The 21st China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) is set to take place in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province from Sept 8 to 11, according to organizers at a news conference for the event held on Sept 6.

Officials said that this year's CIFIT will prioritize the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic.

With a theme of "new opportunities for international investment under new development patterns", the 21st CIFIT will have an exhibition space spanning 110,000 square meters. More than 30 forums and activities will be held, displaying cutting-edge industries, hosting high-end discussions, and promoting effective matchmaking.

Countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership are among the major participants at this year's fair.

The Investment Promotion Pavilion will have delegations from 45 countries and regions, as well as international organizations showcasing their investment policies, business climate, and projects.

The Philippines and Qinghai province will attend the event as the guest country of honor and the guest province of honor respectively.

The Industrial Development Pavilion will focus on development trends of key industries and emerging economies like the artificial intelligence, smart city, equipment manufacturing, industrial innovation, and wellbeing industries. It will also showcase the latest development of characteristic industries in Fujian, such as the sports and tea industries, attracting Global Fortune 500 companies like Merck, Johnson & Johnson, Philips, Embraer, Huawei, as well as Genertec. 

More than 30 forums and seminars will be held during the four-day fair, with government leaders, representatives from international organizations, experts, and business leaders, such as Li Yong, director-general of the UN Industrial Development Organization, Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, as well as Lyu Jun, chairman of COFCO, discussing hot topics around international investment in person or through online video. 

In addition, authoritative reports, including the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Utilization of Foreign Investment, the Report on Development of Chinese-funded Enterprises in Different Countries, and the World Investment Report 2021 (Chinese version) will also be released during the fair.

To further strengthen its two-way investment promotion, the 21st CIFIT will host more than 30 business conferences and match-making meetings, with more than 200 investment institutions and nearly 1,000 projects taking part.

The fair will also give full play to the digital technology and data resources, integrating offline activities with online business discussions. Its newly developed WeChat mini program "online CIFIT" offers one-stop year-round project exhibition and cross-regional negotiation services.