Sixty projects were signed on Monday, the first day of the 7th China Shijiazhuang International Investment and Trade Fair in Shijiazhuang, capital of North China’s Hebei province.

Eleven projects have received investment from foreign companies, with approximately 1.5 billion dollars in investment, and the other 49 projects are expected to attract 82 billion yuan of domestic capital.

“The fair will be the largest fair ever in terms of signed projects and investment.,” said Ma Qianli, director of the Shijiazhuang Municipal Investment and Trade Bureau.

Advanced equipment manufacturing and modern service projects saw a clear increase in investment this year. This will help the city to become a regional growth engine. Projects related to overall management will also accelerate the development of specialized industrial zones, he added.

A comprehensive commercial center will settle in Shijiazhuang Yuhua District, covering about 53 hectares in size. With more than 10 billion yuan investment, the commercial square is a concentration of hotels, residential space, shopping malls, offices, entertainment, restaurants, clubs, and commerce and financial institutions. The center and the business it generates are expected to create thousands of jobs.

Other major projects include a central business district, an air conditioning parts manufacturing base in Shijiazhuang’s High-tech Industrial zone, and an International Trade City in the city’s Chang’an District.

By Guo Changdong and Zhang Nan