The first preparatory meeting for the 23rd China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) was held in Beijing on March 21 to advance the overall work plan and the progress of preparations for the annual event in Xiamen, Fujian province in September. Chen Chunjiang, assistant minister of commerce, and Wang Jinfu, deputy governor of Fujian, attended the meeting and delivered speeches.

This year's CIFIT is expected to continue to enhance the core functions of two-way investment promotion, authoritative information releases and discussions on investment trends, improve the level of internationalization, professionalism and branding, and strive to boost a new round of high-level opening-up. 

To align with the "Invest in China" series of activities held by the Ministry of Commerce, CIFIT plans to hold a themed forum, deliver a number of authoritative reports on attracting foreign investment and build a nationwide roadshow platform for high-quality projects.

This year's CIFIT focuses on such issues as global investment cooperation, recovery of the world economy, sustainable development, carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, the digital economy and green and low-carbon industries.  

Covering a planned exhibition area of 120,000 square meters, the event has set up three major sessions for investment promotion, the innovative development of industries and project and capital matchmakings together with an array of new innovative exhibition areas in global cooperation, intelligent manufacturing and the digital economy and new energy and green development.

A 25,000-square-meter hall for project matchmakings and negotiation has been established to integrate exhibitions, roadshows and matchmaking negotiations, concentrate on key and emerging industries and boost matchmakings and negotiation, capital and industrial parks for new projects.

CIFIT also plans to hold a series of high-end conferences and forums on topics such as common development of the world, global investment cooperation, cross-Straits economic and trade exchanges, and the green and digital economy. 

It will continue to host the Gulangyu Forum and create a high-end platform that promotes international investment and global development, as well as deepens exchanges among all parties.

The "Cloud CIFIT" platform empowered by digital technologies is another highlight of the event in which participants can experience the application scenarios of the metaverse to conduct activities such as displaying, matchmaking, negotiations, discussions and signing contracts online. 

Organizers said they are striving to collect, store and analyze information such as the business environment, policies, industrial parks, investment intentions and projects from countries and regions around the world based on the "Cloud CIFIT" platform to enrich the database and strengthen the online pre-docking services this year.