Fujian province will use the upcoming China International Fair for Investment & Trade as a platform for promoting China’s Belt and Road Initiative, according to the region’s vice governor Liang Jianyong.

Speaking at a press conference organized by the fair’s sponsor China’s Commerce Ministry, Liang announced that this year’s fair, which will be held in Xiamen on Sept 8-11, will focus on several main themes, with the Belt and Road Initiative  top of the list.

First outlined by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, Belt and Road Initiative is designed to strengthen ties between China and other countries along the continental Silk Road and Maritime Silk Road connecting  Asia with Europe and Africa.

Other themes will include the 50th anniversary of CIFIT sponsor the United National Industrial Development Organization; pillar industries and specialty products from various countries; and industrial and financial cooperation.

With a large number of influential organizations and businesses set to attend this year’s fair, including the World Trade Organization, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, International Finance Corporation and World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies, the event is seen as a great opportunity to promote China’s development strategies including the Belt and Road Initiative.

An exhibition will be staged during the event to highlight investment opportunities created by the strategy, while a series of seminars and other activities are planned to help match potential investors with regions and projects looking for funds.

Fujian is likely to feature prominently in these events, as the region seeks to position itself as an important link in the Maritime Silk Road connecting China and countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Middle East and Africa.

The province’s exports to Maritime Silk Road nations increased 4.2 percent year on year in 2015, reaching 183.8 billion yuan ($27.6 billion), according to Liang. And this growth accelerated further during the first seven months of 2016, with exports up by 15.2 percent compared to the same period the previous year.

Fujian’s outbound investment in these nations is also on the rise, with year-on-year increases of 2.7 percent in 2015 and 2.5 percent during the first seven months of 2016 respectively.

Three new free trade zones in Xiamen, Pingtan and Fuzhou were opened last year to further boost the province’s integration into the global economy, while the government has invested heavily in expanding the region’s transport links, especially in the city of Xiamen. A new Xiamen-Chengdu-Europe cargo route opened August 2015, and the  cruise terminal and airport in the city have also expanded their capacities.

These efforts have helped make Fujian one of China’s fastest growing regions, with the province’s 8.3 percent annual GDP growth in the first seven months of 2016.

Local officials are hoping these successes will help attract further investment during the fair.