By Dai Yan (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-08-24 14:04

The 11th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) will open in Xiamen on September 8-11, 2007, emphasizing exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits.

CIFIT, a nationwide international investment promotion activity held annually in Xiamen, is sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and organized by the Fujian Provincial Government, the Xiamen Municipal Government and the Investment Promotion Agency of MOFCOM. It is also co-sponsored by several international organizations including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and International Finance Corporation.

The event will highlight international trade cooperation. For example, the second China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum is to be held concurrently with the fair. The forum includes a seminar on bilateral cooperation in agriculture, fishery and tourism, and the Caribbean Pavilion Day, according to the organizing committee.

The third Cross-Straits Tourism Exposition is also planned together with the fair, from September 6 to 11.

Workshops to facilitate discussion on the consolidation of corporate income taxes, service outsourcing and regional economic co-development are on the agenda as well.

More emphasis will be placed on cross-Straits cooperation at the fair. MOFCOM will meet with the Taiwanese Affairs Office of the State Council to present the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation and Development Forum.

To promote two-way investment, a matchmaking symposium for service outsourcing projects will be held for the first time during the fair. Such matchmaking symposiums will include those concerning transportation projects and listed companies' investment projects.

A special exhibition area for imported commodities will be plotted for the first time to promote products made by countries that are in trade deficit with China.

Enterprises and institutions from 64 countries and regions will showcase their products, and more than 140 senior government officials, international organizations' heads and presidents of multinational corporations from 88 countries and regions will attend the fair.

At the 10th session last year, members signed agreements on 1,086 investment projects worth a total of US$21.66 billion, including US$15.08 billion worth of foreign investment.

During the last 10 years, over 100,000 overseas business people from 144 countries and regions visited the fair. More than 1,000 overseas enterprises and organizations from 70 countries and regions displayed their products at the exhibition, and 13,000 inbound and outbound investment projects have been signed.