Int'l investment, trade fair opens in Xiamen

XIAMEN (Xinhua) - More than 670 delegations from 100 countries and regions gathered Sunday in China's southeastern coastal city of Xiamen to attend the 17th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT).

Among the participating groups are 250 from developed countries of Europe and North America and over 70 from emerging economies.

The fair, sponsored by China's Ministry of Commerce, aims to facilitate global investment flows through the hosting of bilateral and multilateral economic promotion activities.

The fair this year, which runs from Sunday to Wednesday, will feature topics such as global value chains, trade across the Taiwan Strait, and China's foreign direct investment.

For the first time, the World Trade Organization (WTO) co-sponsors the CIFIT, and has organized a delegation to attend the investment forum during the fair.

The WTO's participation has brought the number of CIFIT's co-sponsors to six. Other co-sponsors include the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the International Finance Corporation and the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies.

The CIFIT has been held in east China's Fujian Province annually since 1997. It is currently the largest global investment event approved by the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry.