By Xinyi Li, EDITOR

China (Chongqing) International Investment and Global Sourcing Fair (hereinafter referred to as “CCISF”) is the largest-scale, highest level of internationalization, and comprehensive economy and trade activity jointly hosted by the Ministry of Commerce, Three Gorges Project Office of the State Council, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and Chongqing Municipal People's Government. By 2017, it has been held successfully for 21 times.

With the approval of the central government, since the 21^st China (Chongqing) International Investment and Global Sourcing Fair, it has been formally renamed as the "Western China International Fair For Investment and Trade" (hereinafter referred to as the "WCIFIT"). The renamed upgrade means that the CCISF would be upgraded to a national exhibition which served the western region, served the whole country, served “the Belt and Road" and served the world. It had great significance for enhancing the influence and attraction of Chongqing, promoting the integration of "the Belt and Road" initiative and the Yangtze River economic belt construction, and speeding up the construction of inland open highlands.

WCIFIT is a strategic platform for the development, opening up and international cooperation of western China. After years of development, it has become a first-class large-scale international exhibition in China, which has set up a favorable platform for carrying out various forms of trade and economic cooperation and promoting the coordinated regional economic development in eastern, central and western regions. It has also played a positive role in promoting the implementation of the national Western Region Development Strategy and improving the level of opening-up in western China. Because of all these, it is highly praised and fully recognized by all participants and businesspersons in both China and overseas, and has won honors and awards several times, including "China's Top 10 Brand Exhibitions", "China's Top 10 Government-led Exhibitions", and "China's Top 10 Influential Exhibitions".

21st WCIFIT

The 21st WCIFIT was held at Chongqing International Expo Center from May 25 to May 26, 2018, with the theme of “Interconnection and Cooperation Bringing New era, Inland Openness Forming New Patterns ".

Around the theme, 6 major exhibitions have been set up, including international exhibition, “the Belt and Road" national exhibition, Chinese brand exhibition, new era of Chinese economic exhibition, western cooperation exhibition and Chongqing expo exhibition. Among them, “the Belt and Road" national exhibition was first established and held a variety of promotional activities such as the brand promotion conference of China-Arabia, and the round table meeting of "Chongqing Singapore hand in hand · Interconnection and Cooperation ".

During the 21st WCIFIT, 211 projects were concluded with the total investment of RMB 509.67 billion. 7,300 enterprises and 120 associations from 67 countries/regions (including Russia, U.K., Germany, Italy, Japan and etc.) participated this WCIFIT. Among them, the participants included 291 Fortune 500, 66 Chinese central state-owned enterprises and 2,000 plus multinational enterprises. There were also many participants from China various provinces/municipals/special administrative region/Chongqing local districts attending this WCIFIT. It appears that the trend of participant numbers are growing compared with previous. WCIFIT demonstrated Chongqing as being the junction of “the Belt and Road" and the Yangtze River economic belt and the important hub platform for promoting regional and international economic and trade cooperation.

Characteristics of 21st WCIFIT

Rename and Upgrade

On the basis of successfully holding the past twenty CCISF, the name of this fair was changed to WCIFIT in May 23, 2018, which means that WCIFIT has been positioned as a national exhibition based on the inland open highland construction, serving the western region, the whole country, “the Belt and Road" construction, and serving the whole world. It has become an important foreign trade and economic exchange and investment attraction in the western region.

Based on the feedback of the participants, WCIFIT fully demonstrated Chongqing as being the junction of “the Belt and Road" and the Yangtze River economic belt and the important strategic fulcrum of the great development of the western region.

New Achievements in Cooperation with Central State-owned Enterprise (“SOE”)

At the 21st WCIFIT, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (“SASAC”) and the Chongqing Government jointly organized the theme activity of "Cooperation between Central SOE and Chongqing". The director of SASAC and the leaders of 66 first-level central SOE attended the series of activities, opened a new chapter of cooperation between central SOEs and Chongqing.

Relevant leaders of central SOEs actively proposed new suggestions for central-local cooperation in the fields of civil-military integration, asset reorganization, maritime and aviation logistics, energy construction, and green development.

New Support for High-Quality Development

The 21st WCIFIT upholds the concept of "Innovative Development and Green Development", focusing on win-win cooperation in high-tech industries, helping Chongqing achieve high-quality development and create high-quality life. During this period, China (Chongqing) Auto Intelligent Manufacturing Industry Summit Forum and China (Chongqing) Intelligent City Development Conference were held to discuss the future development trend of new energy and intelligent network united automobile, and to draw a blueprint for the development of smart cities, smart communities and smart families.

Source: Chongqing Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment