Major trade event kicks off in Chongqing

The fifth Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade kicked off in Chongqing on Thursday morning.

The fair — themed "Joining hands with the West for a bright future" — aims to enhance cooperation and opening-up efforts in western China. It highlights the digitalization achievements in opening-up and innovation this year. Malaysia has been designated as the guest country, and Sichuan and Gansu are the guest provinces. The event will run until Sunday.

Some 25 activities, with the themed activities focusing on the construction of the New International Land-Sea Corridor, cross-border industrial investment, the development of the pilot free trade zones and expanded opening up of the service industry will be held throughout the event.

Thirteen exhibition halls spanning an area of around 180,000 square meters, showcase 10 sectors, including comprehensive trade, the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, the automobile and motorcycle industry, big health, international logistics, environmental protection and cross-border e-commerce, the organizing committee said.

The event was organized by the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Water Resources, the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the government of Chongqing municipality.

Also on Thursday, the 2023 China-Singapore (Chongqing) Connectivity Initiative International Land-Sea Trade Corridor International Cooperation Forum, was held. It was organized by the Ministry of Commerce, Singapore's Ministry of International Trade and Industry and the local government.

According to the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce, in the past four session of the international investment fair, a total of 945 projects valued 1,664 billion yuan ($237.8 billion) were signed.