The 8th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT) was held from 21 to 24 May 2026 at the Chongqing International Expo Center and the Yuelai International Conference Center.
The 8th WCIFIT, themed "New Western China, New Manufacturing, New Services," invited the United Kingdom as Guest Country of Honour, Sichuan Province as Permanent Guest Province of Honour, and Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea, as Guest City of Honour. With a total exhibition area of 150,000 sq m, the fair attracted nearly 1,400 enterprises and institutions from 50 countries and regions.
The fair opened with an opening ceremony and a major project signing session, during which the Invest in Chongqing Opportunity List, with a total investment value exceeding RMB 500 billion, was released for the first time. A number of key projects were signed under Chongqing's "33618" Modern Manufacturing Cluster System. A total of 49 accompanying events were held, including the Vietnam–China (Chongqing) Trade and Investment Promotion Conference, the "Invest Chongqing · Seizing Business Opportunities" Multinational Corporate Matchmaking Event, the European Enterprises Chongqing Tour and Industry Matchmaking Session, and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor "Enterprise Going Global" Financial Services Matchmaking Session, further deepening international economic and trade cooperation while promoting industrial and consumption upgrading. Across the fair, 212 major projects were signed, with a total contract value exceeding RMB 150 billion.
Addressing the opening ceremony were Peter Wilson, British Ambassador to China; Ren Jingdong, Vice Governor of Sichuan Province; Kim Dae-soon, Vice Governor of Gyeonggi Province; and Nguy?n Sinh Nh?t Tan, Vice Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam. Also speaking at the ceremony were Xu Siwei, Secretary of the CPC Committee and Chairman of China Reform Holdings Corporation Ltd.; Xiao Song, Executive Vice President (Global) of Siemens AG; Almaz Altyyev (Altymyshev Aibek), Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic; and Zhang Chengqi, Chair Professor of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Director of the PolyU Shenzhen Research Institute.
Remarkable Results Delivered
Result 1
A Premier Brand Event, an Elevated Platform, and a Brighter Gateway to Opening-Up
The 8th WCIFIT continued to refine its operating model, expand its platform capacity and enhance exhibition quality, with a total exhibition area of 150,000 sq m. Four thematic exhibition zones were introduced: Comprehensive Image, Producer Services, Integrated Industrial Development, and International and Regional Cooperation. Together, they strengthened the fair's role as a landmark gateway for Western China to connect with the world, showcase its achievements and deepen opening-up.
Broadening and Enhancing International Cooperation
The opening ceremony featured addresses by foreign dignitaries including Peter Wilson, British Ambassador to China; Kim Dae-soon, Vice Governor of Gyeonggi Province; and Nguy?n Sinh Nh?t Tan, Vice Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam. As the Guest Country of Honour, the United Kingdom brought its largest business delegation to Western China in recent years and successfully hosted the UK–China (Chongqing) Economic and Trade Cooperation Matchmaking Event. During the event, the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) and the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce signed a strategic cooperation memorandum of understanding, while major projects, including AI-enabled smart elderly care, were launched. As the Guest City of Honour, Gyeonggi Province hosted the China–Republic of Korea (Chongqing–Gyeonggi) Economic and Trade Promotion Conference and inaugurated the China–Republic of Korea Economic Friendly Cooperation Center. The Vietnam–China (Chongqing) Trade and Investment Promotion Conference was also successfully held, during which the Chongqing Municipal People's Government and Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade signed the Three-Year Action Plan for Implementing the Memorandum of Understanding on Strengthening Economic and Trade Cooperation, with multiple Vietnamese enterprises and institutions concluding cooperation agreements with Chongqing partners.
Closer and More Practical Regional Cooperation
● As the Permanent Guest Province of Honour, Sichuan showcased more than 30 enterprises and nearly 100 exhibits, while the prefecture-level cities of Nanchong, Luzhou and Guang'an participated with their own dedicated exhibitions.
● The Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce, the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council jointly hosted the themed event "Chongqing–Hong Kong AI+ Industrial Synergy · Innovation Cooperation."
● The fair also introduced Provincial Theme Days. Guangxi hosted two promotional events—the Guangxi Promotion Conference on High-Level Joint Development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and the Guangxi Night Tourism Promotion Event—resulting in the signing of 12 cooperation agreements and three major projects. At its dedicated promotion event, Qamdo, Tibet, signed 22 cooperation projects and agreements.
Municipal-District Synergy Showcases a Fresh Profile
The Chongqing Comprehensive Image Zone focused on frontier sectors including artificial intelligence, the low-altitude economy, power equipment and advanced materials, showcasing Chongqing's achievements in fostering new quality productive forces and advancing high-quality development. Featured exhibits included China's first certified mass-produced crewed autonomous aircraft—the Changan Flying Car—alongside the AITO M9, Zhangxue Motorcycle's five-time championship race bike, and a smart robot matrix.
District Theme Days were launched for the first time, with 35,000 sq m of district and county exhibition pavilions showcasing distinctive local industries and products. Under the "One Metropolitan Area, Two Clusters" development framework, the Main City Metropolitan Area, the Northeast Chongqing Three Gorges Reservoir Region and the Southeast Chongqing Wuling Mountain Area signed 151, 23 and 15 projects respectively, further strengthening coordinated high-quality development across Chongqing.
Result 2
Investment Promotion Driving Growth — Strong Investment Outcomes and Closer Cooperation
● Projects signed were closely aligned with Chongqing's "33618" Modern Manufacturing Cluster System, including 87 projects in the three trillion-yuan leading industries, 51 in the three 500-billion-yuan pillar industries, 25 in the six 100-billion-yuan distinctive industrial clusters, and five in the 18 "New Star" industrial clusters.
