services.” The UK is the guest country of honor, Sichuan the permanent guest province, and South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province the guest city.

The Chongqing International Expo Center. (Photo/Wang Jiaxi)

Zhang Yongwu, director of the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce, said the fair will feature four major exhibition areas covering overall development, producer services, industrial integration, and international and regional cooperation. The exhibition area will total 110,000 square meters, while nearly 40 activities are planned, including an opening ceremony, thematic forums, investment and trade matchmaking sessions, and consumption promotion events.

The fair will also highlight Chongqing's industrial and innovation strategies. Organizers said displays will present progress in the city's "33618" modern manufacturing cluster system and its "416" science and technology innovation layout. The general exhibition area will showcase artificial intelligence, low-altitude economy, power equipment, advanced materials, and related technologies.

The Sirius quadruped robot was developed by a company in Chongqing Liangjiang New Area and is being exhibited at the 7th WCIFIT. (Photo/ Huxin Luo)

A major emphasis will be on global procurement and investment matchmaking. Organizers said special sessions will be arranged around six fields: intelligent connected new energy vehicles, modern logistics, healthcare, new energy, food and agricultural processing, and Chinese companies' overseas expansion. More than 100 companies from over 20 countries and regions, including Brazil, Myanmar, South Korea, and Malaysia, have been invited to release procurement lists. The program will also include emerging Belt and Road markets such as Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, and Zimbabwe.

The fair will broaden its international participation through several programs. The UK will host a matchmaking event for UK-China Chongqing economic and trade cooperation. At the same time, Gyeonggi Province will hold a China-South Korea industrial cooperation promotion session and jointly unveil a "China-Korea Economic Friendship Cooperation Center."

A separate "New Silk Road" business matchmaking conference will invite chambers of commerce and trade promotion agencies from 12 countries, including Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, to cover markets in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

At the opening ceremony, Chongqing plans to release an "Investment Opportunities List" featuring more than 200 projects with a total planned investment of more than 500 billion yuan (about 73.6 billion U.S. dollars). The list will focus on advanced manufacturing, green and low-carbon development, and the digital economy.

Tang Zhongwei, chief economist of the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, said major project signing activities will focus on strengthening industrial supply chains in fields such as intelligent connected new energy vehicles, next-generation electronic information, and biomedicine.

Organizers also announced that WCIFIT received UFI certification in April. UFI is a global exhibition industry association, and the certification indicates that the event meets international standards in exhibitor quality, visitor participation, and service levels.

This year's fair will also debut redesigned mascots, "Ge Zai" and "Cha Duo," inspired by Chongqing's Ficus virens tree and camellia flower.

Moscots of the 8th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT). (Photo/Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce)