"West" Attracts Global Attention
The Seventh Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade
The Seventh Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT) was successfully held in Chongqing from 22 to 25 May 2025. Continuing with the theme “New Western China, New Manufacturing, New Services”, this year’s fair built a platform for economic and trade exchange and cooperation rooted in western China, serving the nation and connecting with the world through a dual model of “exhibitions + events” and “online + offline” formats. The event fully showcased the region’s achievements in high-quality development and opening-up, further strengthening its role as a “window” for western China to engage with the world, for the world to understand western China, and for global cooperation with the region.
Global attention converges on Chongqing
This year’s WCIFIT introduced, for the first time, three categories of “guest of honour”. Thailand, as the Guest Country of Honour, marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations with China, symbolising deepening economic ties under the Belt and Road Initiative and Chongqing’s growing global engagement. Sichuan, as the Permanent Guest Province of Honour, embodied the Chengdu-Chongqing region’s new-era “twin-city story” and the spirit of close regional collaboration. Hong Kong became the first Guest City of Honour, with seven joint projects signed between Chongqing and Hong Kong, highlighting the city’s appeal to foreign investors.
Over 200 distinguished guests attended the event, including eight foreign dignitaries at ministerial level and officials from 19 embassies and consulates in China. Eighteen provincial and ministerial-level leaders from provinces and regions such as Sichuan, Qinghai, and the Hong Kong SAR also participated in key activities.
More than 1,300 companies and institutions from 39 countries and regions, 28 provinces and municipalities across China, and the Hong Kong SAR took part in this year’s WCIFIT. Among them were 212 central and local state-owned enterprises—more than triple the number from the previous fair—and 140 Fortune Global 500 and multinational firms, doubling the previous session’s count. Notable first-time exhibitors included Adient (USA), ATS (Italy), and South Ocean Food Group.
Investment Attraction Delivers Impressive Results
The fair featured high-profile events such as the Multinational Corporations' Chongqing Tour and “Invest in Western China” industry roadshows, resulting in 247 major project signings. Of these, 124 were signed at the main signing ceremony with a combined value exceeding RMB 200 billion, while an additional RMB 100 billion in agreements were signed at the district and county level—injecting powerful momentum into the new phase of western China’s development.
In terms of quality, 62 projects involving Fortune Global 500 firms, specialised and innovative enterprises, industry leaders, and listed companies were signed, totalling nearly RMB 100 billion—almost 30% of the total project value. Ten foreign investment projects from the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong were signed, worth RMB 16.4 billion. These projects are expected to strongly support Chongqing’s high-quality growth. Meanwhile, the Alliance of Western China Foreign-Invested Enterprise Associations was inaugurated in Chongqing, which also saw the first release of the “Western China Foreign Investment Confidence Index”.
Nearly 170 projects were signed in key sectors such as intelligent connected new energy vehicles, next-generation electronic information manufacturing, and advanced materials, totalling nearly RMB 160 billion—over half of the overall contract value. Sixteen additional agreements were signed with central state-owned enterprises, exceeding RMB 70 billion in value.
Deepen Cooperation in Producer Services
This year’s WCIFIT included ten themed events focused on how producer services can accelerate modern industry growth, including a dedicated Chongqing–Hong Kong cooperation forum on modern services.
Economic Cooperation Heats Up Again
More than ten activities were held covering trade matchmaking, consumption promotion, and regional collaboration, creating new areas for win-win cooperation. Chongqing Qianxin Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Group (CQFTEC) made its WCIFIT debut and signed strategic agreements with the Greater Bay Area and the Jiangbei District Government. CQFTEC was established in 2025 through the merger of Chongqing Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Group and Chongqing Qianxin Group. It operates with registered capital of RMB 4.255 billion and is a key state-owned enterprise under the Chongqing municipal government. The Global Sourcing Matchmaking Conference attracted buyers from 32 countries, with 550 domestic and foreign companies participating in targeted matching and resource alignment. On-site deals reached an estimated RMB 65 million. The China Auto-Motorcycle Export to Africa Alliance was officially established at the brand export sourcing event for African markets, with signed agreements totalling RMB 1.65 billion. At the “Premium Foreign Trade Products China Tour – Chongqing Station”, more than 70 buyers held one-on-one negotiations with export companies from western provinces. Malaysia and Chongqing discussed green, high-end, and intelligent transformation paths in the food sector, focusing on hotpot and edible oil industries. At the China (Chongqing)–UAE Economic and Trade Promotion Conference, the Chongqing Municipal Government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Ajman Emirate to deepen cooperation in industries and trade and jointly promote the global export of Chongqing-made vehicles. Three major consumer-focused events also took place: the “WCIFIT Benefits the Whole City” promotion campaign, the “WCIFIT Selected” public benefit initiative, and the “WCIFIT New Products” debut showcase, alongside four interprovincial exchange meetings.
Global Vision Extraordinary Highlights
This year’s WCIFIT featured three main exhibition zones: Comprehensive Image, International and Regional Cooperation, and Modern Industries. Additional zones were added for e-commerce, cross-border trade, premium export products, the silver economy, inspection and testing, industrial design, supply chain management, productive finance, legal services and intellectual property, and accounting, audit and tax services. The total exhibition area reached 110,000 square metres.
By building a two-way platform featuring international name brands and industry leaders, the fair attracted representative exhibitors from over 30 countries and regions including the Netherlands, Kenya and Italy. Dutch children’s brand Fien & Teun made its debut in Chongqing, while AkzoNobel, Netherlands Airport Consultants, and more than ten other firms joined for the first time.
Notable global or Chongqing-first launches included Adient’s Morryzen car seat and Shitiehou Technology’s world-first modular commercial lawnmower robot. Peruvian alpaca dolls, Senegalese shea butter, Burmese amber and jade jewellery, and Thai herbal balm were also well received. The Modern Industry Zone brought together 722 leading companies in advanced manufacturing and modern services from both China and abroad.