● The Invest in Chongqing Opportunity List was released globally for the first time, featuring 277 high-quality projects with a total investment value of RMB 579.46 billion. A one-to-one smart matchmaking appointment system was launched, with 45 complimentary offline meeting rooms booked more than 120 times.
● The "Invest Chongqing · Seizing Business Opportunities" Multinational Corporate Matchmaking Event was successfully held, during which the Recommendations on Implementing "AI + Manufacturing" in Chongqing were released. Two dedicated matchmaking sessions were also organised: one on building a life and health science and technology innovation hub in Western China, and another on the integrated development and green upgrading of Western industries.
● The European Enterprises Chongqing Tour and Industry Matchmaking Session brought enterprise and industry association delegates from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and other countries to visit key industrial parks across Chongqing.
● The West–East Foreign Investment Collaboration Investment and Trade Matchmaking Session was successfully held alongside the release of the 2025 Foreign Investment Confidence Index Report for Western China. Hunan joined the Western China Foreign-Invested Enterprise Association Alliance, while more than 50 foreign-invested enterprises visited Chongqing's districts and counties, reaching intended investment and procurement agreements.
● The Chongqing–ASEAN Investment and Trade Exchange and Cooperation Matchmaking Session, together with a series of other international economic and trade events, further strengthened bilateral cooperation with ASEAN in trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchange.
● During the fair, five projects involving Fortune Global 500 companies were successfully signed.
● The Global Sourcing Matchmaking Session was upgraded with six dedicated industry sessions, covering emerging markets such as Ghana and Kyrgyzstan for the first time. More than 100 overseas enterprises from over 20 countries participated, creating an efficient and targeted platform for cross-border industrial cooperation.
● The 2026 Chongqing–New Silk Road Countries Economic and Trade Cooperation Matchmaking Session brought together more than 30 organisations from nine countries, including Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Intended procurement deals exceeded RMB 1.2 billion, while the CCPIT Chongqing Municipal Committee signed memoranda of understanding with four overseas organisations, including the Russian Center for People-to-People Diplomacy for SCO Countriesand the Uzbekistan National Energy Association.
● At the New Energy Vehicle Industry Chain Going Global Synergistic Development Matchmaking Session, the Chongqing Land-Sea Economic and Trade Promotion Center was inaugurated. The Sister Cities Economic and Trade Cooperation Matchmaking Session was also successfully held. At the China-Singapore (Chongqing) End-to-End Digital Cross-Border Trade Project roadshow, two innovative practice cases were presented and nine cooperation agreements were signed.
Result 3
Sci-Tech Innovation Leadership Driven — Intelligent Manufacturing Momentum Unleashed, New Quality Productive Forces Flourishing
The 8th WCIFIT positioned sci-tech innovation as the core engine for cultivating and developing new quality productive forces. Focusing on frontier technology breakthroughs, the implementation of sci-tech projects, digital-intelligent integration and empowerment, and innovation ecosystem development, it drove the deep integration of the innovation, industrial, capital and talent chains, continuously unlocking the endogenous momentum for industrial upgrading and accelerating the transformation of Western China's industries towards intelligent, high-end and green development.
The fair focused on frontier fields such as artificial intelligence, aerospace technology and advanced manufacturing, showcasing cutting-edge achievements including core end-to-end autonomous driving technologies and the world's first hybrid-electric unmanned transport aircraft. Multiple products made their global debut, while low-altitude application scenarios vividly demonstrated the dynamism of Chongqing's low-altitude economy. A batch of sci-tech headquarters and key advanced manufacturing projects were launched on site, strengthening Chongqing's sci-tech landscape, upgrading the Chengdu–Chongqing "Three Corridors", and simultaneously hosting the "AI + Manufacturing" dedicated matchmaking event and the "Starry Sky" software and information enterprises signing ceremony, creating more than 3,000 jobs. The fair also introduced a Producer Services feature zone, where Chongqing, Sichuan and three other regions signed the Initiative on Coordinated Development of Inspection, Testing and Certification, while a series of professional forums released outcomes including the 2025 Development Index Report for the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, the Chongqing Development White Paper for the Western China Financial Center (2026), and Financial Services Fair 2.0.
Result 4
The Fair for the People — Citywide Vibrancy Dividends, Consumption Promotion with Renewed Vitality
Staying true to its founding purpose of "empowering industries through the fair and delivering outcomes that benefit people's livelihoods", the 8th WCIFIT moved beyond the traditional "exhibition-only, promotion-only" model. Anchored in the key priorities of expanding domestic demand, promoting consumption and benefiting people's livelihoods, it leveraged exhibition traffic to drive consumption growth and unlocked market potential through high-quality supply, bringing greater urban vibrancy to the event.
The fair launched the WCIFIT Citywide Benefits Handbook, bringing together citywide dining, shopping and transport offers. More than 30 countries showcased featured products in the international exhibition zone, alongside the Yuwei 360 Bowls programme and the International Sister Cities Food Carnival, where international cuisines, Western China specialities and authentic dishes from all 37 districts and counties of Chongqing came together in one place, allowing visitors to "shop the world and savour global flavours" on their doorstep. The fair also introduced an innovative "fair + consumption" model, activating multiple consumer scenarios across the city. Highlights included an immersive new energy vehicle experience carnival, the promotion of 186 key cultural and tourism investment projects in Chongqing, and the Yupin Yunji e-commerce matchmaking event, which brought together more than 100 leading MCNs from across China, launched the Western China Quality Picks Initiative, and saw seven digital commerce projects signed, helping premium products from Western China reach markets nationwide.
Photos Source: Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce