Chongqing - The 8th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT) closed on May 24 in Chongqing, with organizers reporting expanded international participation, new investment projects, and stronger cross-border business links.
The Chongqing Pavilion at the 8th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade. (Photo/Zheng Ran)
Speaking at a results briefing, Zhang Yongwu, director of the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce, said this year’s WCIFIT saw stronger international cooperation, with nearly 1,400 companies and institutions from 50 countries and regions participating. The event also attracted 145 Fortune 500 multinationals, up five from last year.
The fair also drew 263 senior Chinese and foreign guests, including 17 foreign political representatives at ministerial level or above. Officials from 20 foreign embassies and consulates in China also attended.
During the fair, 49 events were held across industrial development, foreign investment, economic and trade cooperation, and consumption promotion. A total of 212 major projects were signed, including 124 signed collectively on-site. Organizers said projects, including a new energy vehicle hybrid transmission project and the Yuhu cold-chain smart park project, will be located in Chongqing.
Zhang said the signed projects focused closely on Chongqing's "33618" modern manufacturing cluster system, a local industrial development framework covering major advanced manufacturing sectors. The projects were concentrated in key areas, including intelligent connected new energy vehicles, next-generation electronic information, and biomedicine.
Professional visitors tour the exhibition hall during the 8th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade in Chongqing. (Photo/Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce)
Chongqing also released its Investment Opportunities in Chongqing List for the first time, presenting 277 projects to global investors with a combined investment scale of 579.46 billion yuan (about 85.28 billion U.S. dollars). The list covers five areas: modern manufacturing, technological innovation, new energy, inland opening-up, and urban governance.
Several matchmaking events were held during the fair. The Europe Enterprises Chongqing Tour and Industrial Matchmaking Event brought companies and industry organizations from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and other countries to visit key industrial parks in Chongqing.
The East-West Foreign Investment Cooperation and Trade Matchmaking Conference released the 2025 Western China Foreign Investment Confidence Index Report and facilitated more than 50 foreign-invested companies in visiting districts and counties, leading to investment and procurement intentions.
Drone equipment is displayed at the 8th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade in Chongqing. (Photo/Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce)
The Global Procurement Matchmaking Event was also upgraded to include six industry-focused sessions. Organizers said it covered emerging markets, including Ghana and Kyrgyzstan for the first time, linking more than 20 countries and over 100 overseas companies.
At the 2026 Chongqing-New Silk Road Countries Economic and Trade Cooperation Matchmaking Event, more than 30 institutions from nine countries, including Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, participated. Procurement intentions exceeded 1.2 billion yuan on-site.
The fair also received certification from the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI). Organizers said it became the first UFI-certified exhibition in western China, and the third in China, hosted by provincial- or ministerial-level Party and government organs.
As of 10 a.m. on May 24, the fair had attracted 72,000 visits, including about 10,000 professional visitors, 12,000 exhibitors, and nearly 50,000 public visitors, according to organizers.